CFO R&D Tax Survey: Results Overview

RCK Partners commissioned independent research conducted by Censuswide, surveying 254 CFOs from R&D-active SMEs that have claimed, or considered claiming, R&D tax relief within the last five years. The data was collected between 01/07/2026 - 07/07/2026.

Featured by The Times, this research explores the impact of recent R&D tax relief reforms on UK SMEs. As the first independent primary study of its kind, it provides a comprehensive assessment of how these changes are affecting innovative businesses across the UK.

July 2026, London.

* Censuswide is a member of the Market Research Society (MRS) and the British Polling Council (BPC), and a signatory of the Global Data Quality Pledge. They adhere to the MRS Code of Conduct and ESOMAR princip

Results summary

The research reveals that reforms introduced by HMRC to prevent abuse of the R&D tax relief scheme have led genuine innovators to cancel research, shelve projects, and reduce headcount amid growing uncertainty.

The findings revealed the following key statistics:

of respondents have reduced investment in R&D

have hired fewer technical staff than planned

have cancelled innovation projects

have taken out loans or other external finance to manage delays in receiving R&D tax relief

of respondents agree that the time HMRC takes to process and pay R&D claims makes the relief too unreliable to factor into their financial planning

say the current R&D tax relief scheme is less attractive for their business than it was four years ago

say the compliance burden associated with claiming R&D tax relief is disproportionate to the financial benefit

Capital Allowance Eligibility Explained: Who Can Claim and What Qualifies

CFO R&D Tax Survey: Results Overview

Results summary

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