FEATURE
Mike Dean , Managing Director of WhisperClaims , explained : “ Dedicated cloud-based R & D tax claims technology , with training and support on tap , provides accountants with the ability to build and maintain strong client relationships and reinforce their trusted advisor status .”
Unlocking your status
Accountants that have embraced the trusted advisor role understand how important it is to ensure their clients get the best advice and support at every step , but that is hard to control or guarantee when any aspect of the service is outsourced .
How can an accountant sign off on a tax return when they have not been involved in the preparation of the R & D tax Claim ? Anyone can call themselves an R & D tax specialist yet have no accounting background or tax qualifications – and importantly they will not be subject to the same level of regulatory scrutiny as certified accountants .
Given the potential risks associated with outsourcing , many accountants are therefore looking to extend the depth and breadth of their service offering – and R & D tax advice is becoming an increasingly important part of the overall service portfolio . Research carried out by WhisperClaims confirmed that accountancy firms ’ primary motive for providing R & D tax
advice is based around their role as a trusted advisor to their clients .
The research revealed that firms want to be able to manage the end-to-end process without handing over responsibility to a third party ; and while the additional revenue stream is obviously welcome , this outcome carries far less weight than the client satisfaction accountants want to be able to offer .
For firms to be able to deliver a complete service portfolio for clients , it is vital to establish an efficient , cost-effective and reliable approach to preparing R & D tax claims . Just as technology has transformed every other aspect of the accountant ’ s role over the past decade , dedicated R & D tax Claims software can empower accountants with a framework and structure that enables them to deliver a high-quality service that is robust , compliant and repeatable .
Embracing technology
SaaS technology , such as some R & D tax software , provides a financially scalable model to support accountants with variable levels of client demand for R & D tax claims preparation . It provides the foundation for a process designed to be used by qualified accountants with a strong understanding of their clients ’ businesses and a fundamental understanding of the guidance and what qualifying work looks like .
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