Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the proportion of Research and Development tax relief claims submitted in each of the past five financial years that involved the use of nominee or third-party bank accounts to receive payment.

HMRC does not publish the proportion of Research and Development (R&D) claims involving nominee or third-party bank accounts for the past five financial years.

Since November 2023, no new assignments of R&D tax credits have been possible and since April 2024, claimants have not been able to nominate a third-party payee. The changes were made as analysis showed that more than 90% of R&D claims that were fraudulent or displayed some markers of fraud used nominee bank accounts. These changes reduce the incentive for agents to submit spurious claims, as customers will receive the payment direct. They provide customers with more visibility over claims made on their behalf and allow them to correct any inaccuracies.