Choosing the Right R&D Specialist for Your Clients

Referring a client to an R&D specialist is a decision that reflects on you, not just on them, so it's worth being genuinely deliberate about who you choose. Here's what I'd actually ask, if I were sitting where you are.

Start With How They Handle Eligibility

Ask how they assess whether a project actually qualifies, and specifically, ask them to talk you through a claim they turned down. Any specialist worth working with should be able to answer that easily, because saying no is part of doing the job properly. If every answer sounds like a yes, that's worth noticing.

Ask About Their Process, Not Just Their Output

A good technical report is the end result of a proper process, not a substitute for one. Ask how they gather evidence, how early they bring in a competent professional, and how the technical narrative connects to the financial calculation. If the answer is vague, the process probably is too.

Ask What Happens If HMRC Writes

This is one of the more revealing questions you can ask. Enquiry support shouldn't be an afterthought or a separate service tacked on at extra cost. Ask whether it's included as standard and ask how many enquiries they've actually supported. Real experience here matters considerably more than confidence.

Ask How They'll Work with You

Some specialists want to take the client entirely. Others will disappear behind the scenes and leave you with no visibility at all. Ask specifically how they intend to protect your relationship with your client, and how much visibility you'll have throughout the process. The right answer should sound like genuine partnership, not a handover.

Ask What They Offer Beyond the Claim Itself

The strongest specialist relationships extend into training, legislative updates and support with future claims, not just a single transaction. That's usually a good sign you're looking at a long-term partner rather than a one-off provider.

Why I'd Want You to Ask All of This

These are the same standards I hold us to, and I'd genuinely rather an accountant ask hard questions before referring a client than assume everything's fine and find out otherwise later. A specialist worth working with should welcome every one of these questions.

Get in touchand ask me any of them directly. I'll give you an honest answer.