Set up R&D claims

These settings decide how Flowstate finds R&D claims and who approves and files them. Set them up before your first claim.

You need access to financial settings — ask your Flowstate admin.

1. Choose your R&D framework

1. Go to Settings → Finance → Frameworks & Fiscal Year.
2. Under R&D Framework, choose the Default framework and save.

The eligibility scan judges projects against this framework, and doesn't run without one. You can still pick any framework when you create a claim yourself. See Frameworks.

2. Turn on the eligibility scan

1. Go to Settings → Finance → Project Analysis, section R&D eligibility scan.
2. Check Enable R&D eligibility scan is on.
3. Choose the Scan frequency: Weekly, Fortnightly or Monthly.
4. Choose the Fiscal-year lookback: Current year only, or up to Current + 3 prior years.

Changes save as you make them. To scan straight away, select Run scan now. Last scan: shows when it last ran and how many new suggestions it found.

3. Choose the R&D cost centre

In the same section, choose the R&D cost centre. Projects move here when a claim is accepted, and move back if it's rejected. Choose a cost centre in the R&D category.

If you leave it as Not set, Flowstate uses an existing R&D cost centre, or creates one called "R&D" the first time.

4. Choose who approves and files claims

1. Go to Settings → Finance → R&D Tax Review.
2. Under Approval Stage, select Add Member and add the people who approve claims. They're also told about new suggestions and approaching deadlines.
3. Under Completion Stage, add the people who mark claims as filed and record the credit.
4. Select Save Workflow.

Tip

Set up the Approval Stage before anyone submits a claim — only its members can approve. Add only people whose approval you'd accept on its own, because one approval moves a claim on.

If you leave the Completion Stage empty, anyone who can edit claims can mark them filed and record the outcome.

5. Send R&D tasks to Slack (optional)

Go to Settings → Integrations → Slack and turn on R&D flows. Approvers then hear about claims to review and new R&D opportunities in Slack. See Slack.

If something's not right

"No active frameworks available". Ask your Flowstate contact to add a framework for your organisation.

Run scan now is greyed out. Choose a default R&D framework first.

The scan hasn't found anything. Check it's on and Last scan: shows Completed. For earlier years, check Fiscal-year lookback covers them.