Set up continuous R&D tax claims

Use this checklist so Flowstate can find eligible work and build R&D tax claims as the year goes on, rather than in a rush at year end. Your finance or tax lead owns it, with an engineering lead for the project data it depends on.

Flowstate doesn't file claims with HMRC, the IRS or any other authority. You or your adviser file the claim, then record the outcome in Flowstate.

Before you start

• Work through the foundations: organisation basics, people and teams, projects and your project tool.
• Set up weekly effort reporting. Claims are costed from submitted effort, and tickets are the evidence.
• If you're also setting up capitalisation, steps 3 and 4 of Set up capitalisation cover categorising cost centres and giving every project one. They apply here too.

1. Check the module is on

What: R&D tax claims needs to be switched on for your organisation. Who: Finance lead, with your Flowstate contact. Where: No setting. Ask your Flowstate contact if it's off. Done when: Finance → R&D tax claims appears in the sidebar.

New organisations have it switched on.

2. Get projects, people and cost centres ready

What: Every project needs a cost centre and every person a salary or rate, and your project tool needs to be connected with its projects linked. Who: Finance lead, with engineering leads and your project tool admin. Where: Set up your projects and Set up weekly effort reporting. Give at least one cost centre the R&D category in Settings → Finance → Cost Centres. Done when: Delivery → Roadmap → Projects filtered by Needs attention shows no project "missing" an owner, description, cost centre or linked tickets.

3. Choose your default R&D framework

What: Pick the R&D tax relief scheme Flowstate checks projects against. Who: Finance or tax lead. Where: Settings → Finance → Frameworks & Fiscal Year, in the R&D Framework section. See R&D tax claim settings. Done when: Settings → Finance → Project Analysis no longer warns "No default R&D framework is configured".

1. Choose a Default framework. Frameworks are listed by name, with their country.
2. Select Save Configuration.

If the list says "No active frameworks available", ask your Flowstate contact.

4. Choose the R&D cost centre

What: Pick the cost centre a project moves onto when its R&D claim is accepted. Who: Finance lead. Where: Settings → Finance → Project Analysis, in the R&D eligibility scan section, under R&D cost centre. Done when: R&D cost centre shows your choice.

Accepting a claim moves the project onto this cost centre, so its cost leaves CapEx or OpEx. Rejecting the claim moves it back. If you leave this Not set, Flowstate creates a cost centre called R&D the first time a claim is accepted.

5. Turn on the R&D eligibility scan

What: Let Flowstate check your projects, tickets and pull requests against your framework on a schedule. Who: Finance or tax lead. Where: Settings → Finance → Project Analysis, in the R&D eligibility scan section. Changes save as you make them. Done when: The last scan shows Completed, with the number of projects checked and new suggestions.

1. Check Enable R&D eligibility scan is on.
2. Choose a Scan frequency: Weekly, Fortnightly or Monthly.
3. Choose a Fiscal-year lookback: Current year only, or up to Current + 3 prior years if you're claiming for earlier years.
4. Select Run scan now for the first run.

6. Name the claim approvers

What: Choose who approves claims, and who records a claim as filed and closed. Who: Finance lead. Where: Settings → Finance → R&D Tax Review. Done when: Both stages list at least one member after you reload the page.

1. Under Approval Stage, select Add Member and add the people who review and approve claims. Without anyone here, nobody can approve a claim.
2. Under Completion Stage, add the people who are told when a claim is approved, mark it submitted once it's filed, and record the outcome.
3. Select Save Workflow.

7. Optional: use Slack for R&D

What: Tell approvers about pending reviews, and tell people when Flowstate recommends a project for a claim. Who: Slack admin. Where: Settings → Integrations → Slack, under Notification Features, switch on R&D flows. Done when: The switch is on.

You're set up when

• Finance → R&D tax claims → Overview shows the current fiscal year with suggested claims or claims, and the headline figures filled in.
• The R&D eligibility scan's last run shows Completed.
• Both stages in Settings → Finance → R&D Tax Review have members.

Next: day-to-day guides

• R&D tax claims: the overview, and how a claim moves from suggestion to closed.
• Review suggested claims: what the scan found, and accepting or dismissing it.
• Build a claim: create a claim, check its costs and deadline, and draft its technical narrative from real evidence.
• Review, approve and submit: take a claim through approval to filed and closed.
• Claim packs and exports: rationale documents and cost workings for your adviser.