HMRC has published a statistical report on companies claiming R&D tax credits as of 30 June 2012, and the cost to the Exchequer of providing that support. The report may be of interest to readers seeking the latest data about the uptake of R&D tax credits, their cost, and the nature of the companies claiming them.

According to the report, since R&D tax credit schemes were launched in 2000–01, more than 74,000 claims have been made and over £7 billion of relief has been claimed. More than 21,000 different companies have made claims under the SME (Small and Medium Enterprise) scheme since it began in 2000–01, and 5,600 under the large company scheme, which launched in 2002–03.

For 2010–11, the number of tax returns claiming R&D tax credits rose year on year by 8.4% to 10,290, representing just under £1.1 billion of tax relief support, based on £10.9 billion of R&D expenditure. SME claims rose in number by 9.6%, large company claims by 5.5%, and SME sub-contractor claims by 6.6%.

The full contents of the report together with statistical tables are published on the HMRC website.