Quick answer: No single firm is best for everyone. Of the six firms compared here, EmpowerRD is the only one where we hold a published fee figure (6% of the benefit, checked 27 October 2026). For the others, ask for a written quote. All six are active at Companies House. Uplift Tax is an introducer: you pay the specialist, not us.
Asking what percentage it costs, or how that compares with your accountant? Uplift Tax is an introducer. The specialist pays us a share of its fee. You do not pay Uplift Tax anything. The specialist's percentage of the successful claim is agreed in writing with you before any work starts. Read how our fees work, see the specialist versus accountant comparison, or send your numbers for a written fee estimate.
Facts checked 27 October 2026. Sources: each firm's own published pages and Companies House (links in the table), and Trustpilot for ratings. Where we could not find a fact in those sources, the cell says so. Ratings are shown as visible text only and are not averaged or ranked.
Comparison table: six UK R&D tax credit firms and Uplift Tax
Rows are the questions that matter most to a buyer. "Not stated in the sources we checked" means we did not find the fact in the firm's own published pages or in Companies House on 27 October 2026. It does not mean the firm does not offer it: ask the firm for it in writing. RandD UK's website is randduk.com and it is a subsidiary of K3 Advisory Group Limited, per the footer of randduk.com (checked 27 October 2026).
| ForrestBrown | Leyton UK | EmpowerRD | Source Advisors | RandD UK | Kene Partners | Uplift Tax (introducer) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Typical fee % | Not stated in the sources we checked (27 October 2026) | Not stated in the sources we checked (27 October 2026) | 6% flat; the tiered Growth plan is 6% to £250,000, then 5%, 3%, 2%, 1% and 0.5% in higher bands (source, 27 Oct 2026) | Not stated in the sources we checked (27 October 2026) | Not stated in the sources we checked (27 October 2026) | Not stated in the sources we checked (27 October 2026) | Percentage of the successful claim, agreed in writing with the specialist before any work starts |
| Fee model | Not stated in the sources we checked (27 October 2026) | Not stated in the sources we checked (27 October 2026) | Not stated in the sources we checked (27 October 2026) | Not stated in the sources we checked (27 October 2026) | Not stated in the sources we checked (27 October 2026) | Not stated in the sources we checked (27 October 2026) | Percentage of the successful claim, paid to the specialist. You do not pay Uplift Tax anything. |
| Minimum fee | Not stated in the sources we checked (27 October 2026) | Not stated in the sources we checked (27 October 2026) | Minimum fee from £4,000 (flat plan) or £5,000 (Growth plan) (source, 27 Oct 2026) | Not stated in the sources we checked (27 October 2026) | Not stated in the sources we checked (27 October 2026) | Not stated in the sources we checked (27 October 2026) | Ask for the specialist's minimum fee in writing before work starts |
| HMRC enquiry support | Not stated in the sources we checked (27 October 2026) | Not stated in the sources we checked (27 October 2026) | Included on the Growth plan; extra on the flat plan (hourly rate not stated); refund if an enquiry fails (source, 27 Oct 2026) | Not stated in the sources we checked (27 October 2026) | Not stated in the sources we checked (27 October 2026) | Not stated in the sources we checked (27 October 2026) | Scope set out in writing in the engagement letter; ask every adviser for it in writing |
| Sector focus | Not stated in the sources we checked (27 October 2026) | Not stated in the sources we checked (27 October 2026) | Not stated in the sources we checked (27 October 2026) | Not stated in the sources we checked (27 October 2026) | Not stated in the sources we checked (27 October 2026) | 17+ industries (tech to manufacturing) (source, 27 Oct 2026) | Introduction to an HMRC-registered specialist |
| Trustpilot rating, count and date | 2.8 out of 5 from 3 reviews, small sample, Trustpilot (source, 27 Oct 2026) | Not stated in the sources we checked (27 October 2026) | 4.8 out of 5 from 82 reviews, Trustpilot (source, 27 Oct 2026) | Not stated in the sources we checked (27 October 2026) | Not stated in the sources we checked (27 October 2026) | 4.8 out of 5 from 56 reviews, Trustpilot (source, 27 Oct 2026) | Not rated: Uplift Tax is an introducer and this page shows no rating for it |
| Capital allowances offered | Yes, offered (source, 27 Oct 2026) | Yes, offered (source, 27 Oct 2026) | Not stated in the sources we checked (27 October 2026) | Not stated in the sources we checked (27 October 2026) | Not stated in the sources we checked (27 October 2026) | Not stated in the sources we checked (27 October 2026) | Covered in our eligibility assessment; the specialist confirms scope in writing |
| Companies House status, number and last accounts | Active, company number 08004376, last accounts made up to 31 December 2025 (Companies House, 27 Oct 2026) | Active, company number 06977112, last accounts made up to 30 June 2025 (Companies House, 27 Oct 2026) | Active, company number 10785149, last accounts made up to 31 May 2025 (Companies House, 27 Oct 2026) | Active, company number 05852134, last accounts made up to 31 December 2025 (Companies House, 27 Oct 2026) | Active, company number 06648783, last accounts made up to 31 May 2025 (Companies House, 27 Oct 2026) | Active, company number 10813376, last accounts made up to 30 September 2025 (Companies House, 27 Oct 2026) | Active, company number 12642550 (Blue Llama Ltd, trading as Uplift Tax), last accounts made up to 29 November 2025 (Companies House, 27 Oct 2026) |
Company names behind the trading names are the Companies House names: FORRESTBROWN LIMITED, LEYTON UK LIMITED, EMPOWERRD LIMITED, SOURCE ADVISORS LIMITED, RANDD UK LIMITED and KENE PARTNERS LIMITED. For Uplift Tax's own entity, see the company facts at the foot of this page.
Who each option may suit, based only on the table
- EmpowerRD: a buyer who wants a published price before talking to anyone. It is the only firm here where we found a published fee percentage, minimum fee and enquiry terms. It also has the largest Trustpilot sample of the six (82 reviews, 27 October 2026).
- Kene Partners: a buyer who wants a firm that states a broad sector spread (17+ industries, per its own about page) and has a sizeable review sample (56 reviews on Trustpilot, 27 October 2026).
- ForrestBrown and Leyton UK: a buyer who wants capital allowances handled by the same firm as the R&D claim. Both state they offer them. ForrestBrown's Trustpilot score is based on 3 reviews, which is a small sample.
- Source Advisors and RandD UK: we found no fee, minimum fee, enquiry or rating facts for either in the sources we checked. That is a reason to ask for a written quote, not a verdict on either firm.
- Uplift Tax: a buyer who wants a written eligibility read first, and an introduction to an HMRC-registered specialist, without paying us anything.
When the other option is the better choice
If you want a published price today and are comfortable with a platform-led process, EmpowerRD's published terms let you decide without a conversation. If you already have an adviser you trust and a written quote you are happy with, there is no reason to add a step. If your accountant has a dedicated R&D team, the in-house route can be the right one: see specialist versus accountant.
Worked example: a £200,000 claim
Here "claim" means the HMRC benefit, the cash value to your company, not your qualifying spend. We use only fees the firms publish. Figures are before any VAT or tax on the benefit; EmpowerRD's page does not state a VAT treatment in the source we checked.
| Firm | Published basis | Fee on a £200,000 benefit | Net of fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| EmpowerRD, flat plan | 6% flat (source, 27 Oct 2026) | 6% × £200,000 = £12,000 (above the £4,000 minimum) | £200,000 less £12,000 = £188,000 |
| EmpowerRD, Growth plan | 6% to £250,000 (source, 27 Oct 2026) | 6% × £200,000 = £12,000 (above the £5,000 minimum) | £200,000 less £12,000 = £188,000 |
| ForrestBrown, Leyton UK, Source Advisors, RandD UK, Kene Partners | No fee published in the sources we checked (27 October 2026) | Not published; ask for a written quote | Cannot be calculated |
On the flat plan EmpowerRD's published terms list enquiry support as extra; on the Growth plan it is included. Compare like with like by asking every firm what is in the fee.
Uplift Tax: the specialist's fee for your claim is quoted in writing before any work starts, so we do not print a figure here. Send us your numbers and we will come back with a written estimate for a £200,000-type claim and for yours.
Six questions to ask any R&D tax adviser
1. What is the fee structure, and is enquiry support included?
Many R&D advisers charge a percentage of the successful claim, but some use a fixed fee or time and materials. Ask for the full fee picture in writing before work begins: the percentage or fixed sum, any minimum fee, whether VAT is added, and whether HMRC enquiry support is in scope or extra. See contingent versus fixed fees and how our fees work.
2. Do they have sector depth in your industry?
R&D eligibility is fact-specific. Ask whether the firm has worked on claims in your sector and whether the person writing your technical narrative has relevant industry knowledge.
3. Who writes the technical narrative, and who is accountable for it?
HMRC questions in an enquiry focus on the technical narrative, so you want the person who knows your claim to be the person who answers.
4. What does HMRC enquiry support actually cover?
Do not assume it is included. Ask every adviser to set out in writing what enquiry support covers, what it costs and what it excludes. Our guide to HMRC R&D enquiries explains what an enquiry involves.
5. Do they surface related reliefs?
If you have spend on plant, equipment or property, capital allowances may sit alongside an R&D claim. Ask whether related reliefs are in scope at the start.
6. Are they qualified and insured?
Confirm professional qualifications at firm level, professional indemnity insurance and membership of a recognised professional body in the engagement letter before you sign.
Where Uplift Tax fits
Uplift Tax is an introducer. The specialist pays us a share of its fee. You do not pay Uplift Tax anything. We do not prepare R&D claims. We run a written eligibility assessment covering R&D, capital allowances and Land Remediation Relief, and introduce you to an HMRC-registered specialist if there is a claim worth making. Because the specialist pays us a share of its fee, we say so up front, and you should weigh our view accordingly. The specialist, not Uplift Tax, owns the engagement letter, the fee and the claim. For the full picture, read how our fees work, and the step-by-step process.
Detailed head-to-head pages: Uplift Tax vs ForrestBrown, Uplift Tax vs Leyton, Uplift Tax vs EmpowerRD, Uplift Tax vs Source Advisors, Uplift Tax vs RandD UK and Uplift Tax vs Kene Partners. If your accountant is the alternative, read R&D specialist vs accountant.
What the merged scheme means for your choice of adviser
From 1 April 2024 the merged R&D scheme replaced both the SME scheme and the large-company RDEC, with a 20% above-the-line credit. For a profitable company paying corporation tax at 25%, that is a net benefit of about 15% of qualifying spend. Loss-making companies with high R&D intensity may qualify for the Enhanced R&D Intensive Support (ERIS) rate. The scheme also changed the rules on subcontracted R&D and on data and cloud computing costs, so an adviser must be working to current rules. See the merged scheme guide and use the calculator to size your own claim.
Company facts
Uplift Tax is a trading name of Blue Llama Ltd, company number 12642550, status Active, last accounts made up to 29 November 2025 (Companies House, checked 27 Oct 2026). Companies House names, numbers, status and last-accounts dates for the six compared firms are in the table above, each linked to its Companies House record. Uplift Tax is an introducer. The specialist pays us a share of its fee. You do not pay Uplift Tax anything.
Methodology: facts come only from the firms' own published pages and public registers, dated and linked. We do not infer, estimate or round competitor facts. Uplift Tax is an introducer service, not a tax adviser, accountant or legal firm. This page is neutral context, not a recommendation of one firm over another.