Matthew
Millyard

WHO I HELP

Clients ranging from university-based start-ups that are only beginning to commercialise an idea that is springing directly from the laboratory, to well established companies with large R&D departments, working on many disparate and involved product development or process improvement projects.

HOW I HELP

Enabling clients to understand the requirements and qualifying components behind a claim. Ensuring applications are clear, detailed, and comprehensive; hitting all the points that HMRC want to see to demonstrate eligibility. Leaving clients better positioned for future claims, for example, directing them how to improve their contemporaneous record keeping, to better withstand an environment of increasingly burdensome HMRC scrutiny.

SECTORS/SUPPORT

Technology.

“WE TREAT EACH R&D CLAIM AS A CONTINUALLY DEVELOPING STORY OF INNOVATION PROGRESSING EACH YEAR.”

Matthew Millyard is a Senior Innovation Consultant within our Corporate Tax department, specialising in R&D tax credits. Using his scientific background in research, he aids clients to identify aspects of their work that qualify for R&D Tax claims according to HMRC’s guidelines, as well as collaborate with colleagues to tie these activities to the costs, preparing the documentation to comprehensively justify claims to HMRC.

Matthew’s PhD was in Physics and Nanoscience, giving him a strong technical background within physical and material sciences, and his work over the last several years has allowed for him to broaden his knowledge across the biological and computer sciences.

While primarily working within the corporate tax department, Matthew works to support clients across the group and across a host of different sectors, including technology, food and drink, energy, industrial, and construction and property.

AN IDEAL RELATIONSHIP

“My idea of an ideal client relationship is one of continuous discussion over every financial year. Although many R&D advisors view their roles as coming in to summarise their work after the year has ended, the way we want to work is through constant advisement throughout the year, being a resource that clients can call on to understand how their on-going activities fit into the scope of R&D relief, helping them to properly document and record their work so that they can demonstrate their activities to HMRC as necessary, and as enabling us understand the nuances of their work, streamlining the ever more complex R&D tax credit claim process to making applications as efficient and painless as possible.”

CLIENTS’ EXPECTATIONS

“Clients are looking for a comprehensive understanding of what is and isn’t qualifying within the bounds of the R&D scheme, the ability to understand their work, and the ability to quickly discern the salient points of their R&D projects to save them time and effort.”

A CHANCE TO LEARN ABOUT INNOVATIONS

“By the very nature of working within the R&D space, every interaction with our clients gives me a chance to learn about the creative, innovative, and pioneering developments attempted by companies across an incredibly diverse range of sectors and industries. I get a front row seat to the work undertaken by companies championing world-leading research. Furthermore, the necessity of having multiple specialisms all means that each claim is a shared success across a team of individuals collaborate to best serve a client’s interests.”

NOT A DISCRETE PIECE OF WORK

“Our approach to claim preparation, thinking about each R&D claim as not a disparate unit of work but a part of a continually developing story of innovation progressing each year means that we avoid a typical pitfall of considering an R&D project as a discrete piece of work that can fit nicely into a box.”

TECH-ENABLED

“Through being tech enabled, we’re able to undertake our work as rapidly as possible. By facilitating booking, meeting with clients, and sharing supporting documentation online, we’re able to go from an introductory meeting with a client to writing up a detailed technical report as quickly as possible, speeding up claim preparation and minimising effort on the client side.”

CHALLENGES IN THE FIELD

“HMRC’s increasing scrutiny and constantly evolving requirements within the R&D tax credit space means that we have ensure that we are on top proposed changes as they are announced. By keeping up to date on how the scheme is changing, and understanding the evidence that HMRC need to help support a claim, we are better positioned to advise, prepare, and support our clients, guaranteeing that the claim process is smooth and minimising as much as possible the ever increasing risk of an HMRC enquiry.”

BEING PART OF AAB GROUP

“Within AAB group, we now have the resources and ability to support larger and more ambitious clients. Working alongside the most innovative companies is what makes my day to day work exciting, and as the group grows and spreads, we’ll be able to strengthen increasingly complicated and determined clients.”

WORKING TOGETHER SEAMLESSLY

“The complexity of R&D claim legislation means that the whole team needs to work together seamlessly to provide the best possible client service. Thanks to the respect and trust fostered by AAB Group’s values, we can successfully support each other, ensuring that each R&D claim processed is diligently and meticulously prepared.”

MY GREATEST STRENGTHS

“My history in research means that not only am I a field expert, but I’m also well practiced in academic research methods, enabling me to rapidly learn about new subjects and domains. These skills help me to understand the work undertaken in depth by our clients, perceive the challenges that they are encountering, and therefore better describe their research to HMRC.”

APPRECIATION FROM CLIENTS

“I once received the following compliment from a client: “Matthew has a great knowledge of the technical processes we work on. This is vital in our business and how we can demonstrate its strengths within research and development.” It’s always a good feeling to have your work recognised!”

UNDERSTANDING THE EVER-EVOLVING LEGISLATION

“R&D advisors have a negative image – and it’s rather deserved. Large numbers of unregulated and unscrupulous entities have flooded the sector, and it’s because of these firms that HMRC have instigated an aggressive (though timely and appropriate) push back to ensure that companies are compliant. Fortunately, at AAB we’re extremely well placed to provide the expertise, from understanding the complexities of the ever-evolving legislation to comprehending the nuances of our clients work, to ensure that our clients can be supported from the start of the first years claim and into the future.