BA Caulkett Ltd

Fiscale prove it’s not always “too good to be true”, by submitting a successful R&D Tax Credit claim for engineering specialist, BA Caulkett. When Fiscale contacted BA Caulkett Ltd, a leading supplier of bespoke loading equipment, neither company had any idea of the impact the call would have on their future.

Research and Development (R&D)Tax Credits for engineering company, BA Caulkett

Established in 1981, BA Caulkett has built a strong reputation for quality, service and innovative engineering solutions. They work predominantly within the construction, industrial and agricultural equipment sectors and are proud of their team of highly skilled engineers. Using the right people, equipment and technology enables BA Caulkett to provide their diverse customer base with the premium quality technical solutions they demand.

The Challenge

BA Caulkett work with engineers and product developers in the construction, civil engineering, utilities, mining, environmental services and agriculture sectors. They design and manufacture bespoke loading shovel attachments which are used for handling numerous materials. These include construction products, sand, waste, sludge, silage, sugar beet, hay, grain, fertiliser, coal, biomass and logs. To successfully claim Research and Development (R&D) Tax Credits for engineering companies, we need us to demonstrate that our clients were:

Producing new or improved products, processes or services

Designing and developing products that resulted in technological and scientific uncertainties

The team at BA Caulkett listen closely to their customer to develop a handling attachment that will meet their exact needs. This requires many factors to be taken into consideration, such as the type of machinery that the shovel or bucket will be attached or the environment where it will be used. By using their extensive experience, the engineers at BA Caulkett will need to research and develop an attachment capable of meeting the specified criteria. Each unit is designed, fabricated and manufactured in house, by an individual engineer. The engineer will then test the attachment to ensure safety, durability, reliability and performance. The majority of the projects that they work on involve a high degree of technological uncertainty. Therefore, a significant amount of time is invested in research and development. Resolving these uncertainties can lead to the engineer devising a new process or method, that can then be used in other projects. By constantly innovating how they design and manufacture, the company is able to retain its position as a specialist in the production of loading shovel attachments.

The Results of claiming Research and Development Tax Credits

As a local business, Fiscale were familiar with BA Caulkett and were aware that they were a likely candidate for R&D Tax Credit relief. An introductory call took place to establish eligibility. Managing Director Barry Caulkett, was unaware of the R&D Tax Credit scheme and, like many people, was sceptical that what is effectively “free money”, could be available from the Government without a catch. A ‘basis for claim’ meeting was arranged and, although still unconvinced, Barry agreed to go ahead with the claim. Two further meetings took place where Fiscale’s Technical Director, Stephen Bunting, worked with the team at BA Caulkett to help them pinpoint all of the eligible research and development elements that had been completed over the last two financial years. It soon became apparent that there was a high level of research and development taking place within the company. However, the team had not realised the process they followed when designing a new product or substantially improving a new one was actually research and development – they were just doing what they do! Gathering the information for Fiscale was a team effort and took around an hour a week over the course of two months. A draft report was compiled and sent over to BA Caulkett for approval before being submitted to the HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) R&D Tax Credit team in Leicester by Stephen.

It is hard not to be sceptical when you get a call basically telling you that you could be eligible for tax relief under a scheme you have never heard of! You can’t help but think it’s some sort of scam. Now I am so glad that I gave Fiscale the time of day, they are an excellent company. They were easy to work with and very helpful. They offered plenty of guidance on what they required. Of course we are absolutely delighted with the cheque we have received but our work with Fiscale has uncovered something of far more value long term. Thanks to Fiscale we now understand and appreciate that we are innovators; that we are carrying out R &D on a daily basis – it’s what we do. With this realisation has come a new confidence and we have gone out to our market with a different message. It has already brought us a prestigious project with a high profile company in the construction sector. This fresh approach gives us a real competitive advantage over the other manufacturers in our industry. It is an invaluable benefit that has arisen as a direct result of our association with Fiscale. Just now and then when something sounds too good to be true – it isn’t! I am so glad that I put my trust in Fiscale and am looking forward to working with them for many years to come. If you get a call from Fiscale my advice is listen to what they have to say!

Barry Caulkett, MD of BA Caulkett

The Conclusion

When the HMRC payment arrived Barry was elated and very happy that he had put his trust in Fiscale.

Could You Be Eligible?

If you would like to discover whether your business may qualify for R&D tax relief

BA Caulkett Ltd

Research and Development (R&D)Tax Credits for engineering company, BA Caulkett

The Challenge

The Results of claiming Research and Development Tax Credits

The Conclusion

Could You Be Eligible?

Do You Think You May Be Eligible?Let's Talk

Do You Think You May Be Eligible?
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