Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Politics
Jon Ungoed-Thomas

‘Free money’: £4bn lost to fraud and error on flagship HMRC ‘innovation’ scheme

HMRC
HM Revenue & Customs note paper with a pen and keyboard
HM Revenue & Customs found itself in a ‘wild west’ of dubious claims. Photograph: Yau Ming Low/Getty Images/iStockphoto

A government scheme to champion new research and boost the economy has cost more than £4bn in fraud and error since 2020 after widespread abuse.

The research and development tax credits scheme was designed to help drive world-leading innovation, but turned into what has been described by experts as a “wild west” with huge volumes of dubious claims.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Travis Barker shares Kourtney Kardashian’s bold first move: ‘Something crazy’
Couple were friends for 15 years before becoming a couple around 2020
The Independent UK
The Independent UK
‘My dog’s built her own fashion community’: how canine companions stole the fashion week spotlight
Our four-legged friends are turning heads from Louis Vuitton to Schiaparelli – but what does their presence in the most exclusive of spaces say about the industry’s changing attitudes?
The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Mystery of why big dogs age faster than small ones finally solved
Researchers analyzed the health of more than 860 dogs
The Independent UK
The Independent UK
I'm Italian American, but I Don't Celebrate Columbus Day.
The holiday brings out many of the worst excesses of identity politics.
Reason
Reason
WWE Star Stephanie Vaquer Sets Social Media Ablaze With Nude Photo Wearing Nothing but Her Championship Belt
WWE Women's World Champion Stephanie Vaquer has attracted widespread attention after sharing a revealing photograph featuring her title, days before defending it against Liv Morgan and Becky Lynch.
International Business Times UK
International Business Times UK
‘Striking and personal’ self-portrait by David Bowie up for auction
Sotheby’s said the self-portrait created by the musician in 1996 will go on sale next week.
Evening Standard
Evening Standard
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.
Download on the AppStore Get it on Google Play