Frequently asked
questions

Adviser Radar is an independent platform that helps UK businesses compare R&D tax advisers using clear, structured information.

It brings together adviser profile information in one place so users can carry out more informed initial checks before deciding which advisers to contact.

No. Adviser Radar is not an R&D tax adviser and does not prepare R&D tax claims.

The platform is designed to help users compare information and build a better-informed shortlist of advisers to approach.

No. Adviser Radar does not recommend, endorse or guarantee any adviser.

Any decision to appoint an adviser remains the responsibility of the business using the platform.

Adviser Radar is mainly for UK businesses looking for an R&D tax adviser, reviewing an existing adviser or carrying out initial due diligence before making contact.

It may also be useful for accountants, finance directors, investors and others who want to understand the R&D adviser market more clearly.

Yes. Businesses can search and compare adviser profiles free of charge.

Some advisers may choose to claim their profile and subscribe for an Enhanced Profile, but this does not mean Adviser Radar recommends them.

"Adviser" is the traditional British spelling and "advisor" the American one. Both mean the same thing and you'll see both used in the UK, so neither is wrong. We prefer "adviser" because it's the spelling HMRC uses.

HMRC's definition matters more than the spelling. From May 2026, a new registration regime starts rolling out that will eventually require all tax advisers to register with HMRC and meet minimum standards. The definition of "tax adviser" is deliberately broad. It includes any business that assists others with their tax affairs. That includes accountancy firms preparing R&D tax claims, whether they think of themselves as tax advisers or not. It's why Adviser Radar lists specialist R&D consultancies and accountants that have a distinct R&D tax service offering as well, and assesses them on the same basis.

Users may be able to compare information such as adviser trading details, company status, profile information, website links, claimed credentials and other publicly available or adviser-provided details.

The exact information shown may vary between profiles.

No. Adviser Radar should be used as an initial research tool only.

Before appointing an adviser, users should still carry out their own checks, ask questions, review engagement terms and consider whether the adviser is suitable for their specific circumstances.

Businesses may wish to ask about:

• who will prepare the claim
• relevant experience in their sector
• how eligibility will be assessed
• how costs will be identified and apportioned
• how the technical report will be prepared
• what happens if HMRC opens an enquiry
• fee structure and cancellation terms
• professional memberships, insurance and complaint routes

Adviser Radar may show information about professional memberships, claimed credentials or publicly available records where available.

However, not all R&D tax advisers are required to hold a specific qualification. Users should check any credentials directly with the adviser or relevant professional body.

R&D tax advice is not subject to a single dedicated adviser regulator in the same way as some other professional services.

Adviser Radar may display relevant public information where available, but users should still ask advisers about supervision, professional memberships, insurance and complaint routes.

Adviser profiles may include information from publicly available sources, adviser websites, public registers, third-party datasets and information provided directly by advisers.

Where an adviser has claimed a profile, they will also have had an opportunity to review and verify key details.

They describe stages of the same journey. Every adviser in scope starts with a free Basic Profile, built from public sources without the firm's involvement.

A firm can then claim its profile. This means a person authorised to act for the firm has taken control of the listing and subscribed for an Enhanced Profile.

An Enhanced Profile lets the firm add its logo, a fuller description, services, credentials and website links, and switches on a contact section so you can easily and quickly reach the firm directly. As part of this, the firm reviews and verifies key details and makes the Claimant Commitment.

Once that has happened, the profile carries the Verified Profile badge: claimed, reviewed and directly contactable.

A claimed profile means a person authorised to act for the adviser has taken control of the listing, as part of subscribing for an Enhanced Profile. Claiming is how a firm moves from the free Basic Profile to an Enhanced one.

An Enhanced Profile is a paid subscription an adviser firm can take out for its listing. It lets the firm add its logo, a fuller description, services, credentials and website links, and switches on a contact section so you can reach the firm directly through Adviser Radar. As part of claiming its profile, the firm reviews and verifies key details and makes the Claimant Commitment.

The Verified Profile badge shows that a firm's profile has been claimed by a person authorised to act for the adviser, and that the firm has reviewed and verified key details, with changes subject to Adviser Radar review before publication.

The Claimant Commitment is a public statement of five principles that advisers with an Enhanced Profile have agreed to work to. It covers acting with the claimant's interests in mind, understanding the claimant's circumstances, only supporting credible claims, being clear about risks, fees and responsibilities, and marketing and delivering services responsibly.

Advisers with an Enhanced Profile are the firms you can contact directly through Adviser Radar. Each one makes the commitment when it claims its profile. It gives you some reassurance that the firm has publicly set out the standards it intends to work to, and that Adviser Radar can withdraw a firm's Enhanced Profile if credible information suggests it has fallen short.

You can read the full Claimant Commitment here.

Yes. Advisers can request updates to their profile and may claim their profile and subscribe for an Enhanced Profile.

Adviser Radar may review changes before they are published.

If a user or adviser believes information on a profile is inaccurate or outdated, they can contact Adviser Radar and request a review.

Where appropriate, Adviser Radar may correct, update or remove information.

Adviser Radar seeks to balance transparency, fairness and legal obligations.

Requests relating to opt-outs or data removal are considered on a case-by-case basis, taking into account the nature of the data, its source and applicable legal requirements.

The Radar Score is a summary indicator designed to highlight certain observable governance, compliance and transparency signals about an R&D tax advisory business.

It runs on a 0 to 100 scale and is used to rank advisers and to inform the Radar Assessment shown on each profile.

The Radar Assessment is the overall view shown on each adviser profile and in the directory. It is informed by the Radar Score together with the same underlying indicators.

Where the Radar Score is the underlying 0 to 100 measure used to rank advisers, the Radar Assessment is how that information is presented to you at a glance on each profile.

The Radar Score is designed to:

• surface signals that may not be obvious from marketing material
• highlight issues that may merit further questions
• present complex information in a simpler format
• support more informed discussion between businesses, advisers and referrers

It is not designed to rank advisers by technical ability.

The Radar Score focuses on how an advisory business appears to operate, based on observable information. This may include indicators such as:

• corporate and filing behaviour
• business stability and structure
• transparency and disclosures
• regulatory and compliance-related signals
• other objective indicators drawn from available data

The emphasis is on consistency, governance and risk signals rather than client outcomes.

The Radar Score does not assess:

• the technical strength of R&D claims
• sector-specific expertise
• value for money or fee competitiveness
• client service quality
• the likelihood of an R&D claim being accepted by HMRC

The Radar Score is generated using a structured scoring framework applied consistently across advisers. At a high level, the process involves identifying relevant data points within defined categories, assessing those data points against standard criteria, applying weighting to reflect relative significance and aggregating the result into a single summary score.

Not all signals are treated equally. Some indicators may be considered more significant based on factors such as persistence, recency and relevance to governance or compliance risk.

Recent and repeated issues may be treated differently from isolated or historic events.

The Radar Score is primarily data-driven. However, limited judgement may be applied in areas such as data interpretation, categorisation and exception handling.

This is intended to improve fairness and accuracy, not to favour or disadvantage individual firms.

Newer or smaller firms may have less available data. Where this is the case, the score reflects what can be observed, rather than making assumptions.

A lower score does not necessarily imply poor practice, and users should consider the profile context alongside the score.

The Radar Score reflects observable signals rather than intentions. Where improvements are made to underlying factors, such as filings, disclosures or governance practices, those changes may be reflected over time as data updates.

Advisers may also be able to clarify or correct factual information where appropriate.

No. A higher score may indicate that fewer issues were identified in the data points reviewed, but it does not mean the adviser is necessarily suitable for a particular business.

Generally, a higher score is preferable, but this is not a guarantee. Users should still ask their own questions and consider whether the adviser is appropriate for their circumstances.

No. A lower score may indicate that certain issues or missing data points were identified, but it should not be treated as a final judgement.

It may simply highlight matters that users may wish to ask more about.

The Radar Score is based on available data at a point in time. Data may be incomplete, delayed or later corrected.

The score highlights signals, not conclusions. Different users may reasonably interpret the same information in different ways.

The Radar Score should be used as a starting point for understanding and comparison.

Users are encouraged to review the underlying indicators, ask advisers questions where issues are flagged and combine the score with their own judgement.

The score is most useful when used as part of a broader decision-making process.

This section involves a review of selected public records, media coverage, professional sources and review platforms relating to the adviser. It considers positive, neutral and negative material, and is designed to surface any material public concern indicators that may be relevant when researching an adviser.

Every adviser goes through the same core review process using relevant business and identity information. Sources are weighed according to their reliability, seriousness and how confidently they relate to the adviser, and potentially relevant material is read in context rather than judged from search snippets alone. Potentially adverse or uncertain findings are checked by a human reviewer before publication.

The review looks for issues ranging from repeated, credible public concerns through to the most serious formal findings, such as HMRC promoter or Spotlight notices, director disqualification, formal fraud or dishonesty findings or serious court and tribunal outcomes. Less serious matters can affect the status without any single serious finding being present.

Results are presented in summary form on the adviser's profile, together with an indicative Red, Amber or Green review status. A Green status confirms that no material adverse indicators were identified, while other statuses include brief context for what was found. Where no review has yet been published for an adviser, the profile shows this instead of a status.

No. Green means no material adverse indicators were identified from the selected sources at the date of the latest review. It is not an endorsement, a guarantee or a substitute for your own checks.

No. The review process is identical for every adviser and sits entirely apart from paid profile features. Subscription status has no bearing on the outcome in either direction.

Adviser Radar includes firms that appear to offer R&D tax advisory services in the UK. The aim is to provide consistent visibility across the market, rather than focusing only on a small number of well-known firms.

No. Adviser Radar does not assess the technical quality of R&D advice, claim preparation or sector expertise.

The Radar Score focuses on governance, compliance and transparency-related signals at a business level.

Most information displayed on Adviser Radar is sourced from public or third-party datasets, such as corporate registers and published disclosures.

Advisers may also choose to verify, clarify or add to their profile information. Adviser-supplied information does not automatically override independently sourced data but it may be used to clarify, supplement or correct profile information where this is appropriate.

Advisers can contact Adviser Radar using the details provided on the website to raise questions, flag issues or request clarification.

Adviser Radar is funded primarily through optional adviser subscriptions and related services.

This approach helps keep core access free for users and supports the ongoing maintenance of the platform.

Yes. All advisers listed on the platform may have a basic profile at no cost.

This helps users compare the market more consistently and allows advisers to review or correct core factual information where appropriate.

An Enhanced Profile lets an adviser add more detailed profile information, present its firm more fully and be contacted directly through the platform. Every firm makes the Claimant Commitment when claiming its profile. Full details of what is included are on our pricing page.

Enhanced Profile features are designed to improve presentation and usability. They are not intended to create preferential scoring.

No. Payment does not directly improve a firm's Radar Score. The Radar Score is based on the scoring framework and relevant data points, applied consistently across advisers.

However, Enhanced Profile advisers may choose to provide more complete information or verify certain details. Where those details are relevant to the scoring framework, improved data quality may affect how a profile appears over time.

No. Paid adviser subscriptions do not determine search ranking or improve Radar Score.

Adviser Radar may limit certain contact features, such as live website links or direct enquiry options, to Enhanced Profiles. This helps to ensure that advisers receiving enquiries are actively engaged with the platform and supports a sustainable funding model.

Adviser Radar aims to present information clearly and fairly, but no database can guarantee that every item is complete, current or error-free.

Users should check important details directly with the adviser before making a decision.

Some information may be updated periodically, while other details may be updated when new information is provided or identified.

Adviser Radar focuses on incorporated companies so comparisons can be more consistent. Company-level data is publicly available through Companies House, which allows users to review information such as filings, directors, company status and business continuity.

Users may still choose to work with a self-employed consultant, but some background checks may be less straightforward where comparable public company data is not available.

Detailed adviser profiles require users to log in. This helps protect data integrity and improve understanding of how the platform is used.

Users may be asked to identify whether they are an adviser, claimant or other user type when registering.

Users and advisers can contact Adviser Radar using the contact details on the website.

Where possible, please include the adviser name, website, company number if available and the specific information you want reviewed.

If a user or adviser has a complaint about information shown on Adviser Radar, they should contact Adviser Radar with details of the profile, the issue and the outcome they are seeking.

Adviser Radar will review the matter and respond as appropriate.

Users and advisers can use the contact form or email address shown on the website.