Oversight fears for R&D tax credit scheme A Times investigation into the research and development tax credit system highlights concerns that the programme is being brought into disrepute by “aggressive” advisers who encourage questionable claims, while also flagging fears over organised criminals exploiting allegedly lax oversight by HMRC. The paper’s George Greenwood and James Hurley highlight allegations of advisers boasting that HMRC “almost never checks” claims and that they can represent “free money” for companies. The report notes that HMRC’s oversight of the scheme “has been so questionable” that it has been unable to sign off its accounts for the past three years because of the level of uncertainty over losses for fraud and claims that should not have been approved.