How our compliance team resolved a complex HRMC enquiry for the Harris Partnership they were told to settle.

July 17, 2025

Industry: Architecture and Planning

Service Provided: R&D Tax Relief Consultancy

The Harris Partnership is a leading architecture practice in the AJ100 architect – the top 100 architects in the UK. As architects, tax compliance, particularly around R&D, was not their area of expertise. After facing an HMRC enquiry, they needed a specialist partner they could trust.

The Challenge

Operating in the R&D space has become increasingly challenging with heightened scrutiny from HMRC. Harris Partnership had heard numerous “horror stories” about tax investigations, and as architects, they weren’t equipped to navigate these risks alone. They faced a direct enquiry from HMRC into one of their R&D claims; an entirely new and daunting experience for the firm.

The Solution

B&B guided our client through the entire process. How? By:

Identifying qualifying activities
Preparing an incredibly robust report
Handling the HMRC enquiry from start to finish.

Impact & Results

Securing the full claim was a huge win for Harris Partnership. They’ve since used the R&D relief to reward staff, upgrade their offices, and ease rising insurance costs in the wake of Grenfell. B&B’s support also saved their technical team significant time.

If you’re sceptical, these guys understand how large practices work; that’s why the industry trusts them. If you’re already claiming and open to reviewing your process, definitely consider B&B. Their ex-HMRC expertise is invaluable.

Lee Brewer, Director, The Harris Partnership

Why did you choose Bonham & Brook?

The B&B team was particularly proactive in advising the firm to reject a cut-deal offer from HMRC that was nearly 50% less than the original claim value. Thanks to B&B’s expertise, the claim was ultimately accepted in full.

“If we didn’t have their expertise to help, then we would have taken HMRC’s offer of a substantially reduced benefit.”

Working with Bonham & Brook

From start to finish, B&B made a daunting process feel manageable. The team was friendly, reassuring, and exceptionally diligent. No surprises, just deep expertise and calm, professional support. When faced with HMRC’s intense questioning, Harris Partnership felt truly supported and confident.

Looking Ahead

Harris Partnership is looking forward to continuing their relationship with Bonham & Brook, relying on us to keep processes streamlined and to stay ahead of evolving legislation.

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