Fintech Accountants & Tax Advisors
Specialist tax and accounting for payments, lending, wealthtech, and crypto companies scaling across the UK and United States.
Fintech tax advisory is specialist accounting for financial-technology firms whose products sit close to FCA and US regulation. Jungle Tax helps payments, lending, wealthtech, and crypto businesses claim R&D relief, raise SEIS and EIS funding, manage VAT on financial services, and stay compliant across HMRC and the IRS as they scale.
Talk to a fintech specialist
From advance assurance to cross-border structuring, we tailor the engagement to your stage and regulatory footprint.
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How much R&D tax relief can a fintech claim?
Fintech is one of the strongest sectors for research and development claims because so much of the work involves resolving genuine technical uncertainty: building real-time fraud engines, low-latency payment rails, open-banking integrations, risk models, and secure ledger infrastructure. In the UK, most companies now claim under the merged RDEC scheme, which gives a 20% above-the-line credit for accounting periods beginning on or after 1 April 2024. Loss-making, R&D-intensive SMEs can access enhanced relief worth roughly 27% of qualifying spend, extending precious runway before the next raise.
US-based fintechs pursue the Section 41 R&D tax credit, which qualified small businesses can offset against payroll tax in their early years even while pre-profit. Following recent legislation, domestic research costs can again be expensed immediately rather than capitalised over five years, improving early-stage cash flow. Because the rules for qualifying activity, contractor costs, and documentation differ between HMRC and the IRS, we prepare each claim to its own evidential standard and defend the technical narrative if either authority enquires.
Do SEIS and EIS work for regulated finance businesses?
SEIS and EIS are the backbone of early-stage UK fintech fundraising. SEIS allows a company to raise up to £250,000 while offering investors 50% income tax relief, and EIS supports larger rounds with 30% relief on investments up to £1 million per investor, or £2 million where the company is knowledge-intensive. Both schemes also offer capital gains advantages, which makes your round significantly more attractive to angel investors and syndicates.
The catch for fintech is that some financial activities, such as certain lending, dealing in financial instruments, and banking, are excluded trades. A payments or wealthtech model can qualify while a balance-sheet lender may not, and the distinction is rarely obvious. We test your trade against the qualifying conditions, secure HMRC advance assurance before you market the round, and issue compliant SEIS3 and EIS3 certificates so investors can claim their relief without delay.
Why does VAT and FCA regulation complicate fintech tax?
Many core financial services, including payments, lending, and dealing in money, are exempt from UK VAT. That sounds helpful, but exemption means the VAT you incur on salaries-adjacent costs, software, and professional fees is often irrecoverable, and mixed business models trigger partial-exemption calculations that are easy to get wrong. We build a defensible VAT recovery method, separate exempt supplies from taxable technology or SaaS revenue, and make sure you are not quietly overpaying or under-recovering as volumes grow.
FCA authorisation and safeguarding obligations also shape your accounting. Client money and safeguarded funds must be kept off your own balance sheet, reconciled, and reported, and your financial statements need to withstand both auditor and regulator scrutiny. We align your management accounts, corporation tax position, and regulatory reporting so that a single, consistent set of numbers supports your FCA returns, your board pack, and your tax filings.
How should a fintech handle US-UK cross-border tax?
Expanding between the UK and the United States introduces permanent establishment risk, transfer pricing, and withholding tax on cross-border payments. When a UK parent owns a US subsidiary, or vice versa, intercompany charges for software, IP licensing, and shared services must be priced at arm’s length and documented, or you risk double taxation and penalties on both sides. The US-UK double tax treaty provides relief, reduced withholding rates, and tie-breaker rules, but only when claimed correctly and consistently.
We design the group structure, decide where valuable IP and engineering functions should sit, and coordinate IRS and HMRC filings so your effective tax rate reflects genuine substance rather than accidental exposure. For founders and senior hires moving between jurisdictions, we also handle residency, equity, and share-scheme interactions so that personal and corporate positions stay aligned as the company scales globally.
Built for regulated growth
We combine deep UK and US tax knowledge with real fintech operating experience, so we understand R&D evidence, FCA safeguarding, VAT partial exemption, and investor reliefs as a connected system, not isolated line items. That means fewer surprises at audit, cleaner raises, and a tax position that supports your regulatory story.
›Get a ConsultationDual UK & US expertise
HMRC and IRS handled under one roof, with treaty relief and transfer pricing joined up across your group.
R&D that survives enquiry
Robust technical narratives and cost evidence for merged RDEC and Section 41 claims.
Fundraise-ready structuring
SEIS and EIS advance assurance, cap-table hygiene, and EMI option pools designed before you raise.
Regulatory-aware accounting
Numbers that reconcile across your FCA returns, safeguarding, board pack, and tax filings.
Where fintechs go next
Cross-Border Tax Planning
Treaty relief, permanent establishment, and transfer pricing for US-UK groups.
US Tax Services
Federal and state filings, Section 41 credits, and IRS compliance for US operations.
UK Tax Services
Corporation tax, RDEC claims, VAT, and HMRC compliance for UK entities.
High Net Worth
Personal planning for fintech founders realising equity and exits.
Trusts & Estate Planning
Protecting founder wealth and structuring long-term family holdings.
Speak to Our Team
Book a consultation tailored to your fintech and its regulatory footprint.
Ready to optimise your fintech tax position?
Whether you are preparing an SEIS round, filing your first R&D claim, or expanding across the Atlantic, our UK and US specialists are ready to help.
Tax advice that speaks your product's language
We work with payments, lending, wealthtech, and crypto teams whose products sit close to FCA and US regulation, so we understand where the technical work and the tax reliefs actually meet. From R&D evidence to VAT on financial services, we translate your architecture into a defensible tax position that scales with your platform.
- ›R&D claims grounded in real engineering effort
- ›VAT and partial-exemption methods built for finance models
- ›Advice that keeps pace with product and regulatory change
Fundraise-ready and cross-border by design
Whether you are lining up an SEIS or EIS round or expanding across the Atlantic, we structure your group so tax supports growth rather than slowing it. We test scheme eligibility, prepare advance assurance, and join up HMRC and IRS positions so a raise or a market entry does not create surprises later.
- ›SEIS and EIS eligibility checked before you market a round
- ›EMI option pools designed ahead of hiring and raises
- ›Joined-up UK and US structuring for global expansion
Official resources & further reading
Authoritative guidance from the relevant tax authorities and regulators. Always confirm current thresholds and deadlines on the official source.
Questions & Answers
UK fintechs claim relief under the merged RDEC scheme, a 20% above-the-line credit for accounting periods starting on or after 1 April 2024, with loss-making R&D-intensive SMEs eligible for enhanced support worth up to around 27%. In the US, qualifying development can generate the Section 41 R&D credit against payroll or income tax. We document the technical uncertainty and evidence both claims.
SEIS lets a young fintech raise up to £250,000 while giving investors 50% income tax relief, and EIS supports larger rounds with 30% relief. Both require HMRC advance assurance and strict qualifying conditions on trade, company age, and use of funds. Some regulated finance activities are excluded, so we check eligibility before you approach investors.
Many core financial services, such as payments, lending, and dealing in money, are exempt from UK VAT, which means input VAT on related costs is often irrecoverable. This creates partial-exemption calculations that catch out many fintechs. We build a VAT recovery method, review your supplies, and identify any taxable or outside-the-scope revenue that improves recovery.
Operating in both markets creates permanent establishment, transfer pricing, and withholding tax issues under the US-UK double tax treaty. Profit must be allocated fairly between entities, and intercompany software, licensing, and support charges need arm's-length pricing. We structure the group, apply treaty relief, and coordinate IRS and HMRC filings to avoid double taxation.
HMRC generally treats tokens as assets, so trading, staking, and treasury gains can trigger corporation tax or capital gains, while exchange and custody businesses face VAT and reporting duties. The IRS treats digital assets as property with new broker reporting rules. We map each activity to the right tax treatment and keep records that satisfy both regulators.
Yes. EMI options let qualifying UK companies grant up to £250,000 of options per employee with gains often taxed at 10% under Business Asset Disposal Relief. US teams may use ISOs or qualified small business stock. Some financial-activity companies fail EMI trading tests, so we confirm eligibility and design the pool before options are granted.
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