Ayming UK has acquired Amplifi, a tax incentive advisory firm based near Belfast, for an undisclosed sum, in a deal that increases its total workforce by nearly 30 percent. The purchase, confirmed by the consultancy, marks a deliberate extension of Ayming's operational footprint across the United Kingdom and into the Republic of Ireland.

Amplifi, founded in 2014, operates as an innovation and tax incentives specialist serving businesses across the UK and Ireland. The firm's practice covers the full spectrum of government-backed incentives available to innovative companies.

Its service lines include:

• R&D tax relief and R&D tax credits (government incentives that reduce tax liability or provide cash payments for qualifying research expenditure)
• Grants
• Capital allowances (tax relief on qualifying capital expenditure)
• The Patent Box, a regime taxing profits from patented inventions at a reduced rate
• The Knowledge Development Box, the Irish equivalent offering a preferential rate on income from intellectual property

The strategic logic rests on geography. The acquisition gives Ayming a base near Belfast from which to serve businesses in Northern Ireland, a region Ayming UK managing director Mark Smith identifies as a growth market for the sector.

"Belfast, and Northern Ireland more broadly, has become a real hub for R&D and innovation, with an exceptional talent pool and entrepreneurial spirit," Smith said. "By bringing Amplifi into the Ayming Group, we're strengthening our presence in this growing market while expanding our UK-wide offering and giving businesses access to the specialist support they need, whatever the size or complexity of their R&D tax claim."

What does the deal change for Ayming's reach?

The Belfast site will do more than anchor Northern Irish operations. Ayming stated it will also support further commercial development in the Republic of Ireland, where both organisations already hold client accounts. That existing overlap gives the combined business an immediate cross-border book of work rather than a cold start in the Irish market.

The near-30 percent headcount increase is the deal's most quantifiable effect, and it signals that Ayming intends to absorb Amplifi's team rather than simply acquire its client list.

How will the combined firm serve clients?

Structurally, the two businesses plan to establish dedicated centres of excellence. These units will provide technical support tailored to the specific size and complexity of each claim, an acknowledgement that R&D tax work ranges from small single-project filings to multi-jurisdiction claims.

For Amplifi, joining a larger international group addresses the resource constraints common to boutique advisory firms. Managing partner Jeff Drennan framed the deal as continuity rather than transformation.

"Delivering high-quality, personal service has always been at the heart of what we do at Amplifi," Drennan said. "Joining the Ayming Group will enable us to build on everything that we've achieved so far, while giving our clients and colleagues access to the expertise and resources of a much larger international business."

Drennan added: "We're excited about this next chapter and the opportunities it brings to further support the brilliant innovation taking place across Northern Ireland and beyond."

Why does consolidation matter in tax advisory?

The acquisition reflects a consolidating market for R&D tax advisory in the UK, where specialist firms with technical depth have become acquisition targets for larger consultancies seeking scale and regional coverage. Ayming, part of an international group, now holds positions in England, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland through a single transaction.

The financial terms remain undisclosed, leaving the near-30 percent workforce increase as the deal's headline metric. Integration plans, including the proposed centres of excellence, will determine how quickly the combined entity converts regional presence into market share.