With this week’s budget came the massive news that for the next 2 years, businesses can offset 130% of capital expenditure – related to new plant & machinery purchases – against their taxable profit for that year, effectively providing a tax break that is equivalent to a shade under 25% of the capital invested in business-related equipment.
Not only does drone equipment qualify for this new so-called “Super Deduction”, Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) continues to be treated as an allowable operating expense, meaning 100% of this cost can be offset against taxable profit, too.
The net result of all of this is that companies subject to Corporation Tax who invest in drone equipment and SaaS on or after 1st April 2021 will benefit from a tax break that is equivalent to a shade over 20p of every £1 invested in drone technology. So there has never been a better time for businesses to make the leap to drone automation. Alternatively, if you’ve already experienced the huge business benefits and ROI that drones can bring, now is the ideal time to start upscaling your drone programme with new equipment and a wider project scope.
How can a drone programme help my business?
We believe that a well-planned drone programme can be beneficial to huge numbers of companies – if you can conceive it, it’s likely that drones can help achieve it.
But we find they have the biggest impact on – and the widest range of applications for – the following industries:
Aggregates – Drones – coupled with the right software – are the perfect fit for stockpile and topographical surveys, offering rapid time-to-data, significant cost savings, and improved inventory control.
Whether you want to carry out basic spot checks or accurately monitor the change in important site metrics over time, our customised drone solutions provide the results you need.
Construction & Civil Engineering – Construction and surveying applications benefit from seamless integration with existing systems, rapid time-to-data, and highly automated data collection and processing workflows.
We have helped companies implement drone technology to improve site safety, reduce project costs and facilitate better communication and collaboration with teams and clients, and we can do the same for you.
Security & Surveillance – The mobile nature of our drone systems, along with their ability to capture and live stream crystal clear video footage – at day or night – to anywhere in the world, has meant that they’re fast becoming the go-to tool for security service providers.
Drones provide a highly cost-effective alternative to 24/7 manned security patrols, and security companies are increasingly turning to them to reduce the strain on staffing levels.
Waste Management – Drones are a great way for waste management companies to: reduce pedestrian exposure to heavy, moving plant; achieve more up-to-date analytics on available airspace data; optimise compaction efforts through data-backed utilisation of their equipment; and easily compare site conditions from one survey to the next.
What do I do now?
Full information on whether you would be eligible for the super deduction, visit the Government website. From there, we can walk you through every step of the process, from initial ideation through to full implementation.
Make your case...
Download our Business Case For a Drone Programme whitepaper
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