To be classed as an SME you must have fewer than 500 employees and either a turnover of no more than €100m or gross assets of no more than €86m.
If you breach the turnover and balance sheet thresholds but have less than 500 employees you will also be classed as a large company for R&D tax purposes.
When assessing whether your company’s meets this criteria, other group and connected enterprises must also be considered.
Acquisitions, takeovers and mergers can also impact a company’s SME status.
This can be complicated and therefore always speak to a specialist advisor to ensure your claim is made under the correct scheme.