Government Expert Review Panel Calls for Industry Submissions on SR&ED
Scitax Bulletin #45
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Government Expert Review Panel Calls for Industry Submissions on SR&ED
Deadline 18-Feb-2011
Back in October 2010 the Canadian Federal Government announced the formation of an "Expert Panel" headed by Open Text Chairman Tom Jenkins. Deadline for industry input to this panel is 18-Feb-2011 – further details below.
The Jenkins expert panel has now started operations and set-up a web site to solicit input from industry and report its findings. Here is the URL:
http://rd-review.ca/eic/site/033.nsf/eng/home
Although the mandate of Jenkins panel covers many different government R&D funding schemes, SR&ED is #1 on the list. Our reading of the tea leaves on this is that the Jenkins panel has been created in anticipation of the Taxpayer's Ombudsman's report on CRA's administration of the SR&ED program which will likely be released in January or February 2011.
The Jenkins panel will be accepting submissions only until 18-Feb-2011 and all submissions will be published on the panel's site on 14-Mar-2011 (2010 on the web page is a typo).
Submissions must be made in the form of written responses to a list of eight questions which are listed at various places throughout a document entitled Expert Panel Consultation Paper which is published here:
http://rd-review.ca/eic/site/033.nsf/vwapj/Consultation-Paper.pdf/$file/Consultation-Paper.pdf
In summary the questions by topic are:
Page 12: Should government provide commercialization funding to industry (i.e. a TPC model)?
Page 13: What is the role of educational institutions?
Pages 17-18: Questions on the efficacy of the existing SR&ED program.
Learn More:
Ombudsman comments on SR&ED in Globe & Mail (see last three paragraphs), 9-Nov-2010
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/cra-owes-taxpayers-explanations-ombudsman/article1792492/
The announcement in Globe & Mail 18-Oct-2010:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com
The announcement in Vancouver Sun 20-Oct-2010:
http://www.vancouversun.com/business/Lagging+innovation+leads+feds+launch+review+into/3668183/story.html
For more information on this topic, contact:
David R. Hearn, Managing Director, Scitax Advisory Partners
(416) 350-1214 or dhearn@scitax.com
About Scitax…
Scitax Advisory Partners is a professional services firm with specialist expertise in Scientific Research and Experimental Development (SR&ED) tax credits.
We offer a team of senior technical consultants all of whom have ten or more years experience in the SR&ED field. All Scitax technical consultants have engineering or science backgrounds and at least twenty years industry experience in their particular field prior to consulting. Our primary function is to produce a technical submission package that most effectively communicates your SR&ED claim to CRA in a way that highlights eligibility and expedites processing. We assist you in identifying and preparing all required documentation including project technical descriptions, cost schedules, and everything else your tax preparer needs to file the claim. Once your claim is filed, Scitax will advocate for you with CRA and help you negotiate fair settlement of your claim.
While we normally work with our client’s existing tax advisors, our affiliated firm Cadesky and Associates can provide a full package of tax services if required.