Software Development and SR&ED

Software development is a key industry when it comes to R&D in Canada – in 2008 there were over 55,000 computer systems design and related companies operating in Canada, and that number continues to grow. Between smartphone apps and cloud… Read more »

Harper signals Canada’s looming R&D revamp

Canadian Prime Minister Harper reiterated possible amendments to the Canadian SR&ED program at the World Economic Forum at Davos, Switzerland on Thursday. “We believe that Canada’s less than optimal results for those investments is a significant problem for our country,” Mr. Harper… Read more »

Productivity is Innovation, Not Invention

On October 17, 2011, the federally appointed panel, chaired by Open Text chief strategy officer Tom Jenkins, released an assessment of the government’s $7-billion in annual investment in “business R&D”. The report recommended significant changes to the incentive programs and… Read more »

The New Claim Review Manual

Along with the other changes that the CRA has been implementing over the past couple years, the Claim Review Manual has been updated. This is the manual that tells the CRA reviewers what processes they need to follow when reviewing… Read more »

SR&ED for Foreign-Owned Companies

There is no denying that Canada has one of the best programs as far as funding for companies that perform R&D goes. And while it is promoted frequently for Canadian Controlled Private Corporations, there are many other companies that can… Read more »

Surviving Foreign Competition

Aggressive offshore competition isn’t new to us here. Let’s face it – it can be tough to survive when products similar to yours can be purchased for a fraction of the price from a company that doesn’t even operate in… Read more »

Upcoming Changes to the SR&ED Program

A press release has been issued about some upcoming changes to the SR&ED program. A few points mentioned by Minister Blackburn today, while addressing the 13th Annual Tax Practitioner Information Session, relate to upcoming changes to the SR&ED program: starting… Read more »

What about failed projects?

We often tell people that failed projects are embraced by the SRED program, and sometimes it can be a little hard to understand exactly why. I mean, isn’t the program meant to promote innovation, and to encourage technological development? If… Read more »

What if you get other government grants and loans?

With the number of government grants, loans and other assistance available, we have frequently been asked whether companies can still file for the SR&ED program if they’re taking advantage of other assistance programs. There are so many different programs available:… Read more »