Consulting

1) Experience with focusing on the correct details of the project (SR&ED consultants possess in-depth knowledge of the government incentive program and ask your team focused, relevant questions to save your time and ensure your company receives every dollar it’s entitled to).

2) Ability to view your technological advancement from a scientific perspective to maximize your SR&ED claim. (Consultants find more qualifying work by viewing your technology from different angles including projects and supporting activities to Maximize the dollar value of your SR&ED claim).

3) Ability to communicate the process effectively. (SR&ED consultants typically have a key turning process that is streamlined to ensure a smooth process and save you time to focus on other business operations or product development. The ability to communicate the process in a methodical manner facilitates the process and makes sure that everyone is on the same page from the start).

4) Defence of your SR&ED claim: Fully supporting you in the event of an audit; reducing the possibility of a rejection. (Some SR&ED consultants will communicate with CRA auditors on your behalf to protect your SR&ED claim and provide supporting arguments if the SR&ED submission were to be challenged.)

5) Proper record keeping to support your claim. (Consultants guide you in preparing the correct supporting documentation and help you structure your SR&ED claim accordingly).

6) Proactive Time Tracking Assistance – Assisting your company with time / project management. (SR&ED consultants possess proprietary enhanced software to process your SR&ED tax credit claims, other software includes project management / time tracking software that is used to package your SR&ED submission in an efficient manner.

7) SR&ED consultants use a proven streamlined process for success and time saving. (SR&ED Consulting firms have designated staff responsible for certain tasks and milestones in the process. This is an internal systematized approach that is precise and time stamped to verify that there are not any steps missing and that the correct parties were followed up with.)

Industry experts that are senior SR&ED specialists can complete the technical write-up concisely and put it down on paper in a way that is consistent with the programs criteria. (CRA has reduced the character amount to ensure that only key technological advancement are included).

9) SR&ED Consultants understand the SR&ED program requirements inside – out. Some consultants have both financial and technical backgrounds. (The SR&ED is a convoluted program that involved documentation collection, a technical write-up with strong supporting arguments and a financial portion. SR&ED consultants prepare the claim for your accountant to file with your taxes).

10) Aware of all CRA SR&ED claim guidelines (It is crucial to understand the SR&ED rules and include supporting arguments that would be relevant to the advancement of technology or improvement of a process. A write-up that is irrelevant to the SR&ED criteria, for example: Business, marketing, sales advancements will most likely trigger an audit to review the whole claim as it does not focus on technology or scientific advancement. Additionally, smaller firms will follow up with CRA to facilitate the refunds).

11) Technical expertise to match your business niche. (When selecting the right SR&ED consultant for your company, you want to make sure that they specialize in your business niche and that they possess industry knowledge and experience to fully support your SR&ED claim. Assigning juniors or consultants that do not have industry knowledge/experience is detrimental to your SR&ED claim, as they may not use the correct industry jargon and be as effective at defending or providing supporting arguments).

12) Understand the language of the SR&ED program including schedule deadlines, terminology and which tax forms to use. (As with any other business, you need to understand the business and industry to be successful. It is important to interview your consultant/SR&ED service provider before choosing to file your claim. Always ask for references/testimonials and select a firm/consultant that has a proven track record.)

13) If you do not qualify for an SR&ED claim initially. Some consultants will guide you and provide advice on how to effectively prepare yourself. Furthermore, because consultation firms are connected to industry networks, they may have important strategic relationships that would help grow your business. Such insights can be provided to you as part of the service.

14) Training for your next SRED claim. (Some SR&ED consultants offer hands on training for SR&ED tax credit preparation. This includes educating your team to understand which areas are important for SR&ED and specific record keeping habits.)

15) The SR&ED program can be ambiguous with many gray areas. SR&ED consultants are focused and understand how it is applicable to your development. (The SR&ED program is not black and white. There are many unclear activities that can be considered as eligible SR&ED expenses. These are typically supporting activities to the core R&D, that you cannot do without one another.)

16) Consultants save you time to focus on product development / business operations (The amount of time you would allocate to educate your internal resources on the complexity of the program would be generally be greater than the dollar amount spent for hiring an SR&ED expert).

17) Spend less time and get larger return while freeing up internal resources. (Your development team can focus on what they do best, which is product development and maintaining their momentum is efficient as oppose to boring them with mundane, convoluted tasks, which in turn can work against you and raise flags, if completed incorrectly).

18) Preparing an SR&ED claim yourself may be inadequate or inconsistent. In most cases you are leaving money on the table and risk triggering an audit or getting flagged- SR&ED consultants provide focused results. (Relative to the point above, SR&ED consultants will not place your company in a position that would hinder your claim. In most cases – SR&ED consultants operate on contingency basis, which ultimately means that they partner up with you and are only compensated once you receive the refund. If the refund dollar amount is decreased, so would their compensation for the SR&ED preparation service.)

19) SR&ED experts avoid common mistakes such as writing technical reports that are heavily focused on new features and benefits that a new product brings to the company and is presented as a business project rather than a SR&ED project. (These mistakes cause audits & red flags with CRA) (It is crucial to only focus on technological advancements/challenges rather than business/marketing/sales or other unrelated activities).

20) Inadequate correlation between the technical reports and financial reports could also initiate a CRA review. (The financial report should be a reflection of your technical report and remain consistent in supporting your SR&ED claim).

21) Changes to SR&ED are constant – SR&ED consultants are in the loop and keep up with recent changes to the program. (CRA’s legislative changes from time to time and it is important to keep informed so that your claim reflects these changes).

22) SR&ED consultants generally use contingency fees for success and take the risk. (If your SR&ED consulting firm is unable to recoup your development costs for whichever reason(s), there is not a penny that would come out of your pocket. This protects clients and motivates the consultant(s) to work diligently).

23) Consulting firms often package your personal / corporate taxes, business consulting and other financial services as part of the SR&ED service. (Your company may find it convenient to combine financial services that includes your SR&ED claim preparation into one service provider. Some SR&ED consultants are able to provide you with a package deal which ultimately would reduce your SR&ED rate.

24) Empowerment through education – Some tax credit firms that offer SR&ED services posses a network of resources and extend education/training on how to grow/market your business/product.

25) Program is convoluted – over 70 documents, dozens of tax court of Canada rulings, unclear process (There are tons of documents to sift through to get a basic understanding of the SR&ED program.

26) Mobile: Consultants generally drive to your location for meetings (This is helpful when you are engaged in time sensitive projects. SR&ED Consultants generally make an effort to work around your schedule and some even meet after business hours).

27) Can work remotely. (The convenience of completing tasks remotely is always an advantage. Some SR&ED consultants have streamlined their process to operate remotely. This includes Skype meetings, exchanging e-mails and general conference calls for operational purposes).

28) Proven track record of successful SR&ED claims (When selecting the right SR&ED consultants to work with you, be sure to verify their credentials. This includes, testimonials and a proven track record for your industry/business niche.)

29) Presentation and overview of R&D program to your team. (SR&ED consultants will present the SR&ED program to your team so that they are aware of the process. This can be achieved prior to the work completed and is usually done during a preliminary meeting.

30) Assessment of eligible expenditures and projected SR&ED dollar amount of refund (In addition to identifying eligible SR&ED expenses, SR&ED consultants can provide a projected estimate of the dollar value of your submission, so you know the refundable amount that you can expect to receive in a form of a cheque.)

31) Preparation of tax schedules to attach to your corporate tax return (SR&ED consultants correspond your accountant(s) and will provide you with applicable tax forms. Some consultants will assist you with populating the correct fields when filing with your corporate tax returns. Other SR&ED firms file the claim for you, they have the software and submit it to CRA. )

32) Advice on the eligibility of your future projects. (Examining the potential for future projects prior to the R&D work is beneficial. SR&ED consultants can assist with structuring your claim in an organized fashion, so when it comes to filing for your SR&ED submission, the process will be streamlined and smooth).

33) Protection of confidentiality – Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDA). (In the SR&ED business, it is common for SR&ED consulting firms to sign a confidentiality agreement to protect your intellectual property. Some firms even include a section in the service agreement that will automatically protect clients).

34) Introduce to other tax credits, grants and financing for some businesses – other types of government assistance. (Some clients that take advantage of government incentive programs such as SR&ED will also inquire about IRAP or other grants that will propel them to the next development phase. Make sure to inquire about other types of government assistant programs that are available. However, keep in mind that if you do acquire government assistance, the dollar amount would be deducted from your SR&ED submission).

35) Smaller SR&ED consulting firms tend to invest more in relationships and provide a hands on approach. (Larger accounting firms have a large number of clients to deal with on a daily basis. The notion of feeling like a number can be prevalent).

36) Milestone meetings – Quarterly reviews (Your SR&ED consulting firm may meet with you prior to the SR&ED submission, to help you structure your claim effectively and provide quality control in preparation to your claim. This can be extended to your company at no additional cost and as part of the service provided to you).

37) Help finding qualified projects that have failed (This is the only time of the year where you get to brag about your project failures. Failed R&D projects can certainly be claimed as part of SR&ED, so even if you were unable to overcome a technological hurdle; associated costs can be included in your SR&ED claim).

38) conduct financial and technical review to ensure that there aren’t any important factors which are missed. (Quality control of both the financial and technical write-up is conducted prior to submission. This is done to ensure that there are no red flags and that information presented is consistent with the SR&ED program criteria and your business).

39) Inform you of government deadlines (It is known that companies are overwhelmed with product development and business operations that they forget about the hard government deadline for SR&ED. Your SR&ED consultant will inform you a head of time so that you do not miss the deadline and lose out on a whole year of development.)

40) Process improvement – achieved through the optimization of SR&ED tax credit applications yields economic benefits for the industry as a whole. ( SR&ED consultants are also industry experts and are aware of efficient processes in the industry. Some consultants will provide guidance and solutions to improve business operations).

41).) Evaluation of eligibility of your projects prior to submission. (

In the years following the 2008 recession, businesses are regaining their momentum, and the economy has begun flourishing again. In the wake of the most ferocious financial earthquake of the last 80 years, society continues to feel its tremors. Is this a sign of evolvement and growth? Or is it a warning of a more catastrophic phenomenon on the horizon? Unemployment is down and a majority of economists are optimistic about the future. Organizations are expanding globally, and leaders are striving to attach their names to their companies’ successes. But is this enough? Is success and welfare the only measures of success? Do leaders of organizations decide in favor of the well-being of their enterprises, or do they follow their own narrow ambitions? The pursuit of personal interests is the initiator of a capitalist economy, but that does not justify actions that harm organizations, the people they serve, or society as a whole. So the “do no harm” business ethics debate rages on, expanding and infecting the “trusted advisers” of the consulting industry.

Consultants Should Do No Harm

In management consulting, executives and consultants are primarily responsible for creating value and safeguarding the interests of their clients, however they should also protect society by pursuing their goals in an ethical manner. Of course, they focus on their clients’ businesses making sound profit, shareholder equity and continuous growth, but it is also their responsibility to align the interests of their clients with the general good.

They have an obligation to recognize that there are multiple stakeholders, customers, employees, society and the environment, not just shareholders and management. They should act with the utmost integrity, and serve the greater good, with an enhanced sense of joint accountability. It is vital to realize that their actions have profound consequences for everyone, inside and outside the organization, now and in the long run. Consulting companies, should focus more on ethical guidance, as they hold significant influence over many companies’ strategy and plans.

Consulting companies (strategy, management, accounting, etc.) have an obligation to advise their clients on how to build their successful enterprises on a solid foundations, and to help them achieve sustainable economic, social, and environmental prosperity. It is their responsibility to not distort or hide the truth behind facts, but to explain the truth and promote transparency. They must also demonstrate to their client’s ethical ways to achieve their goals. But is this what is happening today?

Double-dealing, Fraud, Corruption, Insider trading and that’s just the tip of the iceberg

If we take a close look at incidents that have occurred in the recent past, we find a rotten record of behaviors in the management consulting industry. Numerous examples exist of partners and employees of major management consulting firms being involved in illegal and unethical scandals, in efforts to retain clients and to harvest personal gains. This is a common among people who put their profits before customers.

An example of the crisis we face in consulting is that of a former partner of a global consulting firm, who was sentenced to prison for 21 months because of his involvement in insider trading. This executive was a liaison between the consulting firm’s auditors and the audit team of the clients. He had access to non- public information, such as planned or potential acquisitions, quarterly earnings, etc. From 2006-2008 he illegally used inside information for personal and family market gains. Finally, after the scandal was revealed, the SEC brought charges and the firm sued him. He ended up paying significant penalties and being sentenced to prison time. Shouldn’t the consulting firm have been aware of its employees’ actions, and made an effort to instill ethics in them?

Going forward, we highlight another significant scandal that shook the consulting world in 2008. A former executive of a huge consulting firm, also a director at another global operating company, was found guilty of insider trading, sentenced to two years prison time, and ordered to pay a fine of $5 million, for trading on information obtained at a company board meeting. This information concerned the approval of a $5 billion investment during the economic session of 2008. The person that received the information purchased stock in the company and recognized immediate gains. The company was already being investigated by the FBI, and when the culprit was discovered discussing non-public information with the executive, the scheme was revealed. This was a significant hit for the consulting firm, which to that point had publicly promoted the ethics that we espouse. The firm took another hit when it was involved in an accounting scandal for a different client. The client, a large and international company, hired and paid the consulting firm $10 million per year for advisory fees concerning strategy and operations. The consulting company provided consultancy during the client’s transformation, from an emphasis on natural gas to a wide range of interests in water, timber, and high speed internet. During this period of consulting, the client company experienced several cases of accounting fraud, and a multitude of financial irregularities involving their balance sheet and income statements. It also led to massive layoffs and a ruthless HR policy. Ultimately, the company filed for bankruptcy, and the consulting firm still bears the negative mark of the scandals. The consulting firm cannot be accused directly, but how can it claim innocence when it was the strategy adviser of the company? Is it possible that they knew the truth and did not speak up, for fear of losing the client?

The last example of corruption is the case of a managing director of a global beer company, who hired a consulting firm to develop a strategic plan for the company. However, he also had an ulterior motive to unseat his deputy chairman. During the two years that the consulting firm advised the company, it sold off 150 companies, and its profits increased by six times. This increase was primarily due their strategic diversification into the hard liquor industry and their purchase of several other firms. However, the beer firm was thought to have purchased its own stock to falsely inflate its stock price, and using fraudulent and deceitful means of beating competitors’ bids for a company that it purchased. The consulting firm denied involvement in the illegal actions, but its vice president was the main advisor of the director of the beer company.

These examples represent a small part of the dishonest and unethical situation that has plagued the consulting industry. Who would expect large consulting companies, known for their ethics and transparent operations, to be involved in significant fraud or unethical actions and decisions? Is this the business world in which we want to live? Consulting firms have great responsibility, because they are responsible for building and delivering the strategies of their clients, influencing them, and working closely with their leaders. They are supposed to enhance the value of organizations and society in general, using all available resources.

Consulting Industry Ethics Revolution

The dishonest and illegal actions of consulting firms must stop. Leaders from all consulting organizations have to set an example and establish and promote new business ethics that will entail honesty, trust, and hard work, and that will be followed by everyone within their organizations. This ethical environment must be fostered by management, and become an integral part of the strategies and operations of consulting firms. The time has come for consulting firms to become leaders in promoting ethics and good business practices. The public must regain its trust in businesses, both consulting firms and their clients. This trust has been shaken by the high number of business scandals in the recent past. While it seems clear that some government regulation is needed to enforce honesty and adherence to the law, this regulation will fail to solve the problem if the leaders of the consulting industry are not willing to lead this change.

Ethics are particularly important in the consulting industry, due to the influence that these firms hold over a large number and wide variety of global companies. Consulting firms are hired to assist clients in a variety of important endeavors, and to develop strategies that promote growth and success. Because they specialize in helping businesses to succeed, their advice hold great sway over company’s decisions. It is therefore logical to assume that an ethical consulting firm, that promotes legal and honest business practices, will promote these ethical practices in the firms that it consults. Conversely, a firm that promotes the ethos of success at any cost, with a lack of regard for ethical practices, will promote this type of behavior in its clients. It must be the obligation of consulting firms to demonstrate to clients that ethical behavior can lead to success for the company, its employees, its clients, and society as a whole. The leadership and behavior of the leaders of consulting firms not only affect the behavior of their own employees, but also the management and employees of all of the companies for which they consult.

The large number of high-publicity business scandals that have occurred in the near past have caused significant harm to the public’s perception of and trust in the business community. The financial crisis of 2008 was also a significant contributor to this decreasing level of trust, as the irresponsible, and sometimes illegal, strategies and practices of many businesses were revealed. This demonstrates the effect that unethical business practices can have on society as a whole. The financial crisis was partially caused by unethical behavior in the financial industry. This caused businesses to collapse, unemployment to skyrocket, and a general decrease in the trust that people had for business culture. For this trust to be regained, a dedication to ethical behavior must be espoused.

Ethics drive action and decision-making, and also define how companies are perceived by their employees, their customers, and the public. A successful and sustainable business must have a culture that promotes good behavior and ethical practices. As we have seen in several real life examples, there are numerous cases of businesses losing clients and money, and employees losing their jobs and facing criminal consequences, because of unethical behavior. Acting unethically does not lead to success in the long run. Companies that succeed long term are those that act with honesty, integrity and solid morale.

Consultants Oath

Consulting firms influence their clients and help to develop strategies that lead to business success. Ethical behavior is an imperative part of success. It is therefore necessary for consulting companies to have an ethical code, like the medical profession has The Hippocratic Oath. Ethical behavior must be encouraged in the consulting industry, so that it can be passed on to the other industries that it influences. Managers and employees must believe in this positive behavior, and understand its importance.

Consultants have the opportunity to be leaders in encouraging ethical business practices. This opportunity can help to bring success to their clients while at the same time benefiting society as a whole. Enough examples of negative behavior have occurred in the consulting industry and in business in general. It is time to lead by example, and to promote success with ethical behavior. This is an important opportunity for our industry, and it is important that it is not wasted. Time is of essence, so let’s create today a future as we envision it.