Adjustments Required to R&D Claims for JobKeeper Payments – ATO Position Released

July 28th, 2020 research and development

As had been anticipated, the ATO will be requiring adjustments to R&D claims that contain salaries reimbursed by the JobKeeper Scheme.

Companies lodging FY20 R&D claims who have also received the JobKeeper stimulus must carefully review and adjust R&D claims where necessary.

The basis of this need for adjustment is the ATO’s position that companies are not deemed to incur salary expenditure at their own financial risk where such costs are being reimbursed by the Job Keeper Scheme.

Draft Taxation Determination TD 2020/D1 (Income tax: notional deductions for research and development activities subsidised by JobKeeper payments) was released by the ATO on 27 July. Notable extracts from the draft TD include:

  • If you receive a JobKeeper payment:
    • for your paid employees (under Division 2 of the Payments and Benefits Rules), you trigger the at-risk rule. You cannot notionally deduct the portion of your wage expenditure incurred on R&D activities that has attracted the JobKeeper payment;
    • based on business participation (under Division 3 of the Payments and Benefits Rules), you do not trigger the at-risk rule. You are, therefore, not prevented from notionally deducting expenditure for having received a JobKeeper payment;
  • If you receive a JobKeeper payment for an eligible employee who is wholly engaged in R&D activities during a fortnight, you cannot notionally deduct so much of your wage expenditure paid to that employee as is equal to the $1,500 JobKeeper payment;
  • If you receive a JobKeeper payment for an eligible employee who is partially engaged in R&D activities during a fortnight, your notional deduction is partially reduced. Your notional deduction is reduced by that portion of the JobKeeper payment as is in proportion with the time the employee spends on R&D activities during that fortnight;
  • Expenditure you incur on R&D activities that cannot be notionally deducted does not give rise to a tax offset under section 355-100. Therefore, for the portion of JobKeeper payments you receive that trigger the at-risk rule, no extra income tax is payable under the R&D clawback rules.

This treatment from the ATO seems reasonable, and in accordance with our expectations.

Should you require any assistance with the relevant adjustments, please contact our office on 1800 792 676.

Post a Comment

(*) indicates required field.

Categories

Archives

Posted on Google Google
Daniel McGregor  profile picture
Daniel McGregor
11. August, 2022
Google star 1Google star 2Google star 3Google star 4Google star 5Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.
I have been using Swanson Reed for my clients for more than a decade. Having a specialist firm that can provide practical and commercial advice that produces real outcomes is very important and we have received great feedback from our clients. Highly recommended.
Posted on Google Google
John  profile picture
John
15. June, 2022
Google star 1Google star 2Google star 3Google star 4Google star 5Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.
Damian and the rest of the team at Swanson Reed have been supporting us for several years. We always appreciate their insights, expertise, and efforts.
Posted on Google Google
Rueben Rajasingam  profile picture
Rueben Rajasingam
6. June, 2022
Google star 1Google star 2Google star 3Google star 4Google star 5Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.
Experienced responsive Team. They have been a great help to me and my company navigate the R&D tax claim process and have provided invaluable advice.
Posted on Google Google
Enrique Esquivel  profile picture
Enrique Esquivel
6. June, 2022
Google star 1Google star 2Google star 3Google star 4Google star 5Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.
Damian and the team at Swanson Reed have been extremely helpfully and professional during all of our consultations. Highly recommended.
Posted on Google Google
Jess at Y&C  profile picture
Jess at Y&C
3. June, 2022
Google star 1Google star 2Google star 3Google star 4Google star 5Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.
Posted on Google Google
Anatole Kononewsky  profile picture
Anatole Kononewsky
2. June, 2022
Google star 1Google star 2Google star 3Google star 4Google star 5Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.
The Swanson Reed team have provided our company with exceptional professional advice and assistance for all of our R&D claims for many years - have always achieved great results with excellent value for their services.
Posted on Google Google
Payam Toloo  profile picture
Payam Toloo
2. June, 2022
Google star 1Google star 2Google star 3Google star 4Google star 5Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.
Damian Smyth and his team are very helpful, supportive and experts in their field of R&D Tax claims. I'm always happy with the work they do and been a customer of their for over 5 years.
Posted on Google Google
Melissa Doddy  profile picture
Melissa Doddy
31. May, 2022
Google star 1Google star 2Google star 3Google star 4Google star 5Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.
The Team at Swanson Reed are very experienced R&D Tax Advisors and gave us ongoing support with all of our R&D Claims, the consultants ensured we were always working with current legislative guidelines, gave us assistance with compiling technical and government documentation and went out their way to ensure they were with us for the entire process from beginning to end. Highly recommended to anyone who needs assistance with working through what can at times be a daunting process.
Posted on Google Google
Gary Watson  profile picture
Gary Watson
31. May, 2022
Google star 1Google star 2Google star 3Google star 4Google star 5Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.
We can highly recommend Swanson and Reed as an R & D accountant. We have worked with them for several years now as they make our R & D claim so easy and communicate quickly with both us and our accountant.
Posted on Google Google
Rob van den Bergh  profile picture
Rob van den Bergh
31. May, 2022
Google star 1Google star 2Google star 3Google star 4Google star 5Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.
Always professional.