R&D tax incentives need to be simple and underpin investor confidence

"Few examples of Australian tax policy are subject to as frequent change as the Research & Development tax subsidy, again under review by the federal government. Substantive changes to the rules have occurred every five of the past 20 years. By contrast, the US has had essentially the same R&D tax rules since 1990. Change has a cost. Changing the tax system imposes uncertainty and information costs on business. The greater the number of changes that are built into the R&D tax system and the more nuanced the rules, the more business needs to spend on accountants." Read more

Beth Webster & Russell Thomson The Conversation 3 Oct 2016