The R&D Tax Incentive scheme is an important source of government support for start-ups and established companies alike. And thanks to the recent announcement of a Board of Tax Review, to be completed in 2021, and a patent box scheme included amongst the budget announcements, the R&D Tax Incentive has been thrown into the spotlight once more.

And those are just some of the hot topics we’ll be covering at the 2021 R&D Masterclass, held on the 18 August in Melbourne and online.

“R&D continues to be an area of focus for Regulator compliance activity,” said Megan Bishop, EY, Chair of the organising committee and a presenter at the R&D Masterclass.

“Our goal when putting the program together was to bring members a variety of perspectives on R&D with a focus on providing practical insights and the most current information. With that in mind we have leading practitioners, and senior ATO and AusIndustry representatives lined up to speak both the current and future landscapes.”

Megan has been part of The Tax Institute for more than 10 years as a member and journal contributor. Over the last five years, she has also broadened her involvement to participate as part of committees and speak at events such as the R&D Masterclass.

“There is always great reward in participating in Tax Institute Committees. Organising events such as this one provides an amazing opportunity to interact with fellow practitioners on current issues and collaborate to bring together events such as this,” she said.

Megan explained that the event is structured to provide technical and practical insights into the R&D landscape. Issues it will address include;

• Meeting the burden of proof and the use of expert evidence
• Preparing for and navigating disputes with both AusIndustry and the ATO
• The current regulatory environment
• The future of R&D including the Board of Tax Review and the Government’s proposed Patent Box regime

Megan will be presenting Session 2: R&D Disputes, with Mark Chan, EY, at the event. The session will cover both technical and practical issues managing R&D disputes and help understand the context in which they occur.

“I specialise in tax controversy, which is essentially any matter involving regulator engagement – whether that be with the ATO, AusIndustry or the State Revenue authorities,” Megan explained of her own expertise. In this area.

“What I love about practising tax is the truly varied nature of the work, that we are continually learning and the opportunities to engage with fellow tax professionals on the issues that only we find interesting.”

Catch Megan and her fellow presenters at the 2021 R&D Masterclass either in-person in Melbourne or by tuning in online this August. Find out more about the event.

About Megan Bishop

“If I’m honest I didn’t choose tax – tax chose me. I started uni intending to be an engineer but fell into tax and stayed.“

Megan Bishop is a director at EY specialising in tax disputes. She is a qualified legal practitioner and an accredited mediator. She assists a wide range of clients in their interactions with the revenue authorities including in various ADR forums, VCAT, AAT, Federal Court and High Court appeals across a broad spectrum of tax issues, including most recently R&D disputes with AusIndustry and the ATO (especially software and mining related claims), transfer pricing, tax treaties, Part IVA and residency.

Megan loves getting outdoors and participating in sports. She loves table tennis and canoe polo, she participates in triathlons and whenever she can get away from the city to go hiking.