ACEC R&D Amortization Update 

The American Council of Engineering Companies continues to advocate for an urgent fix to the R&D tax to preserve American innovation and our competitiveness in the global marketplace.  Here’s what our members say about how R&D tax amortization hurts their employees and innovative local businesses.  

 

Congress needs to repeal harmful R&D tax mandate  

“Small companies like mine already operate on tight margins and, thanks to this unresolved tax code change, we have been thrust into a new, financially unforgiving reality that is keeping me from hiring new staff. In the worst-case scenario, our ability to stay in business is threatened.” 

—Dawn Cartier, PE, Scottsdale Independent 

 

The innovation of Montana’s engineering firms is at risk 

“If this new policy isn’t fixed it will place an unexpected and unwieldy tax burden on our shoulders, forcing us to re-evaluate the feasibility of new R&D initiatives to the detriment of our company, our employees, and the communities we serve.” 

—Melissa Matassa-Stone, PE, LEED AP, Missoulian 

 

Preserving innovation protects America’s communities and economy 

“By extending the timeline over which R&D costs can be recovered, the new rule effectively increases the short-term financial burden of innovation, disincentivizing progress and investment. At a time when the engineering field is needed more than ever to support the reinvestment and revitalization of vital public infrastructure, this amortization requirement unduly burdens small firms with an outlandish tax obligation that threatens their very existence.” 

—Christopher Anderson, PE, LEED AP, Reno Gazette Journal 

 

The Engineer Innovation Campaign:

ACEC continues pursuing a national advocacy communications program to urge congressional action on R&D amortization.  Nine opinion pieces from ACEC members have run twelve times in four critical states, reaching an audience of more than 487,000 people. We’re also running a TV, radio, and digital ad campaign that has been placed more than 150 times on cable nationally and on radio and local television in DC and seen well over 3.4 million times on digital channels from YouTube to network streaming services.  Watch the “Spark” ad here:

View more testimonials and find all the news coverage of ACEC’s advocacy campaign at EngineerInnovation.com.