The CFOs and Controllers of every innovative company in America have been watching Congress with baited breath all year. As part of Donald Trump's Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), the way that American businesses can deduct R&D expenses completely changed this tax year — the new amortization rules will cost innovators dearly.

Because the change was detrimental to companies that have been an engine of growth for America, there was an expectation that the law would be changed before it ever took effect. When a deal was not reached by April, almost every accountant advised clients to extend until October. The thought was that a deal would almost certainly be reached by then — and that it would retroactively forgive the higher rates for this tax year. But, as the Extension Deadline approaches, it's becoming less and less likely that Congress will strike a deal for 2023 taxes.

Here's what Grant Thornton wrote in their newsletter:

"Democrats and Republicans each kept up their share of posturing over the ever-elusive deal to trade child tax credit enhancements for restoring research expensing under Section 174, reinstating 100% bonus depreciation, and providing relief for the Section 163(j) limit on interest deductions. A deal is not likely to come together before government funding is set to expire at the end of September. This will likely leave lawmakers with one-last ditch effort to reach a deal at year-end, well past the extended filing deadlines for calendar-year taxpayers.

All the ingredients remain in place for a compromise: Republicans have signaled they are open to child tax credit relief and Democrats have acknowledged this relief must be proportional to the business provisions. Despite this broad agreement on parameter, lawmakers appear no closer to a deal and still seem reluctant to engage in substantive discussions. The Committee for Responsible Budget tried to jumpstart discussion by unveiling an online tool allowing users to adjust the parameters of the child tax credit to achieve various revenue objectives. The response from lawmakers was muted as they continue to dance around the issue and trade barbs over the costs of each other’s priorities."

Schedule a call with one of our experts if you want to learn more about how Section 174 may affect your taxes this year and how we can help you!