David O’Keeffe

I am an independent specialist adviser on the taxation of innovation, advising companies and other advisers on R&D tax relief, Patent Box and Creative Industry Reliefs. I am a Chartered Accountant and Chartered Tax Adviser with more than 30 years’ experience advising companies of all sizes. Formerly a Tax Partner with KPMG LLP (UK), I left in 2011 to establish Aiglon Consulting.

I have been involved with the UK’s R&D relief regimes since the initial consultations on the introduction in 2000 of the SME relief.  In that time, I have developed an enviable level of knowledge of R&D relief both from a technical and a practical perspective.

I am the author of Tolley’s tax Digest 177, ‘R&D Tax Relief, published in July 2017.

I was involved with the consultation process leading to the introduction in 2013 of the UK’s patent box regime. Since then I have helped his clients assess the merits of making a patent box election and then, where appropriate, to claim the benefit of the relief. I also actively contributed to the consultations around the changes to the 2016 UK’s patent box to make it compliant with the OECD’s nexus requirements. I continue to advise companies and other advisers on this relief.

I am a member of the London Society of Chartered Accountants’ tax committee as well as CIOT’s Corporation Tax technical Committee (and chair the R&D Working Group of that committee).

I have extensive experience of dealing with HMRC at all levels on behalf of my clients, whether this is routine agreement of claims, settlement of enquiries or dealing with issues such as clearances. I have helped clients resolve disagreements with HMRC where claims have already been submitted and HMRC has opened an enquiry. My knowledge of the legislation and considerable practical experience has allowed me to understand quickly the issues and seek a sensible and pragmatic solution. Where appropriate, I have helped clients prepare for litigation.

I understand the importance of clear, concise and practical tax advice; my approach is always to understand my clients' business issues and then to provide them with appropriate technical advice that they can act upon.

I specialise in these innovation incentives and reliefs. Just these, no other aspects of taxation as well. I don’t 'dabble' in this area, I do it full time.

I am based in Berkshire but offer clients national coverage.

Examples of Client Projects

I have worked with clients in just about every sector often UK economy, preparing and agreeing R&D claims. These include:

• an airline (the first such claim in the UK);
• major retailers;
• a high street bank;
• hedge funds;
• a national utility;
• software companies;
• technology start-up companies.

I worked with a major UK manufacturer to help them negotiate agreement of their in-house prepared R&D claims.

A UK subsidiary of a Canadian technology company was having difficulties agreeing its first R&D claim with HMRC. The Canadian management came to me for advice and I was able to work with them and HMRC to bring the matter to a satisfactory conclusion.

I helped the software development subsidiary of this aviation company to make claims in respect of a significant development project they had undertaken. The company is continuing to claim on its ongoing activities.

I advised a French multinational that was looking to relocate its IP within Europe and wanted to compare the Patent Box regimes in the UK and Netherlands.