Making Innovation Accessible – Gustavo’s Story

Imagine a world without the life-saving pacemaker, the immersive experience of IMAX films, the innovation of BlackBerry devices, or the nutritional benefits of canola oil—each a Canadian innovation that has shaped industries and improved lives globally. Behind breakthroughs like these is the process of research and development (R&D), which is supported by the Scientific Research & Experimental Development (SR&ED) program at the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA).

As the largest Government of Canada program supporting R&D in Canada, the SR&ED program provides more than $3.7 billion in tax credits to more than 17,400 businesses every year, encouraging innovation and technological advancement. To make sure these resources are accessible to all businesses, the people behind the SR&ED program continually aim to improve its services and tools, making them simpler and easier to use.

This is where the CRA’s Gustavo and his team come in. Gustavo, a subject matter expert with a background in financial review, played an important role in developing the new Client Portal within the SR&ED program.

The new portal, which launched October 21, 2024, is designed to be a digital space where businesses can easily access all the tools, information, and services they need to navigate the SR&ED program and build their claim on their own.

“We are trying to make sure that even users who don’t know anything about SR&ED can easily figure out how to apply for this credit,” Gustavo says. “We always put ourselves in the shoes of someone who might be using this for the first time. We need the portal to be accessible to everyone, no matter their level of expertise."

Gustavo’s role involves working closely with other branches at the CRA to develop mock-ups and prototypes for the portal. His knowledge ensures that all the technical details—such as calculations and business requirements—are accurate and functional. But what sets Gustavo apart is his commitment to the user experience.

“We are aware that many first-time claimants are small business owners who are juggling multiple tasks, running their businesses and then having to navigate the CRA’s filing requirements,” he says. “We want to help these people breakdown complicated information by using plain language and by making the claim process as simple as possible, while making sure they also understand the rules so they are complying.”

Businesses can already use the Self-Assessment and Learning Tool (SALT) to determine if their work is eligible for SR&ED tax incentives and to estimate how much they might receive. However, those who have applied for the credit before were saying that the process of filing for these credits was confusing.

The new Client Portal aims to change that. By providing clear, accessible guidance, the portal will allow businesses to manage their SR&ED claims more easily, saving them time and money.

Gustavo’s work is vital in making the SR&ED program more accessible to Canadian innovators.

“I have always been very keen to help taxpayers and people in general to make everyone’s life better and make a difference,” says Gustavo. “It’s exciting to know that we are possibly helping to bring the next big Canadian innovation to life!”