Shivani S Bhatt

Shivani is a Senior Manager in KPMG’s Accounting Methods and Credit (“AMCS”) Services Group in the Columbus and Chicago market. She has over seventeen years of experience advising and defending clients in fintech, software, pharmaceutical, and insurance industry on federal, state, and international Research & Development (“R&D”) Tax Credits and other incentives.

Professional and Industry Experience

• Identifying R&D tax credit opportunities to enhance a client’s tax efficiency and cash flow, while mitigating potential audit risks and increasing the overall return on their R&D investment.
• Assisting clients with Sec. 174 mandatory capitalization requirements. 
• Advising clients on federal and state tax controversies, including: preparation of experts, negotiations on examination; analysis and evaluation of technical issues; representation in IRS appeals; and use of alternative dispute resolution procedures to resolve issues at the lowest level of taxing authorities. 
• Successfully resolving refund and other tax matters for many of KPMG Tax’s largest clients with the IRS and various state taxing authorities. 
• Presenting and providing leadership on a variety of issues, including:
  1. contractual agreement reviews specific to Sec. 41 and Sec. 174, 
  2. usage of ChatGPT and Microsoft Copilot to enhance efficiency; 
  3. inclusion of internal use software in research and development claims; 
  4. recent developments in tax controversies; and
  5. legal writing and witness interviewing techniques