An article by Williams-Alvarez (2023) highlights a significant shift in the U.S. tax code that directly impacts businesses' R&D expense accounting. Under prior tax code rules, R&D expenses were deductible immediately to reduce tax liabilities. Still, under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, effective in 2017, all R&D expenses must now be amortized over five or 15 years, likely leading to more significant overall taxes due to reduced immediate deductions. This change will cause companies to incur more outstanding tax liabilities due to reduced immediate deductions. Yelp CFO David Schwarzbach noted that the tax rule change presents Yelp with a significant challenge, as its effective tax rate will increase significantly - from 18% in 2018 to 32%-38% by 2023. Yelp has noted that an increase in tax rates has substantially affected its planning, especially regarding R&D investments. Due to increased capital requirements associated with tax payments, R&D and innovation may be curtailed. Yelp pays estimated taxes as a hedge against higher tax rates but does not disclose specific amounts paid in advance (Williams-Alvarez, 2023). This taxation can have broad implications for Yelp. Reduced R&D investment can significantly impede innovation and growth over the long term, slowing the pace at which Yelp introduces new features and improvements to stay competitive (Knott, 2018). An increased tax liability strains Yelp's finances further and may hamper its ability to invest strategically in marketing, expansion, or human resource departments. Yelp may face financial pressure that forces it to make difficult decisions regarding resource allocation, prioritizing immediate financial security over long-term investments, and adopting a conservative fiscal strategy that limits its flexibility and responsiveness to changes in the market and new opportunities

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