About us
Advice grounded in real business experience
Simon Berry co-founded and grew Macalis through to its acquisition by a Big Four accounting firm. He has experienced the business journey first-hand, from its early days through growth to a successful exit. He understands the immediate responsibilities along the way: making payroll, managing cash flow and deciding where to invest time and money.
Within that firm, his work spanned a wide variety of fields of science and technology, including complex R&D tax credit claims for household-name companies alongside work with smaller, growing businesses. At both Macalis and the firm, he also delivered public presentations and training on R&D tax credits.
Today, freshly out of retirement, he leads a small team at Action Berry using his nearly 30 years of R&D tax credit experience, together with a founder’s understanding of what is at stake. His advice considers the evidence supporting your claim, the commercial decisions it informs and the practical demands on your business.
Modern Technology, Human Accountability
Make the technical record useful
A technical record is most useful when it explains the question being investigated, what was tried, the results and the conclusions. Keep the links between those records and the people, dates and work involved. An unsuccessful experiment can still contribute to that explanation.
Read review requests closely
Before preparing a response, identify the specific review questions being asked, the records requested and the response date. Gather the relevant correspondence and supporting material so that the response can address the issues clearly. If a request is unclear, seek clarification early.
How is your information handled?
Before sharing confidential records with a provider, ask where the information will be stored and processed, who can access it, whether it may be used to train models and how long it will be retained. Clarify who reviews the resulting analysis and takes responsibility for the advice.
A word from our founder
Simon Berry
Founder, Action Berry
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“For much of my career, I've worked at the intersection of technology, business and R&D tax incentives. One thing I've learned is that good R&D tax credit work begins with understanding what a business is actually trying to achieve, the technical challenges it faces, and the people doing the work.
My fascination with technology goes back much further. I've always been curious about how things work, and perhaps more importantly, why they work the way they do. That curiosity has stayed with me throughout my career and shapes how I approach every engagement. I want to understand the work, ask the right questions, and distinguish genuine technological uncertainty from the everyday challenges of running a business.
Over the years, I've worked with companies of all sizes, from emerging businesses to large, established organisations. I've also seen how unnecessarily complicated the R&D tax credit process can become, particularly when technical teams, financial teams and advisers aren't speaking the same language.
I founded Action Berry to offer a more direct, personal approach.
When you work with Action Berry, you're working with a team who take the time to understand your business, bring both technical and financial experience to the table, and remain personally accountable for the advice and work delivered.
I'm a firm believer that R&D tax credits should be approached with technical rigour, commercial common sense and a healthy respect for the rules. That means being thorough, being pragmatic, and being prepared to have honest conversations, even when the answer isn't necessarily the one a client hoped to hear.
Ultimately, my job is to help clients make well-founded claims, navigate the complexities of the Canadian R&D tax incentive system, and feel confident about the work we're doing together. And who knows, maybe even have fun doing it!”