Keith Nickels

Executive summary

Keith Nickels is a Tax principal and the national leader of Grant Thornton's Research and Development (R&D) Tax Credit Services practice, which provides initial-year R&D credit analysis, annual R&D credit reviews, FIN 48 analysis and IRS and state audit support. In this role, Nickels is utilizing a data-forward strategy to transform the firm’s R&D Tax Credit service delivery model for the digital age.

Nickels has nearly 25 years of public accounting experience with a focus on the R&D tax credit and accounting methods technical areas. He has worked across a large variety of industries, including technology, life sciences, media and entertainment, and aerospace and defense. He specializes in IRS exam controversy and has worked with Fortune 500 and middle-market companies.

Prior to joining Grant Thornton, Nickels was a partner in the Specialized Tax Services group and leader of the Life Sciences R&D credit practice at PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, where he led and managed the pursuit and delivery of tax services related to the R&D tax credit and Section 174 expenditures. Before that, Nickels spent more than 20 years with Ernst & Young LLP’s (EY) Tax practice. During that time, he spent eight years in the firm’s national Tax department focused on the R&D tax credit and led EY’s New York R&D Tax Credit practice.

Between January 2016 and December 2017, Nickels served as the chairperson of the Tax Policy Taskforce at the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA).

 

Professional qualifications and memberships

• CPA — New York, New Jersey, Illinois
• New York Society of CPAs
• AICPA
   

Community involvement

• Supporter of the New York Ballet and Lincoln Center
   

Education

• B.A., Accounting, Grand Valley State University