Employee portraits are a key part of a company’s visual identity. In a world where businesses are increasingly spread across multiple offices and locations, managing employee portraits efficiently and consistently is essential. Whether for internal use, such as directories and access control, or external-facing purposes like marketing and communication materials, an organization’s approach to handling portraits can significantly impact both culture and operational efficiency.

Before the digital revolution, companies would typically hire a professional photographer or use expensive solutions like photo robots or photo booths for employee portraits. While these methods could deliver high-quality results, they came with several drawbacks – such as:

• High Costs: Hiring photographers and maintaining photo booths or robots can be costly. In addition to the equipment or service fees, the time required for employees to coordinate and attend photography sessions adds to the expense.
• Inconsistent Quality: When relying on different photographers or equipment across various locations, companies often experienced inconsistencies in photo quality, lighting, and style, which could detract from a unified corporate image.
• Complex Management: The manual nature of organizing, storing, editing, and uploading photos across departments and platforms was cumbersome. This often resulted in delays and inefficiencies, particularly when employees changed roles or new hires came on board.

The importance of portraits in multi-location companies

For businesses with multiple offices, creating a sense of unity and a cohesive company culture is vital. Employee portraits play a critical role in fostering this cohesion by visually representing the team and the brand. However, the larger and more geographically dispersed a company becomes, the more challenging it is to maintain consistent employee portraits across locations. A unified set of employee portraits can:

• Reinforce branding: Consistent employee portraits across all locations help establish and reinforce the company’s visual identity. This is particularly important for customer-facing teams where branding consistency is crucial.
• Promote inclusion and belonging: Having a standardized approach to portraits across all offices ensures that employees, no matter their location, feel equally valued and represented.
• Streamline internal communication: Portraits in directories and on internal communication platforms, such as collaboration tools, email signatures, and intranet systems, foster familiarity between employees who may not have met in person, especially in global or remote teams.

By aligning portrait standards with corporate branding guidelines, companies can maintain consistency, strengthen their culture, and ensure employees feel part of the larger organization, regardless of where they are located.

Efficiency across all locations

To address the challenges of managing portraits in multiple locations, many companies are turning to automated solutions like Eikonice. Eikonice’s cloud-based SaaS platform eliminates manual processes, cuts costs, and ensures consistency, no matter how many locations a business has. The key features of Eikonice’s solution are:

• AI-powered automation: Eikonice’s platform automates all processes related to employee portraits, from initial capture to the final upload. It ensures every photo meets the company’s standards for branding, quality, and consistency. Adjustments like cropping, color correction, and resizing are handled automatically by the system.
• Centralized portrait management: With all portraits stored in a centralized cloud-based system, companies can easily manage, update, and synchronize images across all their platforms—whether for internal systems or external directories—without duplication of effort.
• Scalability across locations: The system is designed to scale with the company, meaning whether you have one office or 100, Eikonice can support seamless portrait management. Every new hire or role change can be quickly reflected across all platforms, ensuring up-to-date photos are always available.
• Cost efficiency: By automating the editing and uploading process, companies can reduce the costs traditionally associated with photo sessions, editing, and storage. The AI-powered solution eliminates the need for expensive photo robots or recurring professional photography services.

Embracing digital identity cards for streamlined operations

As part of an integrated Identity and Access Management (IAM) strategy, many companies are adopting digital identity cards that link directly to employee portraits. These identity cards, often used as apps on smartphones, offer several advantages:

• Enhanced security: Digital identity cards can be easily updated and synced with access control systems, ensuring only current employees have the necessary credentials to access different areas or systems.
• Operational efficiency: When portraits are integrated into digital identity cards, they can be instantly updated across multiple locations, reducing the need for separate photo sessions and ensuring employee photos are always up to date.
• Improved employee experience: Digital identity cards, coupled with a streamlined portrait process, create a smooth onboarding experience for new hires, as photos are uploaded quickly, and their credentials are issued in real time.

Eikonice supports this digital transformation by offering tools that automate the portrait integration into IAM systems, making it easier to manage employee identities across various offices while keeping everything compliant with GDPR.

Eikonice is the prove of, that managing employee portraits across multiple locations doesn’t need to be a costly, time-consuming, or disjointed process. With automation, AI-driven tools, and centralized management systems like Eikonice, companies can ensure their employee portraits are consistent, high-quality, and compliant with data protection regulations. By incorporating digital identity cards as part of an IAM strategy, businesses can further streamline their operations and enhance both security and employee satisfaction. Embracing these best practices not only saves time and money – but very important, also strengthens company culture across geographically dispersed teams.

Managing employee portraits used to be a labor-intensive process, especially for large or global organizations. HR teams often spent countless hours updating profiles, directories, and ID cards manually. Inconsistencies were common, with outdated or incorrect images leading to confusion, especially when employees were promoted or transferred.

Eikonice changes all of this by integrating portrait management directly into digital HR systems. Through automation, employee profiles are updated in real time. When an employee is promoted, their portrait is instantly synced with internal directories, ID cards, and other platforms without any need for manual input. This not only saves time but also reduces the potential for human error.

Looking to the future, AI-powered tools will further enhance these processes. For example, real-time updates will become standard, with AI seamlessly managing portrait changes as employees transition between roles, departments, or locations. This shift from manual to automated portrait handling represents a major leap forward for HR teams worldwide.

Cross-platform synchronization for global operations

As businesses expand globally, managing employee portraits across various platforms can become a significant challenge. Different regions and teams often use different communication tools, and keeping everything up to date is no small feat.

Cross-platform synchronization will be the key to managing this complexity. HR systems will seamlessly integrate with internal communication platforms like Slack or Microsoft Teams, as well as external platforms like LinkedIn and email signatures. This means that when an employee’s portrait is updated in the central HR system, it will automatically reflect across all digital touchpoints, both internally and externally.

This integration is particularly valuable for large, multi-location companies, as it ensures brand consistency and up-to-date employee visuals across all platforms. Moreover, as the workforce grows, the system can scale effortlessly, reducing the need for HR teams to intervene manually in updating portraits across different channels.

AI-driven insights from employee portrait data

While employee portraits were once static assets, AI is transforming them into a source of valuable data for HR teams. Beyond simply storing images, future HR systems will use AI to analyse portrait data for a variety of applications.

For instance, facial recognition technology could be employed for secure access control within company facilities. By linking portrait data with entry systems, companies can enhance security and ensure that only authorized personnel gain access to sensitive areas.

Additionally, AI can play a crucial role in analysing diversity metrics. By evaluating portrait data, companies can gain insights into the diversity of their workforce, aiding in the tracking and reporting of inclusion initiatives. AI can also detect changes in portrait data, such as unauthorized use of images, which could be valuable for preventing security breaches.

The big thing here is, that use of AI in portrait data management not only improves security and diversity tracking but also empowers HR teams to make more informed, data-driven decisions about the workforce.

Ensuring GDPR compliance in portrait handling

With the increasing use of digital portraits comes the responsibility of ensuring that data is handled in compliance with privacy regulations, like GDPR. Managing personal data such as employee portraits requires careful attention to consent, storage, and usage.

Eikonice’s cloud-based system ensures that every step of the portrait management process adheres to GDPR requirements. Employee portraits are securely stored, and any changes or updates are tracked to ensure compliance with privacy regulations. This reduces the risk of breaches and ensures that companies avoid hefty fines associated with GDPR non-compliance.

As privacy regulations evolve, particularly with the upcoming AI act, companies will need to stay vigilant. The integration of AI into portrait handling brings new opportunities but also new responsibilities. Ensuring that AI applications comply with privacy laws will be critical to maintaining trust with employees and customers alike.

The integration of employee portraits into digital HR systems is transforming how companies manage their workforce. Automated workflows, cross-platform synchronization, and AI-driven insights are not only making HR processes more efficient but also ensuring security, diversity, and GDPR compliance. As the future unfolds, solutions like Eikonice will continue to lead the way in streamlining portrait management while empowering companies to stay ahead in the digital transformation of HR.

If your organization is looking to optimize its HR systems, you should definitely gain experience and explore how Eikonice can help revolutionize the company’s portrait management.

The world of recruitment and onboarding is changing rapidly. Companies are rethinking traditional hiring processes to meet the expectations of a tech-savvy workforce like Generation Z. Efficiency, fairness, and personalisation have become critical components of the modern employee journey, from the initial application to the onboarding process.

For some companies, this has meant adopting more neutral recruitment processes by excluding photos and even names from early-stage applications. Yet, after a candidate is hired, it becomes essential to make them feel valued and included. One simple yet impactful way to do this is through professional onboarding experiences, including high-quality employee portraits.

With Eikonice, the process of capturing and managing employee portraits becomes seamless. Companies can leverage the simplicity of smartphones for quick, high-quality photos that are perfect for internal use and easily updated when needed.

The shift in hiring practices and the influence of generation Z

Increased digitization in generally and the appearance of generation Z is reshaping the way companies approach recruitment. The new generation places a high value on efficiency, fairness, and transparency in hiring processes. Companies are responding by adopting new methods to ensure diversity and neutrality in recruitment.

Some companies have opted to remove images and names from initial applications, focusing solely on qualifications to avoid unconscious bias. This approach has the potential to increase fairness, especially in large companies with high volumes of applicants.

However, once the hiring decision is made, new employees want to feel welcome. Personalisation and care in onboarding are critical, and part of that experience is presenting a professional, well-organised workflow for the employee’s first day. This includes creating a personal connection through professional employee portraits, which can be captured even on a smartphone.

Professional onboarding includes employee portraits

Onboarding is a pivotal moment in any employee’s journey with a new company. It sets the tone for their experience and helps them form a positive relationship with their workplace. Companies that invest in professional, well-organised onboarding processes are more likely to retain employees and increase overall satisfaction.

One aspect of creating a polished onboarding experience is offering employees high-quality portraits for internal and external use. When a new employee starts, providing them with a photo for communication systems, directories, and social media is a great way to welcome them. This simple act can make them feel part of the team from day one.

Thanks to modern smartphone technology, capturing these portraits has never been easier. With Eikonice, companies can use mobile phones to quickly and professionally photograph employees. The flexibility to use a smartphone means no delays in capturing a portrait, and with Eikonice’s advanced automation, the photo can be updated at any time to reflect a new or more polished image.

Seamless portrait management

Eikonice simplifies the process of managing employee portraits from start to finish. Whether a company captures initial portraits on smartphones or with professional photographers, Eikonice’s cloud-based solution ensures that these photos are stored, adjusted, and updated effortlessly.

The centralised system allows companies to automate everything, from the initial photo to regular updates, ensuring that employee portraits are always current and aligned. What’s more, Eikonice’s solution is fully GDPR-compliant, so companies can rest assured that they are adhering to data privacy regulations.

This streamlined, automated process not only saves time and money but also enhances the overall onboarding experience, making new employees feel valued from the very start.

Practical tips for taking professional-grade corporate photos with a smartphone.

While professional photographers still play a key role in capturing high-quality portraits, smartphones have become a powerful tool in corporate photography. Here are some practical tips to help you take the best possible employee portraits with a smartphone.

1. Lighting is key

Natural light or soft, diffused light is essential for creating flattering portraits. Avoid harsh overhead lighting or direct sunlight.

2. Choose a simple background

A neutral, uncluttered background ensures that the focus stays on the employee, keeping the portrait professional.

3. Frame the shot carefully

Make sure the subject is centred, with enough space around their head and shoulders. Use the phone’s gridlines to help with composition.

4. Maximise camera resolution

Always use the highest possible resolution to capture crisp, clear images. Smartphones today have excellent cameras, so take advantage of the technology.

5. Post-process for perfection

With Eikonice, the portrait can be automatically enhanced and adjusted to meet corporate standards. This includes colour correction and cropping, all handled seamlessly by AI.

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Consult Eikonice – we have done it before…

Eikonice has a proven track record of helping companies transition to a streamlined employee portrait workflow. By integrating smartphones into the onboarding process, companies can ensure that every employee has a professional-quality portrait from day one, regardless of location.

Eikonice’s advanced AI and cloud-based platform eliminate manual processes, cutting costs and improving efficiency. Whether the portrait is captured on a smartphone or with a professional photographer, Eikonice ensures that updates are just a click away, with full compliance to data protection regulations like GDPR.

…and we’re redefining corporate portrats

Employee portraits play a vital role in onboarding and employee engagement. With the right tools and technology, companies can streamline this process while maintaining high standards. Eikonice provides the perfect solution, enabling companies to use smartphones for initial portraits and easily manage updates with AI-driven automation. By embracing this future-focused approach, companies can ensure that their onboarding processes are efficient, professional, and welcoming for all new hires.

With Eikonice, the future of corporate photography is efficient, centralised, and automated, helping companies keep up with the demands of the modern workforce.

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), implemented by the European Union in 2018, revolutionized how companies must handle personal data. Designed to protect the privacy of individuals, the GDPR introduced stringent rules around how personal data is processed, stored, and deleted. Employee data, including their portraits, falls under the scope of these regulations.

Employee portraits, though often viewed as a benign aspect of corporate life, represent personal data and require careful management to ensure compliance with GDPR. As employees expect their images to be securely handled, companies must adopt GDPR-compliant solutions to protect these sensitive data elements.

GDPR compliance in the portrait workflow

Employee portraits, as visual representations of individuals, are protected under GDPR as personal data. For large organizations with hundreds or even thousands of employees, these images are stored, updated, and used across multiple platforms for identification and communication purposes. Whether they are used in internal systems like HR platforms or externally on corporate websites and press materials, the handling of these portraits requires GDPR-compliant workflows.

Every step of handling an employee’s portrait, from initial capture to storage and deletion, must adhere to GDPR. This includes gaining consent from the employee, securely storing their image, and ensuring it is deleted when it is no longer necessary. Companies that use Eikonice to streamline this process benefit from automation, as these platforms eliminate manual processes and reduce the risk of non-compliance.

Portrait handling should be part of the HR policy

In large enterprises, integrating the handling of employee portraits into HR policies is essential for maintaining GDPR compliance. With employees regularly joining and leaving the company, the sheer volume of images can be overwhelming without the right systems in place. And this is where Eikonice becomes invaluable and secure automating the collection, management, and deletion of portraits. We ensure the company stays compliant with GDPR while significantly reducing administrative burdens, handling the many different processes.

Transparent policies around employee portraits not only protect companies from GDPR breaches but also positively impact employee satisfaction. Employees are more likely to trust their employer if they know that personal data, including their images, is handled securely and ethically correct. This, in turn, fosters a workplace culture that respects privacy and can even contribute to higher retention rates.

GDPR best practices, step by step

Obtaining explicit consent from employees is the first step in any GDPR-compliant portrait handling process. Employees must be informed about how their images will be used, and they should have the ability to withdraw consent at any time. Companies should ensure that this process is automated and recorded, providing clear audit trails.

Once employee portraits are captured, they need to be stored securely. This includes encrypting images and limiting access to authorized personnel only. Cloud-based solutions like Eikonice offer secure storage options that comply with GDPR, ensuring data is both protected and easily manageable.

Further, GDPR mandates that personal data, including employee portraits, must be deleted when it is no longer necessary. Eikonice includes an automated deletion process that secure compliance by removing portraits when employees leave the company or when consent is withdrawn.

Include the impact of the EU artificial intelligence act

The EU Artificial Intelligence Act (AI act) is an upcoming regulation that seeks to ensure the safe, transparent, and ethical use of AI systems across the EU. Just as the GDPR governs personal data, the AI act will regulate AI systems, particularly those deemed high-risk, including those that process personal data, such as employee portraits.

AI-powered tools like Eikonice’s platform, which automate the handling of employee portraits, will fall under the scope of the AI act. High-risk AI systems will be subject to strict rules around transparency, fairness, and oversight, ensuring that AI is used responsibly. For companies relying on AI solutions, ensuring compliance with both GDPR and the AI act will be essential to avoid penalties.

The role of Eikonice in GDPR and the AI act compliance

The AI act will require companies to ensure that AI systems managing personal data are transparent and explainable, with human oversight to prevent errors or misuse. Solutions like Eikonice’s platform will need to demonstrate compliance with these new standards, ensuring AI-driven processes are not only efficient but also trustworthy.

Eikonice is at the forefront of helping businesses navigate both GDPR and the upcoming AI act regulations. By automating the entire employee portrait workflow, from planning to storage, Eikonice ensures full GDPR compliance while reducing costs and human error. The platform also prepares companies for AI act compliance by offering transparent, explainable AI processes with built-in privacy protections.

As the landscape of data privacy evolves, companies must take proactive steps to ensure compliance with both GDPR and the forthcoming AI act. By adopting best practices and leveraging AI-powered tools like Eikonice, businesses can streamline their portrait workflows, protect employee privacy, and avoid costly non-compliance penalties.

Employee portraits are no longer just a formality for ID badges. In today’s digital age, they play a vital role in communicating a company’s brand identity. However, managing portraits for large organizations can be challenging. With AI-powered automation, Eikonice eliminates manual tasks, ensuring GDPR compliance while cutting costs. What’s not to like?

Incorporate employee portraits in the corporate brand manual

One of the most overlooked elements of corporate design is the employee portrait. Often missing from brand guides, these images should be treated as part of your company’s visual identity. Employee portraits represent the people who drive the business, and the way they are presented speaks volumes about the company culture, diversity and professionalism.

Tip 1: Ensure that your brand guidelines outline the specific styles for employee portraits—covering lighting, background colors, and even clothing suggestions that align with the company’s color palette and tone. Having consistent, high-quality portraits signals unity and attention to detail, no matter the size of your workforce.

Use consistent portraits across all communication channels

Consistency is key when building a strong corporate identity. By using standardized employee portraits across all communication materials—whether internally or externally—you create a cohesive visual identity that reflects professionalism and trustworthiness.

With Eikonice’s automated portrait management system, you can easily ensure that every employee portrait is up-to-date and consistent across all platforms, from the company’s website to client-facing presentations.

Tip 2: Incorporate employee portraits in all your materials such as annual reports, internal newsletters, press releases, e-mails and social media. Use them as a visual asset that contributes to the brand, not just as a means of identification – but also to reflect the company’s DEI commitment (Diversity, Equity and inclusion).

Adapt portraits for different purposes – presentation vs. identification

Employee portraits serve two main purposes—presentation and identification. Understanding the difference between the two is essential for ensuring that your portraits are both functional and aesthetically aligned with your brand.

Presentation portraits are used for executive bios, media appearances, and marketing materials. These should be polished, well-lit, and aligned with the brand’s visual identity to convey a strong, professional image.

Identification portraits are simpler, used in internal systems like security badges, keycards, and employee directories. These portraits need to be clear, uniform, and easily recognizable for quick identification.

Tip 3: Eikonice allows for both presentation and identification portraits to be managed in one system. This simplifies the process of creating tailored visuals for different platforms without compromising quality or consistency.

Leverage AI automation for cost-effective and compliant workflow

Managing employee portraits across multiple platforms and ensuring each one is updated can be a tedious and costly process. However, with Eikonice’s AI-driven automation, this task becomes both streamlined and cost-effective. The software manages everything—from color adjustments and cropping to GDPR-compliant data handling—without the need for manual intervention.

Tip 4: Automating your portrait workflow with Eikonice not only saves time but also ensures that every portrait is brand-compliant, up-to-date, and privacy-compliant. This helps cut costs while maintaining the high standard expected from a premium corporate brand.

Showcase employee portraits in a variety of channels

Employee portraits don’t just belong on ID cards. They can enhance a wide range of internal and external communications. Externally, they can be used to highlight key team members on your website, personalize customer newsletters, or even create engaging social media content. Internally, employee portraits can boost a sense of belonging and recognition when featured in company newsletters or on intranet pages.

Tip 5: Use portraits as part of your corporate storytelling. Feature them in internal and external communications alike, showcasing the people behind the brand. Platforms like LinkedIn and Instagram are perfect for giving employee portraits more visibility while aligning them with corporate values.

Get ready and “Go”

Employee portraits are a powerful yet often overlooked part of a company’s brand identity. By following these five tips and leveraging AI-powered tools like Eikonice, companies can turn their employee portraits into an effective branding tool that saves time, ensures consistency, and aligns perfectly with corporate identity.

Ready to streamline your employee portrait process? Explore Eikonice’s solutions today.

In the fast-evolving world of corporate photography, the demand for high-quality, efficient, and standardized employee portraits has never been greater. As companies grow and expand globally, handling thousands of employee photos becomes an intricate process. But with the rise of AI and automation, this process has been revolutionized.

Eikonice, a leader in automating corporate photography workflows, has developed an advanced solution that eliminates all manual tasks associated with handling employee portraits. From planning photo sessions to uploading high-resolution, colour-adjusted, and cropped images, the entire process is streamlined and GDPR compliant. The result? Significant savings in time and cost, along with a more satisfying employee experience.

AI and automation is revolutionizing high volume portrait photography

One of the most profound impacts of AI on corporate photography is the dramatic reduction in processing time. For companies with a large number of employees, manually editing and adjusting portraits can be time-consuming and costly. But Eikonice’s AI-driven system processes hundreds of images simultaneously, ensuring high-quality outputs in a fraction of the time.

For example, the time to process and adjust photos for an entire department can be reduced from days or weeks to just a few hours. This has a direct impact on cost as well. The less manual intervention required, the lower the price per portrait, allowing companies to allocate resources more efficiently.

The benefits of automation extend beyond just processing. With Eikonice’s solution, internal teams no longer need to spend time managing the photography workflow. HR and IT departments can focus on their core responsibilities while the system handles everything—from scheduling shoots to uploading the final images across all platforms. This level of automation makes employee portrait management almost effortless for organizations.

Seamless Integration

In today’s digital workplace, employee portraits are more than just photos—they are essential for internal systems like HR platforms, onboarding programs, and Identity Access Management (IAM) tools. Eikonice seamlessly integrates with these systems, ensuring that every employee’s portrait is automatically updated across all platforms without any manual intervention.

This integration not only improves efficiency but also enhances employee satisfaction by ensuring their profiles are always up-to-date and professional.

Standardization meets personalization

While standardization is crucial for maintaining a consistent corporate image, employees still want their individuality reflected in their portraits. Eikonice’s AI technology balances both needs by allowing for personalization within a standardized framework.

The system automatically adjust backgrounds, lighting, and even minor facial corrections, ensuring that every portrait aligns with the company’s branding guidelines. At the same time, the system gives all employees the opportunity to select their favorite. This approach gives employees a professional yet personal touch, making them feel valued and included.

Personal data security

Data privacy is a growing concern for businesses, especially when it comes to handling employee photos. Eikonice’s solution ensures full GDPR compliance by automating the entire portrait process, from capturing the image to storing it securely in the cloud. This not only protects employees’ data but also reduces the legal risks associated with non-compliance.

The cloud-based system ensures that portraits are accessible whenever needed while maintaining strict security protocols to protect sensitive information.

Allows enhanced onboarding experience

The onboarding process is a critical moment for new employees, and first impressions matter. Eikonice enhances the onboarding experience by providing high-quality portraits that are automatically added to the company’s systems. This seamless integration not only saves time but also makes new employees feel more welcome and part of the team from day one.

A polished and professional portrait can boost employee morale and engagement. By offering quick, easy, and automated portrait processing, Eikonice helps employees feel valued and connected to the company. This is especially important as companies increasingly rely on digital platforms for internal communications and team building.

The evolving role of employee portraits

Looking ahead, companies are likely to use employee portraits more creatively for presentation on public-facing platforms. Tailored portraits could be used not only for company websites and press kits but also for personal branding within the organization. For example, an employee might have one portrait for internal communications and another more tailored portrait for external-facing platforms, like social media or client presentations.

But as technology evolves, the role of portraits in employee identification is also set to change. AI-driven solutions might soon incorporate biometrics or real-time updates, making employee portraits even more dynamic. This could be especially useful in hybrid or remote work environments, where digital identification is crucial for access and security.

One thing for sure. The future of corporate photography lies in AI and automation, and Eikonice is at the forefront of this transformation. By reducing processing time, cutting costs, and offering a seamless, personalized experience, Eikonice is reshaping how businesses manage their employee portraits.

As we move into an increasingly digital world, the importance of professional, tailored employee portraits will only grow. With Eikonice, companies can stay ahead of the curve, embracing a future where corporate photography is not only efficient but also customized to meet the needs of each employee.

4 års kamp med Skattestyrelsen er afsluttet for den danske virksomhed, Eikonice, der har vundet en betydningsfuld sag i Landsskatteretten vedrørende skattekreditordningen.

Virksomheden anmodede for skatteårene 2016-2018 om refusion af omkostninger efter skattekreditordningen som led i udvikling af et IT-system til billedbehandling baseret på AI. Efter modtagelse af ansøgningen for 2018 indledte Skattestyrelsen en undersøgelse af Eikonice og afviste anvendelse af ordningen for alle tre år; og Eikonice stod derfor for at betale alle udbetalte beløb tilbage med tillæg af renter.

Eikonice klagede over afgørelsen og efter et overordentligt komplekst og langstrakt forløb har Landsskatteretten nu – 4 år efter klagetidspunktet og 8 år efter det første relevante indkomstår – givet Eikonice fuldt medhold i sagen og derved tilsidesat Skattestyrelsens afgørelse.

Eikonices administrerende direktør og grundlægger, Jørgen Bødker, udtaler:

“Det handler om, at SKAT ønsker at etablere præcedens, men for os som start-up handler det om, at vi mister tid og fokus, hvilket er det mest dyrebare for iværksættere. I dag har vi vundet, og det er selvfølgelig en god følelse, men jeg kan ikke lade være med at tænke på, hvor meget længere vi kunne være nået, hvis vi havde brugt vores tid og penge på udvikling af Eikonice. Fakta er, at denne sag har forhindret os i at starte en scale-up proces og at SKAT har gjort det umuligt for os at udvikle vores markedspotentiale de sidste 4 år.”

En berygtet skattefælde

Skattekreditordningen blev indført med virkning fra 2012 med det formål at sikre danske virksomheders investering i forskning og udvikling for dermed øge den danske konkurrenceevne. Kreditten udbetales til underskudsgivende virksomheder og har derfor en væsentlig likviditetsmæssig betydning for start-ups og vækstvirksomheder.

Tusindvis af danske virksomheder har investeret i udvikling i forventning om udnyttelse af ordningen. Skattestyrelsen har imidlertid håndteret reglerne meget restriktivt, hvilket har givet anledning til omfattende kritik. Flere organisationer og rådgivere har anbefalet virksomhederne direkte at undlade at anvende skattekreditordningen på grund af den medfølgende usikkerhed og meget restriktive tolkning.

Netop de virksomheder, som har gjort brug af skattekreditordningen, er i en særligt udsat økonomisk fase, og bliver derfor ramt ekstra hårdt, når de flere år efter mødes med tilbagebetalingskrav fra Skattestyrelsen og mange virksomheder opfatter tilbagebetalingskravene som dybt urimelige.

Claus Pilgård, advokat hos Nielsen Nørager Advokatpartnerselskab, har bistået Eikonice klagesagen ved Landsskatteretten. Om udfordringerne for de enkelte virksomheder fortæller han:

”Det er tilnærmelsesvist umuligt for softwareudviklerne at dokumentere, at udviklingen kan karakteriseres som ’forsøg- og forskning’. Og det blev kun sværere efter at Østre Landsret i september sidste år tilsidesatte en tidligere lempelig fortolkning, som Landsskatteretten i enkelte tilfælde havde anlagt i relation til softwareudvikling. Det var derfor med stor glæde, vi fik nyheden om, at Landsskatteretten gav Eikonice fuldt medhold, særligt fordi Landsskatteretten er enige med os i, at det ikke bare er Eikonices teknologiudvikling – men også Eikonines videreudvikling af en standard webshop – som kan være omfattet af ordningen.”