Changes to SR&ED Financial Policy Documents (Dec 2014)

The CRA has announced changes to all 17 financial policy documents.

In late December 2014, the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) posted updated versions of the Scientific Research and Experimental Development (SR&ED) program’s financial policy documents. According to the CRA’s update announcement, the documents were revised to “accommodate the legislative changes that have been announced from 2012 to the present” by the federal government.

SR&ED Financial Policy Documents Affected

All seventeen of the SR&ED program’s financial policy documents have been affected as a result of this update, impacting filing requirements, lease expenditures, capital expenditures, traditional and proxy SR&ED calculation methods, and more.

Below are links to the updated policies. Note that each policy page has a section entitled “Explanation of changes” that details why and how the changes were exacted:

SR&ED Filing Requirements Policy

Traditional and Proxy Methods Policy

SR&ED Salary or Wages Policy

Materials for SR&ED Policy

Contract Expenditures for SR&ED Performed on Behalf of a Claimant Policy

SR&ED Lease Expenditures Policy

SR&ED Overhead and Other Expenditures Policy

Third-Party Payments Policy

SR&ED Capital Expenditures Policy

Pool of Deductible SR&ED Expenditures Policy

Total Qualified SR&ED Expenditures for Investment Tax Credit Purposes Policy

Prescribed Proxy Amount Policy