Research credit

Form 6765, Credit for Increasing Research Activities

Recent developments

• IRS releases revised draft Form 6765, Credit for Increasing Research Activities, following public comment
• IRS requests feedback on preview of proposed changes to Form 6765, Credit for Increasing Research Activities
• IRS sets forth required information for a valid research credit claim for refund
• Qualified small business payroll tax credit for increasing research activities

Recent guidance

• Notice 2024-12, Clarifications and Modification to Initial Interim Guidance on Amortization of Specified Research or Experimental Expenditures under Section 174 PDF
• Notice 2023-63, Guidance on amortization of specified research or experimental expenditures under Section 174 PDF
• Rev. Proc. 2023-11, Changes in accounting periods and in methods of accounting (supersedes Rev. Proc. 2023-08)
• Rev. Proc 2023-08, Methods of accounting for specific research or experimental expenditures

Guidelines

Audit technique guides

• Research credit claims audit techniques guide (RCCATG): Credit for increasing research activities § 41 (revision May 2008)
• Revised research credit audit technique guide (revision June 2005)
• Audit guidelines on the application of the process of experimentation requirement for all software (revision May 2005)
• Research credit audit techniques guide for aerospace industry (revision January 2005)
• Research credit audit techniques guide for pharmaceutical industry PDF (revision April 2024)

Directives

• Updated interim guidance on claims for refund that include a claim for credit for increasing research activities PDF (revision December 2022)
• Updated guidance for allowance of the credit for increasing research activities under I.R.C. Section 41 for taxpayers that expense research and development costs on their financial statements pursuant to ASC 730 (revision September 2020)
• Guidance for allowance of the credit for increasing research activities under I.R.C §41 for taxpayers that expense research and development costs on their financial statements pursuant to ASC 730 (revision September 2017)
• Guidance for computing and substantiating the credit for increasing research activities under Section 41 of the Internal Revenue Code for activities involved in developing new pharmaceutical drugs and therapeutic biologics (revision December 2012)
• Field directive on the use of estimates from probability samples PDF (November 2009)
• Amended returns/refund claims containing invalid IRC 280C(c)(3) elections (revision August 2005)
• Planning and examination of research credit issues in a branded pharmaceutical company (revision April 2004)
• Examination of legally mandated research and experimentation expenses in the biotech and pharmaceutical industries (revision October 2003)
• Field directive on the use of statistical and judgement sampling in research field cases PDF (revision March 2002)

Page Last Reviewed or Updated: 08-Jul-2024