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How to Get Started with SRED in Canada

The Canadian government has the most reliable way of supporting its research and development businesses for a better tomorrow. In the 1940s, the government developed a tax relief program, Scientific Research &Experimental Development, for such companies and later put the Canada Revenue Agency under its administration.

However, not all research and development businesses and organizations in Canada qualify for SR&ED. Here are getting started with SR&ED to benefit from the program adequately.

Which Research and Development Businesses Qualify for SR&ED?

Despite being a research and development business in Canada, there are other requirements an organization should meet to apply for SRED. To begin with, an individual or company must focus on enhancing scientific knowledge and skills theoretically and practically (applied research).

Research and development businesses that aim to improve scientific knowledge and skills without practical procedures can also qualify to apply for SR&ED. Another crucial requirement for applying SR&ED is undertaking experimental research to boost technological welfare with new skills, materials, products, or opportunities.

Again, organizations that support other research sectors, such as operations research, engineering, psychological research, analysis, or data collection, are eligible for SR&ED. After meeting any of the above requirements, a business involved in research and development in Canada can confidently qualify for the tax incentive program.

What Criteria Does the CRA Follow in Determining SR&ED Eligibility?

The Canadian government developed the CRA to administer benefits, tax reliefs, incentives, and other allocated roles related to the SR&ED. Before approving businesses for SR&ED funding, CRA applies particular criteria to produce the best results possible. An applicant for SR&ED must enhance scientific and technical knowledge and skills in its operations.

Additionally, research and development businesses wishing to benefit from the SR&ED program must have experienced various technical challenges and uncertainties in their past operations (technological uncertainty).

The CRA will also study if the SR&ED applicant undertook a systematic and logical method of handling the challenges and uncertainties faced in its past projects and created a hypothesis (technical content).

One last criterion that the CRA uses to determine the eligibility for SR&ED by applicants is the businesses documentations. It’s fulfilled when the applicant records its essential projects and documents to be provided as evidence for operation and expenditure within a certain period, as the agency requires.

SR&ED applicants that meet the above criteria have higher chances of getting approved for the funding.

How Do Research and Development Businesses Apply for SR&ED?

Research and development businesses in Canada must apply for the SR&ED carefully through a particular procedure to benefit from the program. The application process minimizes the cases of inequality and increases fairness, making it even easier for the CRA to generate the best results. An SR&ED applicant should create a method to strategically take them through the application process.

Most common SR&ED claim methods include the proxy, which applies percentages to track all costs, including overheads. On the other hand, the traditional method requires applicants to list their expenses and costs.

With a reliable SR&ED claim method, a potential beneficiary should assemble all the documents as required by the CRA for the SR&ED application. The main ones include active lease agreements and contracts, business descriptions and designs, expenditures for past projects, planning documents and meeting minutes, and purchase invoices. These documents prove that a business has actively engaged in research and development.

The CRA also requires businesses applying for SR&ED to present reports for all their activities within a stipulated period, including existing samples, data collection, analysis reports, and reports from practicals undertaken, alongside any challenges faced during the operations.

For further investigations, the applicants should also accompany their information with the financial expenses incurred for each activity. In this case, the most common financial documents required include purchase invoices, wages paid to the relevant personnel, and audio and videos of past financial-related meetings.

Finally, a potential SR&ED beneficiary should prepare their tax routines and a corporate tax return receipt for approximately 18 months and present them to the CRA alongside a well-filled claim application form.

The final step of applying for SR&ED is patiently waiting for the CRA to review your application which takes roughly 60 working days to get feedback. It’s advisable not to alter any evidence you have already presented to the CRA, as it may affect your eligibility.

Best Tips for Applying for SR&ED

The SR&ED application process can be challenging, especially when applicants lack adequate field knowledge. However, with a few reliable tips, applicants can come out of the process more confident and less stressed.

Businesses wishing to benefit from SR&ED should get an experienced consultant and a mentor to take them through the application process for better results. Additionally, experts have developed various time-tracking tools to help them undertake different application stages more quickly and without repetition.

Another crucial tip for the SR&ED application is documentation. Proper documentation makes everything easier, providing all the required documents in one file. Again, it would help to have the essential timelines at your fingertips so you won’t miss any of them.

Unfortunately, if you miss the deadline for sending your SR&ED claim forms, you will most likely have to wait for the next application window to start over again.

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