Good news for those that invest in research&development: they have introduced the tax credit for research and development activities to which all enterprises can gain access, irrespective of their legal form, the economic sector where they operate, as well as of the accounting regime adopted, provided that they make investments in R&D activities, from January 1st 2015 to December 31st 2019.
They admit the expenses borne in the 2015-2019 five years for:
- Costs of highly qualified personnel, also collaborators, engaged in research and development activities
- Depreciation allowances for expenses of acquisition or use of lab instruments and equipment;
- Expenses borne to sign research contracts with universities, research bodies or equivalent institutions, other businesses;
- Expenses to acquire technical skills and industrial properties;
Said expenses must be dedicated to the following ambits:
- Experimental and theoretical works carried out to the ends of the acquisition of new knowledge;
- Planned research or critical investigations aimed at acquiring new knowledge, to develop new products, processes or services or to permit an improvement of the existing ones;
- Acquisition of the existing knowledge and skills of scientific, technological and commercial nature;
- Production and testing of products, processes and services, provided that they are not used or transformed in view of industrial applications or for commercial purposes.
The tax credit amounts to 25% of the expenses incurred in excess compared to the average of the investments made in the three tax periods 2012, 2013, 2014.
The incentive rises to 50% for the expenses concerning the employment of highly skilled personnel engaged in research and development activities and regarding research contracts.
The maximum yearly attainable amount is € 5,000,000.
