| Item | Description | FY2012 | FY2013 | FY2014 | FY2015 | FY2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.604 | Research Credit
A credit is allowed for corporations which made basic research payments and/or incurred qualified research expenses conducted in Massachusetts during the taxable year. A corporation taking the research credit is limited in the amount that can be taken against the excise in any year. The credit cannot reduce the tax to less than $456. The amount of credit is equal to: 100% of the first $25,000 of excise; and 75% of any amount of excise remaining after the first $25,000. The deduction allowed to a corporation for any research expenses generating a Massachusetts Research Credit must be reduced by the amount of the credit generated. This amount is added back to income. Any corporation which is a member of a combined group may share excess research credits with other members of the combined group. Corporations which are members of a controlled group or which are under common control with any trade or business (whether or not incorporated) are treated as a single taxpayer for purposes of determining the allowable Research Credit. The credit may be carried forward for up to 15 years with certain restrictions, but is neither transferable nor refundable. As a result of recent legislation, effective for tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2015, a business corporation may elect to calculate its research credit using one of two methods: The first method revises the existing research credit by changing two definitions that affect the calculation of the credit, i.e., the definitions of "base amount" and "fixed base rate". The "base amount" is now defined as "the product of (i) the average annual gross receipts of the taxpayer for the 4 taxable years preceding the credit year"; and (ii) a 'fixed base ratio'." The "fixed-base ratio" is no longer tied to a corporation's aggregate Massachusetts qualified research expenditures for a fixed 5 year period during the 1980s. It is now defined as "the percentage which the average aggregate qualified research expenses for the taxpayer for the third and fourth taxable years preceding the credit year is of the annual average gross receipts for those years, provided, however, that the fixed base ratio shall not exceed 16 per cent". The amount of the credit is equal to the sum of 10% of the excess, if any, of the qualified research expenses for the taxable year over the base amount plus 15% of the basic research expenses determined under I.R.C. S. 41(e)(1)(A). The second method, which a taxpayer may elect to use in lieu of the method described above, provides for an alternative simplified research credit, which generally conforms to the methodology of the federal alternative simplified credit provided by I.R.C. S. 41(c)(5), as amended and in effect for January 1, 2014. See TIR 14-13 and TIR 14-16 for more information. Origin: M.G.L. c. 63, S. 38M Estimate: $191.4 |
161.9 | 176.4 | 176.3 | 177.7 | 191.4 |
| ORIGIN | |
| IRC | Federal Internal Revenue Code (26 U.S.C.) |
|---|---|
| M.G.L. | Massachusetts General Laws |
| U.S.C | United States Code |
| ESTIMATES | All estimates are in $ millions. |