The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) has recently released an update of service standards for processing SR&ED claims.
Based on average processing times and success rates in 2015, the following are CRA’s service standards for processing SR&ED claims as of December 31, 2015 (following the receipt of a complete claim):
- Refundable claims – 120 calendar days
- Non-refundable claims – 365 calendar days
- Claimant-requested adjustments to refundable claims – 240 calendar days
- Claimant-requested adjustments to non-refundable claims – 365 calendar days
The results of the 2015 service standards assessment for the current fiscal year up to the end of the last completed quarter are published in Canada Revenue Agency’s Annual Report to Parliament.
As part of an ongoing commitment to make the SR&ED claim process easier, the CRA has taken several measures to make information that SR&ED claimants seek readily available, including the offering of information seminars and webinars and self-assessment tools such as the SR&ED Self-Assessment and Learning Tool (SALT).