(a) Determination of credit. At the election of the taxpayer, the credit determined under section 41(a)(1) equals the amount determined under section 41(c)(5).

(b) Election—(1) In general. A taxpayer may elect to apply the provisions of the alternative simplified credit (ASC) in section 41(c)(5) for any taxable year of the taxpayer ending after December 31, 2006. If a taxpayer makes an election under section 41(c)(5), the election applies to the taxable year for which made and all subsequent taxable years unless revoked in the manner prescribed in paragraph (b)(3) of this section.

(2) Time and manner of election. A taxpayer makes an election under section 41(c)(5) by completing the portion of Form 6765, “Credit for Increasing Research Activities,” (or successor form) relating to the election of the ASC, and attaching the completed form to the taxpayer's timely filed (including extensions) original return for the taxable year to which the election applies. A taxpayer may make an election under section 41(c)(5) for a tax year on an amended return, but only if the taxpayer has not previously claimed a section 41(a)(1) credit on its original return or an amended return for that tax year, and only if that tax year is not closed by the period of limitations on assessment under section 6501(a). An extension of time to make an election under section 41(c)(5) will not be granted under §301.9100-3 of this chapter. A taxpayer that is a member of a controlled group in a tax year may not make an election under section 41(c)(5) for that tax year on an amended return if any member of the controlled group for that tax year previously claimed the research credit under section 41(a)(1) using a method other than the ASC on an original or amended return for that tax year. See paragraph (b)(4) of this section for additional rules concerning controlled groups. See also §1.41-6(b)(1) requiring that all members of the controlled group use the same method of computation.

(3) Revocation. An election under this section may not be revoked except with the consent of the Commissioner. A taxpayer is deemed to have requested, and to have been granted, the consent of the Commissioner to revoke an election under section 41(c)(5) if the taxpayer completes the portion of Form 6765 (or successor form) relating to the credit determined under section 41(a)(1) (the regular credit) or the alternative incremental credit (AIRC) and attaches the completed form to the taxpayer's timely filed (including extensions) original return for the year to which the revocation applies. An election under section 41(c)(5) may not be revoked on an amended return. An extension of time to revoke an election under section 41(c)(5) will not be granted under §301.9100-3 of this chapter.

(4) Special rules for controlled groups—(i) In general. In the case of a controlled group of corporations, all the members of which are not included on a single consolidated return, an election (or revocation) must be made by the designated member by satisfying the requirements of paragraphs (b)(2) or (b)(3) of this section (whichever applies), and such election (or revocation) by the designated member shall be binding on all the members of the group for the credit year to which the election (or revocation) relates. If the designated member fails to timely make (or revoke) an election, each member of the group must compute the group credit using the method used to compute the group credit for the immediately preceding credit year.

(ii) Designated member. For purposes of this paragraph (b)(4), for any credit year, the term designated member means that member of the group that is allocated the greatest amount of the group credit under §1.41-6(c) based on the amount of credit reported on the taxpayer's timely filed (including extensions) original Federal income tax return (even if that member subsequently is determined not to be the designated member). If the members of a group compute the group credit using different methods (the method described in section 41(a)(1), the AIRC method of section 41(c)(4), or the ASC method of section 41(c)(5)) and at least two members of the group qualify as the designated member, then the term designated member means that member that computes the group credit using the method that yields the greatest group credit. For example, A, B, C, and D are members of a controlled group but are not members of a consolidated group. For the 2011 taxable year (the credit year), the group credit using the method described in section 41(a)(1) is $10x. Under this method, A would be allocated $5x of the group credit, which would be the largest share of the group credit under this method. For the credit year, the group credit using the ASC method is $15x. Under the ASC method, C would be allocated $5x of the group credit, which is the largest share of the group credit computed using the ASC method. Because the group credit is greatest using the ASC method and C is allocated the greatest amount of credit under that method, C is the designated member. Therefore, if C makes a section 41(c)(5) election on its timely filed (including extensions) original return for the credit year, that election is binding on all members of the group for the credit year.

(c) Special rules—(1) Qualified research expenses (QREs) required in all years. Unless a taxpayer has QREs in each of the three taxable years preceding the taxable year for which the credit is being determined, the credit equals that percentage of the QREs for the taxable year provided by section 41(c)(5)(B)(ii).

(2) Section 41(c)(6) applicability. QREs for the three taxable years preceding the credit year must be determined on a basis consistent with the definition of QREs for the credit year, without regard to the law in effect for the three taxable years preceding the credit year. This consistency requirement applies even if the period for filing a claim for credit or refund has expired for any of the three taxable years preceding the credit year.

(3) Short taxable years—(i) General rule. If one or more of the three taxable years preceding the credit year is a short taxable year, then the QREs for such year are deemed to be equal to the QREs actually paid or incurred in that year multiplied by 365 and divided by the number of days in that year. If a credit year is a short taxable year, then the average QREs for the three taxable years preceding the credit year are modified by multiplying that amount by the number of days in the short taxable year and dividing the result by 365.

(ii) Limited exception. Returns filed for taxable years ending after December 31, 2006, and before June 9, 2011, and for which the period of limitations has not expired, may be amended to apply the daily calculation for short taxable years provided in paragraph (3)(i) of this section in lieu of the monthly calculation for short taxable years provided in §1.41-9T(c)(4).

(4) Controlled groups. For purposes of computing the group credit under §1.41-6, a controlled group must apply the rules of this paragraph (c) on an aggregate basis. For example, if the controlled group has QREs in each of the three taxable years preceding the taxable year for which the credit is being determined, the controlled group applies the credit computation provided by section 41(c)(5)(A) rather than section 41(c)(5)(B)(ii).

(d) Effective/applicability dates. This section is applicable for taxable years ending after June 9, 2011. For taxable years ending on or before June 9, 2011, see §1.41-9T as contained in 26 CFR part 1, revised April 1, 2011. Paragraph (b)(2) of this section applies to elections with respect to taxable years ending on or after February 27, 2015. For taxable years ending before February 27, 2015, see §1.41-9T as contained in 26 CFR part 1, revised April 1, 2015.

[T.D. 9528, 76 FR 33996, June 10, 2011, as amended by T.D. 9666, 79 FR 31864, June 3, 2014; T.D. 9712, 80 FR 10589, Feb. 27, 2015]