Educating Clients on Section 174: A Guide for CPAs
Understanding Section 174 and Its Impact Section 174 of the Internal Revenue Code governs the treatment of Specified Research or Experimental (SRE) expenditures. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) of 2017 amended Section 174, requiring businesses to amortize SRE expenditures over time rather than deducting them in full in the year incurred. For tax years beginning after December 31, 2021, companies must amortize: Domestic SRE expenditures over five years Foreign SRE expenditures over fifteen years Understanding this change is