Can you stack Nova Scotia Research and Development Tax Credit and Scientific Research and Experimental Development (SR&ED) Tax Credit?
Yes. Nova Scotia Research and Development Tax Credit and Scientific Research and Experimental Development (SR&ED) Tax Credit can be combined. They fund different things, so the trick is simple: apply to each separately and never claim the same dollar twice.
Nova Scotia Research and Development Tax Credit
A fully refundable provincial credit worth 15% of research and development spending done in Nova Scotia. It applies to the same expenditures that qualify for the federal scientific research program, so businesses already filing federal R&D claims can layer this on top. The credit applies first against provincial taxes owing and any remainder is refunded.
Scientific Research and Experimental Development (SR&ED) Tax Credit
Canada's largest federal innovation incentive, run by the CRA. It reimburses a share of eligible R&D salaries, materials, and contractor costs as an investment tax credit: a 35% refundable credit for qualifying Canadian-controlled private corporations and 15% for other businesses, on eligible expenditures. Claimed on federal Form T661, it has a hard 18-month filing window from fiscal year-end. Most provinces add a stackable R&D credit on top.
How to stack them
- 01Confirm you meet each program's eligibility on its own. Nova Scotia Research and Development Tax Credit and Scientific Research and Experimental Development (SR&ED) Tax Credit are assessed separately.
- 02Apply to each program through its own application. There is no combined form.
- 03Allocate distinct costs to each program. You cannot claim the same dollar of expense under both, but you can fund different parts of the same project.
- 04Track both deadlines and keep the paperwork separated, so each claim stands on its own.
Stacking rules vary by program and change over time. Confirm the current rules with each program, or take the quiz and we will flag the combinations you qualify for.