Form 6765

Department of the Treasury 

Internal Revenue Service

Credit for Increasing Research Activities

▶ Attach to your tax return.

▶ Go to www.irs.gov/Form6765 for instructions and the latest information.

OMB No. 1545-0619

Attachment 

Sequence No. 81

(Rev. December 2017) 

Name(s) shown on return Identifying number

Section A—Regular Credit. Skip this section and go to Section B if you are electing or previously elected (and are not revoking) the

alternative simplified credit.

1 Certain amounts paid or incurred to energy consortia (see instructions) . . . . . . . . . 1 

2 Basic research payments to qualified organizations (see instructions) . 2 

3 Qualified organization base period amount . . . . . . . . . . 3 

4 Subtract line 3 from line 2. If zero or less, enter -0- . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 

5 Wages for qualified services (do not include wages used in figuring the

work opportunity credit) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 

6 Cost of supplies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 

7 Rental or lease costs of computers (see instructions) . . . . . . 7 

8 Enter the applicable percentage of contract research expenses. See 

instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 

9 Total qualified research expenses. Add lines 5 through 8 . . . . . 9 

10 Enter fixed-base percentage, but not more than 16% (0.16) (see instructions) 10 % 

11 Enter average annual gross receipts. See instructions . . . . . . 11 

12 Multiply line 11 by the percentage on line 10 . . . . . . . . . 12 

13 Subtract line 12 from line 9. If zero or less, enter -0- . . . . . . . 13 

14 Multiply line 9 by 50% (0.50) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 

15 Enter the smaller of line 13 or line 14 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 

16 Add lines 1, 4, and 15 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 

17 Are you electing the reduced credit under section 280C? ▶

If “Yes,” multiply line 16 by 13% (0.13). If “No,” multiply line 16 by 20% (0.20) and see the

instructions for the statement that must be attached. Members of controlled groups or businesses

under common control: see instructions for the statement that must be attached . . . . . .

Yes No

17 

Section B—Alternative Simplified Credit. Skip this section if you are completing Section A.

18 Certain amounts paid or incurred to energy consortia (see the line 1 instructions) . . . . . . 18 

19 Basic research payments to qualified organizations (see the line 2 

instructions) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 

20 Qualified organization base period amount (see the line 3 instructions) . 20

21 Subtract line 20 from line 19. If zero or less, enter -0- . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

22 Add lines 18 and 21 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 

23 Multiply line 22 by 20% (0.20) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

24 Wages for qualified services (do not include wages used in figuring the

work opportunity credit) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 

25 Cost of supplies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

26 Rental or lease costs of computers (see the line 7 instructions) . . . 26 

27 Enter the applicable percentage of contract research expenses. See the

line 8 instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 

28 Total qualified research expenses. Add lines 24 through 27 . . . . 28

29 Enter your total qualified research expenses for the prior 3 tax years. If

you had no qualified research expenses in any one of those years, skip

lines 30 and 31 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 

30 Divide line 29 by 6.0 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

31 Subtract line 30 from line 28. If zero or less, enter -0- . . . . . . 31

32 Multiply line 31 by 14% (0.14). If you skipped lines 30 and 31, multiply line 28 by 6% (0.06) . . . 32 

For Paperwork Reduction Act Notice, see separate instructions. Cat. No. 13700H Form 6765 (Rev. 12-2017)
Form 6765 (Rev. 12-2017) Page 2 

Section B—Alternative Simplified Credit (continued)

33 Add lines 23 and 32 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

34 Are you electing the reduced credit under section 280C? ▶

If “Yes,” multiply line 33 by 65% (0.65). If “No,” enter the amount from line 33 and see the line 17 

instructions for the statement that must be attached. Members of controlled groups or businesses

under common control: see instructions for the statement that must be attached . . . . . .

Yes No

34 

Section C—Current Year Credit

35 Enter the portion of the credit from Form 8932, line 2, that is attributable to wages that were also 

used to figure the credit on line 17 or line 34 (whichever applies) . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 

36 Subtract line 35 from line 17 or line 34 (whichever applies). If zero or less, enter -0-. . . . . . 36

37 Credit for increasing research activities from partnerships, S corporations, estates, and trusts . . 37 

38 Add lines 36 and 37 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

• Estates and trusts, go to line 39.

• Partnerships and S corporations not electing the payroll tax credit, stop here and report this 

amount on Schedule K.

• Partnerships and S corporations electing the payroll tax credit, complete Section D and report on 

Schedule K the amount on this line reduced by the amount on line 44.

• Eligible small businesses, stop here and report the credit on Form 3800, Part III, line 4i. See 

instructions for the definition of eligible small business.

• Filers other than eligible small businesses, stop here and report the credit on Form 3800, Part III, 

line 1c.

Note: Qualified small business filers, other than partnerships and S corporations, electing the payroll 

tax credit must complete Form 3800 before completing Section D.

39 Amount allocated to beneficiaries of the estate or trust (see instructions) . . . . . . . . . 39

40 Estates and trusts, subtract line 39 from line 38. For eligible small businesses, report the credit on

Form 3800, Part III, line 4i. See instructions. For filers other than eligible small businesses, report 

the credit on Form 3800, Part III, line 1c . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

Section D—Qualified Small Business Payroll Tax Election and Payroll Tax Credit. Skip this section if the payroll tax election does 

not apply. See instructions.

41 Check this box if you are a qualified small business electing the payroll tax credit. See instructions 

42 Enter the portion of line 36 elected as a payroll tax credit (do not enter more than $250,000). See 

instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

43 General business credit carryforward from the current year (see instructions). Partnerships and 

S corporations skip this line and go to line 44 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

44 Partnerships and S corporations, enter the smaller of line 36 or line 42. All others, enter the smallest 

of line 36, line 42, or line 43. Enter here and on the applicable line of Form 8974, Part 1, column (e). 

Members of controlled groups or businesses under common control: see instructions for the 

statement that must be attached . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

Form 6765 (Rev. 12-2017)