Amortization of Scientific and Technical Equipment

(available only in Portuguese)

The FCT has been promoting initiatives to establish a more appropriate context for accounting for equipment depreciation expenses in the context of R&D activities. After analyzing the opinion of the Accounting Standardization Commission by the FCT and the Operational Programs, the FCT has issued a clarification on the accounting policy applicable to scientific and technical equipment, addressing the issues raised by the institutions.

Considering that,in order to be competitive and innovative, research must be supported by state-of-the-art equipment, which is subject to rapid technological obsolescence, SCTNentities may adopt different accounting methods: i) adjust the rate of depreciation of the equipment to its actual level of usefulness, provided that this is validated by the Statutory Auditor (ROC) and recorded in the accounts ii) define the useful life of the equipment according to its expected use, provided that this is justified on a case-by-case basis by the entity's management body and recorded in the accounts.

This clarification, which can be consulted here, will also be the subject of Technical Guidance by the Portugal 2020 Operational Programs.