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 amortization expenses within the scope of R&D activities. After analysis of the opinion of the Accounting Standardization Commission by the FCT and the Operational Programs, the FCT releases 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, subject to significant technological obsolescence, SCTN entities may adopt different accounting methods: i) adjust the rate of depreciation of the equipment to its real level of usefulness, provided that it is validated by the Official Auditor (ROC) and thus recorded in the accounts; ii) define the useful life of the equipment according to its expected use, provided that it is justified on a case-by-case basis by the entity's management body and thus recorded in the accounts.

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