SR&ED Statistics
SR&ED statistics: what five years of CRA data show
In its 2025-26 fiscal year, the CRA received 24,160 SR&ED claims and allowed $4.6 billion in tax credits. Both numbers have gone up every year since 2021-22. Here is the program in numbers, straight from the CRA, with every figure linked to its source.
By Harminder Singh · Updated October 20, 2026
SR&ED in 2025-26 at a glance
The CRA reports by its own fiscal year, April 1 to March 31, not by your tax year. So 2025-26 covers claims the CRA received or processed between April 1, 2025 and March 31, 2026. Some claims processed in a year were filed the year before.
- claims filed
- 24,160
- in credits allowed
- $4.6 billion
- accepted as filed
- 90%
- denied
- 4%
Source: CRA, SR&ED annual program statistics, April 1, 2025 to March 31, 2026.
Is the SR&ED program growing?
Yes, on both counts. Claims filed rose from 20,332 in 2021-22 to 24,160 in 2025-26, about 19% more. Credits allowed grew faster, from $3.3 billion to $4.6 billion, about 39% more. So the average claim got bigger too.
Dividing credits allowed by claims processed gives roughly $194,000 per processed claim in 2025-26, up from about $162,000 in 2021-22. That's our arithmetic on the CRA's rounded totals, not a CRA figure, and an average hides a wide spread: a few large claims pull it up.
Claims filed per year
- 2021-2220,332
- 2022-2320,464
- 2023-2421,524
- 2024-2522,758
- 2025-2624,160
Credits allowed per year
- 2021-22$3.3B
- 2022-23$3.6B
- 2023-24$4.2B
- 2024-25$4.5B
- 2025-26$4.6B
| Fiscal year | Filed | Processed | Claimed | Allowed | Refundable share |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-22 | 20,332 | 20,317 | $3.4B | $3.3B | 58% |
| 2022-23 | 20,464 | 20,079 | $3.8B | $3.6B | 57% |
| 2023-24 | 21,524 | 21,537 | $4.4B | $4.2B | 57% |
| 2024-25 | 22,758 | 22,738 | $4.7B | $4.5B | 58% |
| 2025-26 | 24,160 | 23,677 | $4.9B | $4.6B | 59% |
Source: CRA, SR&ED annual program statistics. Dollar figures are SR&ED investment tax credits as the CRA reports them. Claims processed in a year can include claims filed in an earlier year, so processed can be higher than filed. The CRA notes its figures come from its case management system and may not match its assessing systems exactly.
What is the SR&ED approval rate?
About 90% of processed claims are accepted exactly as filed, and it has been that way for five years. Another 6% are accepted after the CRA changes them; the statistics don't say what was changed. Only 3 to 4% are denied.
The 6% is the number to watch. A claim that's accepted with changes still earns a credit, usually less than you asked for. We cover what drives each outcome in the SR&ED approval rate and what happens in a CRA review.
| Fiscal year | Accepted as filed | Accepted with changes | Denied | Accepted-as-filed claims done in 60 days | Reviewed refundable claims done in 180 days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-22 | 91% | 6% | 3% | 98% | 98% |
| 2022-23 | 91% | 6% | 4% | 94% | 95% |
| 2023-24 | 91% | 6% | 3% | 92.6% | 94.1% |
| 2024-25 | 90% | 6% | 4% | 95.2% | 90% |
| 2025-26 | 90% | 6% | 4% | 95% | 92.5% |
Source: CRA, SR&ED annual program statistics. In 2022-23 the shares add to 101% because of rounding.
Which fields get the most SR&ED credits?
Software development, by far. It took 42.6% of the credits allowed in 2025-26, three times the next field. Four fields (software, medical sciences, mechanical and electrical engineering) together took 82.8%.
Share of credits allowed by field of science, 2025-26
- Software development42.6%
- Medical sciences and engineering14.2%
- Mechanical engineering13.5%
- Electrical engineering12.5%
- Materials engineering4.6%
- Chemistry or chemical engineering4.4%
- Earth sciences (environmental)4.0%
- Agricultural sciences2.2%
- Food processing1.3%
- Civil engineering0.6%
How the top four fields changed over five years
Software's share grew almost 7 points. Electrical engineering peaked at 21.0% in 2022-23 and has fallen every year since, to 12.5%. Mechanical engineering held steady at 12 to 15%. The CRA doesn't say why the shares moved. Because the total grew about 39%, a steady share still means more dollars: by our arithmetic, mechanical engineering's 13.5% of $4.6 billion is about $620 million, against about $480 million in 2021-22. Electrical engineering's share fell far enough that its dollars stayed roughly flat, at just under $600 million.
| Field | 2021-22 | 2022-23 | 2023-24 | 2024-25 | 2025-26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Software development | 35.7% | 34.9% | 39.3% | 40.8% | 42.6% |
| Electrical engineering | 18.0% | 21.0% | 15.6% | 13.6% | 12.5% |
| Mechanical engineering | 14.5% | 13.6% | 12.3% | 12.8% | 13.5% |
| Medical sciences and engineering | 11.5% | 11.7% | 11.6% | 13.1% | 14.2% |
Source: CRA, SR&ED annual program statistics. Field of science is how the claim describes the work, not the claimant's industry. A manufacturer can file software or mechanical engineering work.
Do small businesses claim SR&ED?
Small businesses file most of the claims. Companies with gross income under $4 million filed 65% of processed claims in 2025-26. They received 33% of the credits. Companies over $250 million filed 3% of claims and received 22% of the credits, so the average large-company claim is many times bigger.
The split has hardly changed in five years: 64 to 65% of claims and 32 to 33% of credits for the smallest group every year. If you run a small company and think SR&ED is for big firms, the data says the opposite. To see what your claim could be worth, try the SR&ED calculator.
| Gross income | Share of claims | Share of credits allowed |
|---|---|---|
| Under $4 million | 65% | 33% |
| $4 million to $20 million | 20% | 23% |
| $20 million to $250 million | 12% | 22% |
| Over $250 million | 3% | 22% |
Source: CRA, SR&ED annual program statistics, 2025-26. The CRA groups businesses by gross income, not by headcount.
What about SR&ED by industry?
The CRA publishes industry data separately, by tax year and by broad industry sector. The latest edition covers tax years up to 2021. In 2021:
- 18,880 corporations reported $16.017 billion of qualified SR&ED spending.
- 5,260 of them were manufacturers, with $4.484 billion of that spending. That's down from 6,620 manufacturers in 2015.
- 7,240 were professional, scientific and technical services firms, with $6.239 billion.
The CRA doesn't break manufacturing down further, so there's no official count of, say, machine builders who claim. For what the rules look like in each industry, see SR&ED by industry.
Source: CRA T2 SR&ED statistics, 2015-2021 edition, table 2A (all tables). Counts are rounded to the nearest 10. These are tax-year counts from corporate returns, so they don't line up with the fiscal-year claim counts above.
What the numbers mean if you're claiming
This part is our read of the data, and it's ours, not the CRA's.
4% of claims were denied in 2025-26, and 6% were trimmed. Denial is rare; getting cut is the real risk. A trimmed claim still earns a credit, just a smaller one. Records made while the work happens, showing what was uncertain and what you tested, are the best defence against a trim.
More claims means more competition for the CRA's attention. Claims are up about 19% since 2021-22. The CRA still meets its 90% service-standard targets, but the share of reviewed refundable claims done within 180 days fell from 98% in 2021-22 to 92.5% in 2025-26, after a low of 90% in 2024-25. A clear, well-documented claim is easier to get through.
Software leads, but it isn't the whole program. More than half the credits go to other fields. If you build machines, controls or products, the program is just as much for you. Start with SR&ED for manufacturers or SR&ED for software companies.
Small companies are the program's core. Nearly two in three claims come from businesses under $4 million. For a Canadian-controlled private corporation, the enhanced 35% credit on up to $6 million of spending a year is often the reason SR&ED is worth doing. The SR&ED guide explains the rates.
Where Glauq fits. Glauq builds the SR&ED record from the files and tools your team already uses, while the work happens, so the evidence a reviewer asks for already exists. An independent SR&ED expert reviews every claim before it's filed, and we help you answer CRA questions.
Use these numbers
You're welcome to use the charts and tables on this page in articles, reports or client notes. Please link to this page and to the CRA source. We update it when the CRA publishes a new year.
Glauq, "SR&ED statistics: five years of CRA data," glauq.com/sred-statistics, updated October 20, 2026. Source data: Canada Revenue Agency, SR&ED annual program statistics.
SR&ED statistics: frequently asked questions
How many SR&ED claims are filed each year?
24,160 in the CRA's 2025-26 fiscal year (April 1, 2025 to March 31, 2026), up from 20,332 in 2021-22. The number has gone up every year in the CRA's published five-year series.
What percentage of SR&ED claims are approved?
In 2025-26 the CRA accepted 90% of processed claims as filed, accepted 6% after changes and denied 4%. Those three numbers have barely moved in five years: 90 to 91% as filed, 6% changed, 3 to 4% denied.
Which field gets the most SR&ED credits?
Software development, by a wide margin: 42.6% of the investment tax credits the CRA allowed in 2025-26. Next were medical sciences and engineering (14.2%), mechanical engineering (13.5%) and electrical engineering (12.5%).
How much does the SR&ED program pay out?
The CRA allowed $4.6 billion of investment tax credits in 2025-26, on $4.9 billion claimed. 59% of the credits allowed were refundable, meaning they can be paid out in cash rather than only reducing tax owed.
Do small businesses get SR&ED credits?
Yes. Businesses with gross income under $4 million filed 65% of processed claims in 2025-26 and received 33% of the credits allowed. Large businesses, over $250 million, filed 3% of claims and received 22% of the credits.
How long does the CRA take to process an SR&ED claim?
For claims accepted as filed during workload selection, the CRA processed 95% within 60 days in 2025-26. For refundable claims selected for service or review, it processed 92.5% within 180 days.
Will your work be in next year's SR&ED numbers?
Check whether your projects qualify in a few minutes, or estimate what the credit could be worth.