Answer: Should be charged to expense when incurred.
Step-by-step explanation:
Under the GAAP system, Research and Development costs are considered to be period costs. This includes whether or not the company did the R&D themselves or hired another company to do it or purchased their services.
Period costs are to be expensed in the period that they are incurred which is why R&D costs are to be expensed when incurred and reflected in the Income Statement.