Abstract:Economic high-quality development requires the traditional energy enterprises in China to improve production quality and efficiency, and the R D cost pretax plus deduction is an important tax preferential policy, which promotes the traditional energy enterprises to increase their own R D investment, improves the ability of independent innovation, and speed up the transformation and upgrading of industrial structure. Based on the data of traditional energy listed companies from 2015 to 2017, the paper analyzes the incentive effect of R D expense pretax plus deduction for traditional energy enterprises. The regression analysis shows the R D cost pretax plus deduction is effectively able to encourage the traditional energy enterprises enlarging R D investment. However, the debt-paying ability, operating capacity and profitability will affect the intensity of R D investment and pretax plus deduction. Traditional energy enterprises need to improve the efficiency of production and operation, the quality of R D, and continuously promote industrial transformation and upgrading.