The R&D Tax Credit is the Largest Federal Tax Incentive for Businesses
The Research and Development (R&D) tax credit encourages US companies to conduct qualified activities within the United States. Specifically, the incentive reduces the taxes of businesses who develop or improve products, processes, techniques, formulae or technologies.
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* Subject to changes based on contractor expenses utilized, raw material expenses, & rental/lease costs of computer space
** This estimate is in no way a warranty or guarantee of a realized monetary benefit due to you. This is only an estimate based on our experience with the R&D tax credit.
The R&D tax credit is a special tax incentive that recognizes businesses for developing or improving products or processes, regardless of industry. This tax credit equates to a dollar-for-dollar reduction in tax liability, and it is accepted in 38 states. Based on your qualified wages, supplies and third-party costs, the credit offers an additional source of liquidity to jump-start new development efforts. Many companies are eligible to recover significant tax overpayments while offsetting future tax liability; since, the credit can be claimed retroactively for 3 to 4 years depending on the state.
Our experts work closely with your team to maximize your credit potential every year.
Our team conducts a full analysis of your business and operations to identify qualified projects and determine what can be claimed toward the R&D credit.
Working alongside your CPA and accounting staff, we gather and review expense-related data to quantify your business's eligible benefit.
We take a deep dive into the qualifications for each project, conducting interviews and gathering documentation to verify each expense.
Once the credit is calculated and substantiated, we work with your team to facilitate a seamless tax filing process, including the preparation of an executive report and audit-related support should your claim ever be reviewed.
We partner with clients to identify existing tax credits and to recommend and implement procedural changes within your organization to help you maximize your benefit year after year.
The IRS utilizes a 4-part test to identify eligible projects. To qualify, your activities must:
Develop or improve products, business processes, or techniques
Undertake a process of experimentation or trial and error
Attempt to solve a technical uncertainty
Rely on sciences such as engineering, biology, chemistry, or computer science.
To qualify, your company does not need to make groundbreaking discoveries that change the world. Rather, your business must only resolve technical issues that are unknown for the company itself.
The IRS utilizes a 4-part test to identify eligible research. To qualify, your Research and Development activities must:
Keep more of your profits
Reduce federal and state tax liability for past, current and future years
Carry excess credits forward to offset future liabilities.
If so, you may believe your company does not qualify for the annual R&D tax credit and miss out on taking advantage of this valuable savings tool. The good news is that the R&D tax credit is available to a much wider range of industries. Here are just a few of the industries that qualify for the R&D tax credit if they are doing technical work:
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Any company that conducts qualified technical activities with an iterative trial-and-error process may be eligible for the R&D credit. Businesses in the following industries are typically eligible:
Manufacturing, processing, software, technology, engineering, product design, biotech, life sciences, aerospace, pharmaceuticals, medical device makers, and oil & gas.
If your company is in one of these industries and conducts technical activities, contact us to determine if your activities may qualify.
Many commonly-performed technical activities may qualify for the R&D tax credit beyond those of white-coat laboratories. Many businesses eligible to claim the R&D credit fail to claim it because they underestimate the scope of qualifying technical activities. Your company likely conducts qualifying technical activities if you:
There is no ceiling on the tax money your business can save by claiming the R&D tax credit. The amount of your business' R&D credits is determined by the scale and expense of your qualifying technical activities — the more you spend on R&D, the more money you can save. Most businesses save roughly 10% of their eligible R&D costs, and many large corporations save millions of dollars each year.
Expenses that may qualify for the R&D Tax Credit include employee wages or salaries, consultant fees, material/supply costs, and rented cloud server space for dedicated testing environments. The expenses must be directly related to research and development projects conducted in the USA to qualify. Expenditures made in foreign countries are not eligible.
The R&D credit is typically used to offset federal income taxes. If the credit is not fully utilized in the tax year it was generated, R&D credits can be carried backward one year to generate a tax refund. If there is still excess credit, it can then be carried forward for up to 20 years. Small startup businesses that are not profitable can potentially apply the credits toward federal payroll taxes. These Qualified Small Businesses may be eligible to offset up to $500,000 of payroll taxes each year for up to five years, or a total of $2.5 million.
Omega Accounting Solutions is not just another tax credit expert — we equip small business owners with big-business resources: empowering strategic decision-making through business intelligence, fractional accounting, and analytics. We fuel your growth with honest and insightful reports that help refine your business plan, boost efficiency, and maximize your tax credits. With significant savings in tax incentives secured for our clients nationwide, our experienced team has served a wide range of industries. Founded in 2007, Omega is committed to helping small businesses thrive.
At Omega, we don't just engage with customers, we build lasting relationships. Our team will continue to work with you year after year to recoup the maximum credit for your efforts. As an ongoing partner, we help your team create internal processes to capture all qualified expenses and offer suggestions and support to take full advantage of the R&D incentive.