R&D Tax Credit Awards Innovation

The R&D Tax Credit Rewards Innovation – Find Out If Your Business Qualifies

Designed to foster technological advancement, the federal Research and Development (R&D) Tax Credit offers generous savings to taxpayers engaged in qualified research. Due to the mistaken belief that only businesses engaged in high-tech or scientific research are eligible, this lucrative incentive—which is now a permanent part of the tax code—is often underutilized by small and medium-sized businesses. At Capital Review Group, our team of professionals focuses on helping manufacturing, engineering, petroleum companies, energy companies, architecture firms, and other eligible businesses capture the benefits of the R&D Credit (§41 of the tax code).

To be considered qualified research, an activity must satisfy each prong of a four-part test:

• Permitted Purpose: to create new or improve existing functionality of a business component

• Elimination of Uncertainty: the taxpayer must intend to discover information that would eliminate uncertainty concerning the development or improvement of the business component

• Process of Experimentation: the taxpayer must engage in some sort of systematic process, ranging from an informal trial and error process to implementation of the scientific method, designed to evaluate one or more alternatives to achieve a result where the capability or method of achieving that result is uncertain at the beginning of research activities

• Technological in Nature: the process of experimentation must fundamentally rely on principles of the physical or biological sciences, engineering, or computer science

If a business discovers that it engaged in qualified research activities during the past three years and did not claim the R&D Tax Credit, the business may file an amended return to receive a tax refund. State law may provide a longer “look back period” than the three years allowed by federal law. Due to the complexity of the requirements for claiming the R&D Credit, businesses are increasingly enlisting the help of niche tax professionals, such as Capital Review Group, to assess their research activities and help them maximize savings at both the state and federal levels.

Capital Review Group provides the expertise needed to navigate the complex requirements of the R&D Credit, freeing up time and capital for businesses to focus on what they do best: innovation.

How to Claim the R&D Credit

Claiming the R&D Credit requires information such as the following:

1. Payroll for credit year (i.e. years we are doing the credit). Please include name, title, W2 wages, hours worked and department.

2. Report of time charged to each project by each employee.

3. Report of amount paid to consultants/contractors.

4. Yearly revenue for the previous 4 years.

5. Contact information for people who can provide information about projects.

Benefit Illustration

When an architecture firm designed a new building for a local school that incorporated several energy efficiency measures, the firm needed to evaluate and test different materials and designs. Based on these qualifying R&D activities, the firm was able to save $188,000 in taxes through the R&D Credit. Read on…