For businesses in multiple industries
looking to reduce Federal and State tax liability

R&D Tax Credit Services

Maximize your tax savings with specialized R&D credit services. Claim more, save more—expert support for your R&D tax credits. Our expert consultants simplify the process and ensure full compliance. Don’t leave money on the table—partner with us for reliable results.

What Is the R&D Tax Credit?

Reduce your tax burden by claiming the R&D Tax Credit—a federal incentive that rewards investment in innovation. It’s designed to reward companies that invest in innovation, whether through the development of new products, the implementation of improved processes, or the creation of software.

Save more and grow faster. The R&D Tax Credit directly reduces your taxes and is accessible to companies in nearly every sector. Even everyday problem-solving or process improvements may qualify. The R&D Tax Credit helps you reinvest in growth by turning innovation into real savings.

How to Claim the R&D Tax Credit Successfully?

The R&D Tax Credit is a valuable incentive that helps businesses reduce their tax burden on qualified research and development activities. To claim it successfully, companies must carefully document and categorize eligible expenses like wages, supplies, and contract research costs.

If you're eligible, simply file IRS Form 6765 with your tax return to claim credits for your R&D spending that year. Returns can also be amended up to three years back to claim missed credits.

Startups under five years old with under $5 million in revenue may use the R&D Tax Credit to offset payroll taxes and boost cash flow.

Working with experienced R&D tax credit specialists ensures accurate identification of qualifying activities, thorough documentation, and full IRS compliance, maximizing savings and minimizing audit risks.

With the right expertise, your business can maximize the R&D Tax Credit and channel savings back into innovation and growth.

Types of Qualifying R&D Expenditures

To successfully claim the R&D Tax Credit, it’s essential to know which expenses qualify. Typically, these include:

  • Wages: Salaries paid to employees directly involved in R&D activities, including engineers, scientists, and technicians.
  • Supplies: Materials and supplies expenses incurred in conducting research.
  • Testing and Prototyping: Costs associated with testing new products, processes, or prototypes.

Accurately tracking and categorizing these expenses ensures you maximize your eligible credit while remaining compliant with IRS requirements.

Taxpayers can select the method that offers the greatest benefit each year, depending on their unique financial situation.

The credit is claimed by filing IRS Form 6765, which includes sections tailored to each method, as well as additional sections for specific business scenarios, like small businesses that elect to apply the credit against payroll taxes.

If your tax liability isn’t sufficient to use the full credit in a given year, you may be able to carry it back one year or carry it forward for up to 20 years.

Benefits of R&D Tax Credits for Businesses

R&D Tax Credits offer powerful incentives that help businesses innovate and grow. The R&D Tax Credit helps businesses innovate while boosting financial performance. By claiming these credits, companies can:

  • Lower their tax payments at both the federal and state levels, increasing overall profitability.
  • Boost cash flow by reducing tax liabilities, freeing up funds for reinvestment.
  • Reinvest savings into further research, product development, or business expansion.
  • Stay competitive by encouraging continuous innovation and technological advancement.
  • Support workforce growth by creating and maintaining skilled jobs in research and development.
  • Carry unused credits forward or backward, maximizing the value of credits over multiple years.

Key Challenges in R&D Tax Credit Claims

Claiming the R&D Tax Credit can offer major savings, but the process is filled with technical, documentation, and compliance hurdles. Without proper understanding or support, businesses often struggle to claim the full benefit or risk IRS scrutiny.

  • Changing Tax Rules: Frequent changes in IRS guidelines and legal interpretations can impact eligibility and compliance.
  • Complex Qualification Standards: Accurately identifying qualifying R&D activities requires specialized knowledge of tax law and industry practices.
  • High Documentation Burden: Detailed records are needed for each project, including objectives, personnel involved, and the research process.
  • Tougher Requirements for Amended Returns: The IRS now asks for extensive breakdowns of qualified wages, supplies, and activities for claims on prior years.
  • Risk of Audit or Rejection: Incomplete or inaccurate claims can trigger IRS reviews and potential penalties.
  • Lack of Internal Expertise: Many companies lack in-house resources to handle technical tax credit calculations and compliance.
  • Missed Opportunities: Without expert help, businesses may under-claim or miss out on thousands in eligible credits.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the federal Research and Development Tax Credit?

The Research and Development (R&D) Tax Credit is a business incentive that can be used to reduce a company’s federal income tax liability. It is available to businesses that are engaged in the development of new or improved products, processes, software, techniques, or formulations. To qualify for this credit, taxpayers must have incurred expenses related to qualified research activities.

Why should I apply for the RD tax credit claim?

There are several benefits to claiming the R&D tax credit. These benefits include:

  • Increased cash flow and significant savings
  • Reducing your Federal taxable income rate
  • Federal and State dollar-for-dollar income tax reduction
  • Ability to claim the credit for open tax years going back 3 to 4 years

How is this credit claimed?

The R&D Tax Credit is claimed by filing it on a timely submitted tax return, which can include extensions. This credit can also be retroactively claimed on amended tax returns, typically for up to the previous three tax years. To report the credit, businesses need to complete IRS Form 6765, titled “Credit for Increasing Research Activities,” for the tax year in which the qualified expenses were incurred. For business entities such as Sub-S Corporations and LLCs, the credit is passed through to the shareholders, who then report it on their individual Schedule K-1 forms.

Is there a limit to the amount of the federal research credits that can be claimed?

There is no limitation on the amount of R&D tax credits that can be claimed each year.

Is the R&D Credit a refundable credit?

The credit is not refundable. Any Research & Development Credit that is not used to offset the taxpayer’s tax liability for the year in which the qualified research expenses were paid or incurred can be carried back one year. The remaining amount can be carried forward for up to twenty years.

Can the R&D Tax Credit be claimed for a prior year?

Yes, taxpayers can claim credits for prior tax years. They generally have three years from the original filing date to amend their tax returns. In some cases, the period available for amending may extend beyond three years.

How does the acquisition or disposition of a business entity affect the research credit computation?

Acquisitions or dispositions of trades or businesses must be accounted for when calculating the R&D tax credit, both for the base period and for the current year’s qualified expenditures. Consistency between these periods is mandated by IRC §41(c)(5). For instance, if a company acquires another entity during the current year, the R&D expenses of the acquired entity must be included in the current year’s R&D tax credit calculation. Similarly, the acquired entity’s prior R&D expenses will also need to be factored into the base period calculations.

Does the research credit provide a dollar-for-dollar cash savings of federal income tax?

Yes, a company calculates its R&D tax credit, and this credit is then directly applied against the company’s federal tax liability for the current tax year in which the credit is claimed. Any unused credits can be carried back one year and then carried forward for up to 20 years.

What is qualified research for the purpose of computing the R&D Credit?

The IRS has outlined a four-part test in the Internal Revenue Code (IRC) §41(d)(1) that taxpayers must apply to each of their business activities or components. To qualify for the R&D tax credit, all four criteria must be met. Additionally, the company conducting the research must assume the financial risk associated with the development and must also hold the rights to the research being performed.

How is the R&D Credit computed?

There are two general methods for calculating the Research Tax Credit:



  • The Regular Credit (RC) Method
  • The Alternative Simplified Credit (ASC) Method.


Both of these approaches are included on IRS Form 6765, titled “Credit for Increasing Research Activities.” Taxpayers have the option to choose either method when filing a timely tax return. However, it’s crucial to understand the unique advantages and disadvantages of each approach, especially because once a method is elected, it cannot be changed on an amended return.

How do I know if the credit will benefit my company?

The first step is to evaluate your ability to utilize the R&D tax credit. Since the credit is not refundable, you need to be paying taxes to benefit from the R&D tax credit process. Once it is determined there is sufficient tax available for your company to benefit from the credit, it is time to proceed to the next step which includes determining the qualifying research expenditures and estimating your R&D tax credit.

Our company has been manufacturing the same products for several years. We do have some new products, but how is that Research & Development?

The definition of research for R&D tax credit purposes is quite broad. If you are conducting engineering activities that are new to you as a company and there is risk associated with the success of the outcome, this may qualify as R&D.



Some examples include but are not limited to:



  • Developing new products or improving existing products
  • Experimenting with new materials
  • Building and testing prototypes and models
  • Developing new or improved software applications
  • Testing new concepts
  • Developing or improving manufacturing processes.


Any company trying to improve what they do, be more competitive, reduce costs or increase market share will likely have qualifying activities.

How much time and effort will this require from the company?

Many of our clients have this concern at the outset of the project and are surprised at how little disruption the process causes. Generally, your team would spend between 10 to 20 hours, distributed among several individuals, with each person contributing approximately 15 to 45 minutes. Clients who are well-organized and assist us with upfront planning usually find that they spend even less time on the process.

Can businesses offset payroll taxes?

Yes. For 2016 and subsequent tax years, businesses can use their R&D tax credits to offset payroll tax providing they meet the following requirements:



  • Gross receipts 1 for 5 years or less, which means total revenue returns and allowances, including all amounts received for services, income from investments, bank interest, and all other incidental or outside sources.
  • Less than $5 million in gross receipts in the year the R&D credit is claimed
  • Qualifying research activities and expenditures


Note: For a company wishing to use its 2017 R&D tax credits to offset its payroll tax in 2018, it could not have had any gross receipts prior to 2013.

When do I file?

You should file at the beginning of the year. At WeIncentivize, we can help you file your claim for the R&D Tax credit in a timely manner.

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