You may be more eligible than you think to claim expenses against the lucrative R&D tax credit.
Please be advised that information in this article is for educational purposes only. Nothing within this article should be consider tax or legal advice. Should you have questions regarding your eligibility, our team of tax professionals are available for an individual consultation to address your unique circumstances. Information for this article has been obtained primarily from www.IRS.gov as well as from www.uschamber.com.
It’s a common misconception that the IRS research and development (R&D) tax credit is only available to researchers and scientists. In reality, this tax credit offers a great opportunity for small businesses to reduce their tax liability.
What is the R&D tax credit?
The R&D Tax Credit, as prescribed in 26 U.S.C. § 41, (www.irs.gov) may be claimed by taxpaying businesses that develop, design or improve products, processes, formulas or software. The credit was introduced in 1981 to increase technical jobs in America by encouraging businesses to invest in innovation. The credit is calculated based on the wages of the employees that are performing the qualifying work, making it the most valuable tax incentive available to businesses.
However, what constitutes Research and Development with regard to the credit is much more expansive than business owners realize, with activities related to applied sciences and other technical projects qualifying companies from numerous industries.
The R&D Tax Credit is for businesses of all sizes, not just major corporations with research labs – and many companies are eligible, with an expansive list of activities qualifying for the credit.
The truth is that qualifying for the credit is not complex. Your company simply needs to be working to improve a product or process here in the U.S. There are a number of qualifying research activities (QRAs) that apply to thousands of businesses, including small and mid-sized, in countless industries.”
Statistics relate that less than 3 in 10 businesses who qualify for the credit actually claim it, while virtually every large company makes the claim. Quite often small businesses leave significant amounts of money on the table because of common misconceptions related to qualifying.
Is it worthwhile to take the time to discern what parts of your business operations could apply toward this credit?
Due to numerous modifications and expansions over the years, more companies than ever before can benefit from this valuable incentive.
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