Your Business May Qualify for an R&D Tax Credit and Not Know It
Many U.S. businesses are doing qualifying work right now. The credit is not limited to labs or breakthrough inventions. It may apply to how you build, test, improve, and problem-solve every day.
Start a ConversationEducational and exploratory only. Not tax or legal advice.
A simple starting point
"Over the past 4 years, did your business perform activities to develop or improve products, processes, software, formulas, or techniques through trial and error aimed at eliminating technical uncertainty?"
What is the R&D Tax Credit?
Broader Than Most Business Owners Realize
The federal Research & Development Tax Credit is not reserved for scientists in labs. It applies to businesses performing technical work across a wide range of industries.
Your business may have potential qualifying activity when it is developing, designing, testing, improving, or solving technical challenges related to products, processes, formulas, systems, or software.
Many business owners have historically assumed this did not apply to them. In many cases, they were previously told they did not qualify. Those conclusions were often made without a thorough evaluation, which can lead to missed opportunities.
Common qualifying activities
Product Development
New products or reformulations involving technical uncertainty
Process Improvement
Iterative changes to manufacturing or operational processes
Software Development
Building or improving internal tools, platforms, or systems
Prototyping & Testing
Trial-and-error testing to validate designs or formulations
Design Iteration
Repeated design cycles aimed at eliminating uncertainty
Technical Problem-Solving
Custom engineering solutions for client-specific challenges
Why this matters now
Recent Expansion and Closing Windows
Two factors make this conversation more urgent than it has been in prior years.
Recent legislative and policy developments, including expansion under the One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB) in 2025, have increased relevance for a broader range of industries. Many businesses that did not qualify under prior interpretations may have activity worth reviewing today.
The retroactive lookback window is also closing. Many businesses may still be able to review prior years (typically 2022 to 2024, subject to filing timelines). Once those windows close, the opportunity to recover those amounts is permanently lost.
Lookback Windows Are Closing
If your business was innovating between 2022 and 2024, there may still be time to review those years. Waiting is not a neutral decision.
Our process
Thorough, Conservative, and Defensible
Solutions Made Simple helps businesses identify potential qualified research activities, gather the right documentation, and move through a structured review process built for credibility and compliance.
Discovery Conversation
We begin by understanding how your business operates, where uncertainty existed, what was tested, and who was involved.
Activity Review
If appropriate, we identify potential qualified research activities and map them against the credit framework with a conservative lens.
Documentation & Support
We help organize operational and financial documentation and move the case through a structured review with specialized professionals.
Get in Touch
Take 15 Minutes to Find Out if It Is Worth a Closer Look
More businesses may have qualifying activity than most initially expect. The only way to know is to start the conversation.
Request a Free Discovery CallThis is an educational and exploratory inquiry. Not a promise of qualification, eligibility, or outcome. Each case depends on the facts, the documentation, and formal review by qualified professionals. This is not tax or legal advice.