R&D tax credits for growth-stage companies
You're probably eligible for R&D credits. Most companies still miss them.
TaxTaker helps founders and finance teams claim defensible R&D tax credits, cleanly, conservatively, and in sync with your CPA. Keep more cash without creating audit risk.
Audit ready documentation
CPA friendly process
Clear scope and fees
Recent client outcomes
Examples of annual credits or savings from prior claims.
SectorAI company
Recovered$275,000
SectorSaaS platform
Recovered$78,000
SectorRobotics firm
Recovered$212,000
Over $125 million claimed for our clients. Are you next?
Selected TaxTaker client companies
WHO WE HELP
You're in the right place if...
If any of these sound familiar, we can help you understand whether an R&D tax credit is worth exploring.
You pay engineers or technical contractors
You care about compliance and documentation
You build software or proprietary technology
You want a specialist to handle the credit correctly
You want to keep your CPA involved
You do not want to overpay for your credit
Billions in Credits Go Unclaimed
Why R&D credits get missed
R&D credits can be missed when no one owns the specialized work between technical teams, finance, and tax filing. A focused process helps clarify eligibility before your CPA files.
01
Assuming it's included in tax filing
Common
Companies assume that if they have a CPA, everything is covered. However, specialty incentives should always be brought up.
02
Fear of being too aggressive
Costly
Founders want certainty. Without a clear understanding of eligibility, they sometimes claim nothing.
03
Bad prior experiences
Avoidable
Some studies are rushed or overly marketed. That creates skepticism even when eligibility is obvious.
Everything you need to claim R&D credits, end to end.
Most firms charge for each phase. TaxTaker bundles the full workflow so your CPA gets clean, audit ready deliverables.
01
Eligibility and strategy
Clear fit, magnitude, and timing guidance with CPA coordination.
02
Technical R&D study
Project scoping, interviews, and conservative calculation methodology.
03
Tax execution support
Forms and memos your CPA can file confidently, plus substantiation.
04
Ongoing optimization
Multi-year planning and credit strategy as the business scales.
Outcome
What changes once R&D is handled correctly?
Most companies do real qualifying work. The credit still gets missed because no one owns the process.
Conservative documentation that holds up under review.
Less tax drag
More runway
Credits can reduce payroll or income tax exposure.
Cleaner filing
Less risk
Documentation your CPA can stand behind.
Clarity
You know what qualifies and what the credit range looks like.
Cash flow
Eligible R&D credits can reduce certain tax liabilities, helping preserve cash for operations and growth.
Confidence
Your CPA files with substantiation that is organized and defensible.
Leverage
R&D credits become a repeatable planning lever as you scale.
What clients say after claiming R&D credits
Our clients love our simple process designed to reduce disruption and increase confidence.
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Amazing customer service. Appreciate the diligence around taxes and helping us receive additional credits.
Great team to work with all around!
I had a great experience working with the Taxtaker team especially Maggie Hensley. They were able to answer all my questions and guide me on how to do things.
They rock! So attentive and helpful. They found us 35k, what's not to love.
The team is amazing to work with! Fast & super efficient!
TaxTaker is responsive, knowledgable, creative, and helpful.
The process was very efficient and the team did a great job explaining the process and executing the project.
Easy to work with, very friendly staff, clear expectations of us, good value.
Working with TaxTaker has been great for us. They were efficient and effective and got us great results. Couldn't ask for a better partner!
The TaxTaker team makes the R&D tax credit process really easy, which is something that's very important given any external-driven process can be more difficult to impact or navigate through. The communication, between timeline, expectations, and results, is excellent. And I truly enjoy the people. Everyone involved is nice to work with - personable while professional and engaging.
The team at TaxTaker is amazing. At each step from introduction to tax filing, they provided us exactly what we needed and took up very little of our time. All rapidly growing technology companies should contact TaxTaker. You will be very happy you did.
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As a Founder and CEO, my bandwidth is limited but cash is king. I appreciate that TaxTaker makes the tax credit process simple and low maintenance. The payroll integration is a great service and the platform is quick and easy. It's great to access the credit and manage cash flow.
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The process with the team was super easy, and they were diligent about staying on top of our refund with the IRS, which ultimately returned over $100k to my company. Thank you so much for your help!
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PARTNER NETWORK
We also work with partners to serve their clients
Accounting firms, VCs, and fractional CFOs trust TaxTaker as their dedicated R&D tax credit specialist. Expand your offerings without adding overhead.
Additional incentives we support
R&D is our core focus. These are additive when timing is right.
Section 179D
Energy-efficient commercial building deduction support when relevant for your projects.
Explore Section 179D →Texas film incentives
Guidance for film and media productions pursuing Texas incentives.
Explore Texas film incentives →Energy tax incentives
Additional federal and local incentives related to energy and construction.
Explore investment tax credits →Curious if you are missing out on credits?
Start with a quick eligibility check. If it looks promising, we move to a light info request and one technical interview.
No pressure. CPA friendly.
Thank you for your interest in TaxTaker!
Frequently asked questions
No hard sell, ever. We only want to work with you if it's a fit.
The Research & Development (R&D) Tax Credit is a federal incentive that rewards companies for developing new or improved products, software, processes, or technologies. Businesses can reduce their tax liability based on qualified research expenses such as engineering wages, contractor costs, and development materials.
The credit is governed by Internal Revenue Code Section 41 and administered by the IRS.
https://www.irs.gov/businesses/research-credit
Yes. Startups can claim the R&D tax credit even if they are not profitable.
Qualified startups may apply the credit against payroll taxes instead of income taxes. This allows companies to offset employer payroll tax liability for several years while they are still investing heavily in product development.
This provision was created to help early-stage companies reinvest in innovation.
Activities typically qualify for the R&D tax credit if they involve:
• Developing or improving software, products, or manufacturing processes
• Solving technical challenges or engineering uncertainty
• Designing prototypes or testing new concepts
• Conducting experimentation to improve performance or functionality
The IRS evaluates qualifying work using a four-part test that measures technological uncertainty and experimentation.
Qualified Research Expenses (QREs) typically include:
• Wages for engineers, developers, and technical employees
• Payments to technical contractors performing research
• Materials used in prototype development or testing
• Certain cloud computing costs used in development
These costs must be directly connected to qualifying research activities.
Yes. Companies can usually claim missed R&D credits for up to three prior tax years by amending their tax returns.
Many businesses discover they qualified for credits years before they first claimed them.
No. The R&D tax credit is a permanent part of the U.S. tax code.
However, the IRS requires proper documentation of qualifying projects and expenses. Working with specialists helps ensure the credit is calculated and documented correctly. If you amend your tax return to include the R&D tax credit, a review of the incentive should be expected.
The R&D credit requires both tax expertise and technical evaluation of engineering or development work.
Most accounting firms do not conduct detailed technical interviews, project analysis, or documentation required for a defensible claim. Specialized firms help identify qualifying activities, calculate credits, and prepare documentation for tax filings.
Yes. Software companies frequently qualify for the R&D credit.
Activities such as building new software products, developing algorithms, improving system architecture, or creating new platform features may qualify if the work involves technical experimentation or engineering challenges.
SaaS companies, AI companies, and technology startups often generate significant credits.
Section 179D is a federal tax deduction that rewards energy-efficient commercial buildings.
Building owners or designers can receive deductions when improvements to lighting, HVAC systems, or the building envelope reduce energy consumption compared to baseline standards.
IRS guidance can be found here.
The Texas Moving Image Industry Incentive Program (TMIIIP) provides cash rebates to qualifying productions that spend money in Texas.
Eligible projects include film, television, commercials, animation, and video game development. Productions can receive a percentage of qualified Texas spending back as a rebate.
Official information is available through the Texas Film Commission.
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