R&D Tax Credit

The IRS recently announced several notable changes to the process of claiming the R&D Tax Credit, announcing welcome reductions to requirements for filing amended R&D Credit claims and reduced requirements for the proposed Form 6765. In response to feedback, the IRS has revised the draft Form 6765 and has also waived some of the requirements for refund claims. These changes aim to reduce taxpayer burden while maintaining an improved level of information received for tax administration. The revised Section G of Form 6765 will also be optional for all filers for tax year 2024 and will become effective for tax year 2025....

The recent MBJ v. Commissioner ruling highlights the important role of contract language in determining eligibility for Research and Development (R&D) Credits. MBJ, a structural engineering firm, had $190,000 in credits disallowed due to inadequate contract language. Although MBJ's contracts allowed for phase inspections and termination for substantial failure to perform, they lacked explicit provisions making payments contingent on the success of R&D efforts or refunding payments if the client found the work deficient. ...

A recent Tax Court ruling in S Moore v. Commissioner serves as a reminder of the important role documentation plays in supporting claims for research credits. In this case, the Tax Court disallowed a tax credit for research expenses claimed by a married couple due to inadequate documentation....

On Thursday, March 21, the Senate Finance Committee held a hearing on the Biden 2025 Budget Proposal, questioning Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on various aspects of the proposed budget, with many members noting concern about the proposed increase of the corporate tax rate and aspects of the budget that would have a negative impact on various American manufacturing industries. After weeks of silence from the Senate, many members of the committee stated their desire to see the tax bill (H.R. 7024) passed while urging Yellen and the administration for more aggressive incentivization of R&D in the US, which falls short in incentivizing R&D when compared to countries, specifically China....

The proposed Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act of 2024 changes the period for when companies must start the five-year period for the deduction of research and experimental expenditures from tax years beginning after December 31, 2021, to tax years beginning after December 31, 2025....

On September 8, 2023, the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) and Department of the Treasury (“Treasury”) released an advance version of Notice 2023-63. This Notice provides interim guidance intended to clarify the amortization and capitalization of specified research and experimental (“SRE”) expenditures under Section 174, amended by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) in 2017. Proposed regulations provide rules consistent with the guidance for tax years ending after September 8, 2023. Until those regulations are provided, tax professionals can rely on interim guidance....