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10/12/2022

Inflation Reduction Act More Than Doubles R&D Tax Credit for Qualified Companies

The law's credits offset payroll taxes

When President Joe Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) into law in August, most of the headlines covered the law’s climate change and health care provisions. But the law also enhances an often-overlooked federal tax break for qualifying small businesses.

The IRA more than doubles the amount a qualified business can potentially claim as a research and development (R&D) tax credit to offset its payroll tax for tax years starting after 2022, to a maximum of $2.5 million over five years. The credit allows a qualified business to leverage the substantial R&D tax benefit even if it has little to no income tax liability, potentially freeing up significant cash flow.

Background on the Pre-IRA Credit
The Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes (PATH) Act created a permanent incentive for eligible start-up companies to pursue R&D activities within the United States. The Section 41 tax credit for qualifying in-house and contract research activities already existed, but early-stage companies that hadn’t yet incurred income tax liability couldn’t take advantage of it.

Please select this link to read the complete article from OSAP Strategic Partner Clark Schaefer Hackett (CSH).

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