Describe the technical work
Discuss development projects, technical obstacles, and experimentation. Identify who was involved and when the work took place.
02 / R&D TAX CREDITS
Your next innovation.
A credit worth exploring.
R&D tax credits start with the work a business does to develop or improve products, processes, and software. Tax Prep Advocates helps turn that conversation into a specialist review.
R&D FIRSTDOCUMENTATION MATTERSSPECIALIST REVIEW
Explore all five solutions Start with the work.Explore qualifying activities, review the records, and ask the right questions.
DREAMS.TAX / TAX PREP ADVOCATES / YOUR NEXT POSSIBILITYR&D tax creditsResearch, development & improvement
Specialist supportCoordinate with the business and its CPA
FICA tip creditA separate path for eligible tipped businesses
TAX PREP ADVOCATES / R&D IN FOCUS
Innovation can happen
far beyond the laboratory.
A review starts with the activities, technical challenges, and records behind a business’s development work. An industry label alone does not establish eligibility.
RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT
What did the business
try to make better?
New or improved products. More capable software. A process that needed testing. The important conversation is about what the team attempted, what was uncertain, and how it evaluated possible solutions.
Start an R&D reviewConnect the supporting records
Project records, payroll details, supplies, and contract research may inform a review. Provide sensitive records directly through the specialist’s process.
Bring the right people together
Connect the business owner, technical team, CPA, and R&D specialist. The review determines whether a claim is supportable.
Eligibility, qualified expenses, filing periods, and credit calculations require a business-specific review under current tax rules. Explore the Tax Prep Advocates R&D program ↗
Supplied R&D program overview. Current eligibility, allowable expenses, filing periods, and provider terms require business-specific review.
Download graphicTHE R&D RESOURCE SHELF
Learn the story.
Prepare the conversation.
Use the 2026 R&D presentation as a discussion resource, then bring business-specific questions to the Tax Prep Advocates team.
PPTX2026 PRESENTATION · PPTX · 28.4 MB
R&D Tax Credits — 2026
The complete supplied R&D presentation, including the program introduction and examples. View all 25 slides in your browser, or download the original PowerPoint.
PREPARE / DISCUSS / REVIEW
Make the introduction
with confidence.
Start with the company’s development work. Gather a clear description of the projects and introduce the appropriate specialist for next steps.
Learn the basics
Review the deck before your first business conversation.
Ask about the work
Focus on improvements, uncertainty, and testing.
Arrange a review
Use the dedicated R&D link to begin the provider’s process.
THE INTERACTIVE R&D OVERVIEW
Tax Prep Advocates:
iDecide Interactive Overview
Explore the Tax Prep Advocates R&D presentation at your own pace.
Launch the interactive overviewA SECOND TAX CREDIT CONVERSATION
Tipped employees?
Explore the FICA tip credit.
For businesses with eligible reported tips, a separate review can examine the employer’s tip-related Social Security and Medicare tax credit.
THE DEDICATED PROGRAM
FICA Tip Credit
Review the current program and connect with the team about industry eligibility, reported tips, and supporting records.
ExploreMEET THE TEAM
Tax Prep Advocates
Explore the provider’s services and bring your R&D and FICA questions to the appropriate specialist.
ExploreSupplied educational graphic. Illustrative figures and industry examples are not an eligibility determination. Applicable industries, dates, wage thresholds, and filing periods must be confirmed for the business.
Download graphicDoes ordinary business activity automatically qualify for R&D credits?
No. A specialist must review the actual development activities, technical uncertainty, experimentation, expenses, and documentation against the applicable rules.
Are the R&D and FICA tip credit programs the same?
They are separate tax-credit conversations with different eligibility and documentation requirements. Use the dedicated program link for the business’s situation.
Where should tax returns and payroll information go?
Provide sensitive records directly through the provider’s approved process. This hub does not collect or store tax returns or payroll files.
YOUR NEXT MEANINGFUL ACTION
Start with the company’s development work.
One clear introduction can get the R&D review moving.