The R&D tax credit is one of the most misunderstood areas of tax for growing companies. Many businesses have heard of it, but are still unsure what qualifies, how it works, or what it takes to claim it properly.
I’m Chris Peters, founder of R&D Tax Advisors, and I help businesses understand, document, and claim R&D tax credits clearly and correctly.
On this channel, you’ll find practical guidance to help you understand the credit more clearly, make smarter decisions, and avoid mistakes that can create problems later.
Before You Trust R&D Tax Credit Software, Do This - Episode 12
AI R&D Tax Credit Tools vs. Defensible Studies: 5 Questions to Ask Before You File (Form 6765) The episode explains that R&D tax credit software and AI tools can quickly organize financial data and produce a rough estimate, but often fail to justify why costs qualify or to provide the documentation the IRS increasingly expects, especially with evolving business-component-level reporting on Form 6765. It contrasts a simple software output with a holistic credit study that includes form...
20 Jul 2026
What Counts Toward the R&D Tax Credit in 2026? - Episode 11
Does Your Software Work Qualify for the R&D Tax Credit? Use the Count/Review/Cut Buckets This episode explains that the question “Does our work qualify for the R&D tax credit?” is too vague and should be replaced by sorting work and spend into three buckets: count, review, and cut. Using a US software team example, he emphasizes qualifying is based on activities tied to specific business components (projects) involving technical uncertainty and experimentation—not job titles—so engine...
13 Jul 2026
Before You File an R&D Credit in 2026, Check These 4 Rules - Episode 10
Section 174 vs. Section 41: The 4 “Lanes” to Plan Your 2025 R&D Tax Credit (and Section G + Payroll Election) The episode explains that recent changes to Section 174 (deduction timing for research expenditures) are often confused with Section 41 (the R&D tax credit), causing missed tax planning and cash flow issues. It outlines four “lanes” for the 2025 filing season: (1) Section 174 deductions—domestic R&E is currently deductible again for tax years beginning after Dec. 31, 2024 ...
6 Jul 2026
7 R&D Credit Flags Your CPA Should Catch Before Filing - Episode 09
7 R&D Tax Credit Red Flags to Check Before You File (Plus 1 Bonus Most Miss) The biggest risk with the R&D tax credit is not claiming it, but being able to support it, and provides a one-page checklist of seven red flags plus a bonus issue. I describe a case where a company received a clean-looking R&D form but never filed it properly for the payroll offset, leaving about $200,000 unclaimed. Key flags include failing to map business components separately for the four-part test, in...
30 Jun 2026
The R&D Tax Credit Is Hard Until You Build Documentation Like This - Episode 08
The 3-Folder R&D Tax Credit Documentation System (Built for IRS Audits + Form 6765 Section G) The episode explains why many R&D tax credit studies fail audit scrutiny because they produce only a form number without substantiating documentation or coordination with the company CPA, using a pre-revenue tech company example where a $50,000 “study” delivered $0 benefit and missed a true ~$150,000 credit by understating qualified wages. It introduces a simple three-folder (or tag) system b...
23 Jun 2026
Give Me 20 Minutes, And I'll Tell You If Your 510 Engineer Team Probably Qualifies - Episode 07
R&D Tax Credit for Small Engineering Teams: The 4-Part Test, 3 Layers, and Top Disqualifiers The episode explains how founders with 5–10 person engineering teams often miss six-figure R&D tax credits by using their own definition of R&D instead of the IRS’s four-part test: permitted purpose, technological in nature, technical uncertainty, and process of experimentation. It recommends auditing the top five engineering projects with a short write-up to see which qualify, then estima...
17 Jun 2026
You're Not Too Early - How Pre-Revenue Startups Use the R&D Credit - Episode 06
Pre-Revenue Founders: Don’t Wait—Claim the R&D Tax Credit as a Payroll Tax Refund (5-5-5 Rule) The episode explains why pre-revenue startups with small US engineering teams should consider claiming the R&D tax credit now instead of waiting for profitability. It describes a special election that allows qualifying startups to apply the credit against payroll (FICA) taxes for the first five years, turning it into a quarterly refund rather than an income-tax-only benefit. It introduces th...
4 Jun 2026
If I Wanted to Claim My Startup's R&D Tax Credit in 2026, I'd Do This - Episode 05
How to Claim the R&D Tax Credit for Your Startup in 2026 (Step-by-Step + Avoid Costly Mistakes) The episode explains how an early-stage engineering startup can claim the R&D tax credit in 2026 and set up a repeatable process to capture it every year. It emphasizes starting by understanding the business and mapping day-to-day work to the IRS definition, then listing projects in plain English, reviewing the team (W-2 vs contractors, U.S. location rules, and supplies), and pulling basic ...
2 Jun 2026
What the IRS Actually Looks For in an R&D Tax Credit Claim - Episode 04
New IRS Form 6765 (Section G): How to Build an Audit-Ready R&D Tax Credit Claim This episode explains the IRS’s upcoming changes to Form 6765 for claiming the R&D tax credit, focusing on the new Section G and what examiners already request in audits. The episode outlines how the IRS now expects a clear nexus tying expenses to specific projects and qualifying activities, including reporting projects that make up 80% of qualified research expenditures and listing up to 50 projects with ...
25 May 2026
You Haven't Claimed the R&D Tax Credit Because You Believe This Lie - Episode 03
R&D Tax Credit for Startups: How Pre-Revenue Companies Can Offset Payroll Taxes (Up to $500K) The episode explains that startups don’t need to be profitable to benefit from the R&D tax credit because eligible pre-revenue, pre-taxable companies can apply the credit to offset payroll taxes, now up to $500,000 per year. It outlines why the credit exists and how the mid-2010s change allowed startups to use it immediately. The video breaks down the IRS four-part “and” test—permitted purpos...
20 May 2026
The R&D Tax Credit Eligibility Test You've Never Been Taught - Episode 02
R&D Tax Credit for Startups: IRS 4-Part Test, Internal-Use Software Rules, and Audit-Ready Documentation This episode explains the IRS framework for evaluating R&D tax credit eligibility in clear startup terms, including how to apply the four-part test to specific “business components” rather than an entire product, using an example to show how to isolate the true areas of technical uncertainty and experimentation. It clarifies the difference between external-facing software (standard...
18 May 2026
I'm Pre-Revenue With 8 Developers. Can the R&D Tax Credit Still Help Me? - Episode 01
R&D Payroll Tax Credit for Pre-Revenue Startups: How to Claim Up to $500K (Form 6765 + 8974) The script explains how pre-revenue startups can use the federal R&D tax credit to offset payroll taxes (including the 7.65% payroll tax) without giving up equity, with examples of companies capturing roughly $50K–$197K and one engineering firm calculating about $150K from $1.5M in qualified wages. It outlines why the IRS enabled payroll offsets for startups, allowing up to $250K per year and ...
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