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The Federal R&D Tax Credit Guide

Author: Jess Doocey | Published: March 13, 2026

Answer Capsule: What is the Federal R&D Tax Credit?

The Federal Research and Development (R&D) Tax Credit, codified under IRC Section 41, is a permanent statutory incentive that provides a dollar-for-dollar reduction in a company’s federal income tax liability. To qualify, U.S. businesses must conduct technical activities that satisfy the IRS Four-Part Test (involving a process of experimentation to eliminate technical uncertainty). If eligible, companies can claim Qualified Research Expenses (QREs)—which include W-2 employee wages, consumable supplies, cloud hosting, and third-party contractor costs—by filing Form 6765 alongside their annual federal tax return. It serves as a vital source of non-dilutive capital to reward domestic innovation.

Key Takeaways

  • Dollar-for-Dollar Benefit: Unlike a standard tax deduction that merely reduces your taxable income, the federal R&D credit directly offsets the actual tax dollars you owe to the IRS.
  • Broad Definition of R&D: The IRS definition is much broader than traditional “white-coat” lab research. Software development, manufacturing improvements, and engineering prototypes all regularly qualify.
  • Two Calculation Methods: Companies can calculate their benefit using either the Regular Research Credit (RRC) or the Alternative Simplified Credit (ASC) method to maximize their financial return.

Federal Eligibility and Expense Framework

Framework Element IRS Definition & Scope Financial Impact
The Four-Part Test Permitted Purpose, Technological in Nature, Elimination of Uncertainty, and Process of Experimentation. Establishes the foundational eligibility. Activities must pass this test to generate any tax benefit.
Qualified Research Expenses (QREs) Directly associated costs: W-2 Box 1 wages, consumable supplies, and 65% of domestic contractor costs. Drives the actual size of the credit. Higher QREs lead to a proportionately larger federal tax offset.
Exclusions Routine testing, market research, funded research, and activities conducted outside the United States. These costs must be rigorously filtered out to avoid IRS audit penalties and claim adjustments.

Navigating IRC Section 41

The federal R&D tax credit was originally introduced in 1981 to stimulate economic growth and keep technical jobs on U.S. soil. Today, it remains one of the most powerful tax strategies available to innovative American businesses.

Step Process Description
1 Qualifying Your Activities The IRS does not require you to invent a fundamentally new technology. You simply need to attempt to create a new (or improve an existing) product, process, formula, or software architecture that presents technical challenges to your specific company. If your engineering or development team encounters a problem, evaluates alternative solutions (via modeling, prototyping, or trial and error), and relies on the hard sciences (physics, biology, computer science, or engineering) to solve it, you likely qualify under the IRS Four-Part Test.
2 Tracing the Financials (QREs) Once activities are qualified, you must quantify the financial investment. The largest driver of the federal R&D credit is typically employee wages. You can claim the portion of W-2 wages corresponding to the time an employee spent performing, directly supervising, or directly supporting the qualified research. Additionally, you can capture the cost of materials consumed or destroyed during the testing phase, as well as 65% of the fees paid to U.S.-based third-party contractors assisting with the R&D.
3 Claiming the Credit on Form 6765 To realize the benefit, Swanson Reed assists clients in preparing IRS Form 6765 (Credit for Increasing Research Activities). Because the calculation compares your current year R&D spend against a historical “base amount,” our specialized tax CPAs will model your data using both the Regular method and the Alternative Simplified Credit (ASC) method to ensure you claim the absolute maximum legal benefit. Furthermore, we compile a robust, contemporaneous technical substantiation report to protect your claim in the event of an IRS examination.

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How to claim and substantiate the R&D tax credit

The Research & Experimentation Tax Credit (or R&D Tax Credit), is a general business tax credit under Internal Revenue Code section 41 for companies that incur research and development (R&D) costs in the United States. The credits are a tax incentive for performing qualified research in the United States, resulting in a credit to a tax return. For the first three years of R&D claims, 6% of the total qualified research expenses (QRE) form the gross credit. In the 4th year of claims and beyond, a base amount is calculated, and an adjusted expense line is multiplied times 14%.

The IRS’s expectation of what documentation is sufficient to substantiate research tax credits has increased substantially, which is evidenced by the IRS’s ATGs and the growing number of court cases in this area. Most of the cases have concluded that there was not enough documentation or that the documentation was insufficient because it was too generic or disorganized. Even in the cases where the taxpayers were successful, the court opinions make it clear that slight factual differences could have changed the outcome. 

To be prudent, taxpayers who want to claim R&D tax credits should review these cases to ensure that their research tax credits are properly documented in advance of filing their tax returns. This should include documenting the progression of information that is discovered while performing the research activities, to satisfy the four-part test. To ensure all relevant information is captured, it is best to document research activities contemporaneously. 

The research tax credit rewards taxpayers for engaging in qualified research activities (QRAs) by providing a tax credit equal to a percentage of certain eligible expenses. 

QRAs are defined by a four-part test. The test requires that:

  • The expenses are eligible research and experimental expenditures as defined in Sec. 174 and can be expensed under Sec. 174 (Sec. 174 test);
  • An intent to use the research in the development of a new or improved business component (business component test); 
  • The research is undertaken for the purpose of discovering information that is technological in nature (discovery test); and
  • Substantially, the research is performed through activities that are experimental in nature for a qualified purpose (process of experimentation test). 

An activity must pass all four tests to be considered  a QRA. Additionally, these tests must be applied separately to each of the taxpayer’s business components. 

Qualified research expenses (QREs) are expenditures that have a nexus to a QRA and are eligible to be included in the research tax credit computation. QREs can include wages paid to employees or amounts paid to self-employed individuals and owner-employees (wage QREs), supplies used (supply QREs), amounts paid to another person for the right to use computers (computer rental QREs), and amounts paid to third parties to perform research (contract QREs). 

Wage QREs can include amounts for engaging in qualified research, direct supervision, or support of QRAs. 

Accordingly, after identifying eligible QRAs, most taxpayers will compute wage QREs. Supply QREs, computer rental QREs, and contract QREs associated with these projects are then identified and added to the taxpayer’s research tax credit computation. 

There is a noticeable absence of guidance from Congress, the Treasury Department, and the IRS as to what documentation is sufficient to substantiate research tax credits. The current regulations simply state that a taxpayer claiming research tax credits must retain records in a sufficiently usable form and detail to substantiate that the expenditures claimed are eligible for the credit. They also refer to the general record retention requirements found in Regs Sec. 1.6001-1. 

While traditional accounting and financial systems may capture QRE amounts, they typically do not capture the information needed to substantiate that the QRA four-part test and other rules have been satisfied. In the absence of records specifically created to document the research tax credit, taxpayers often have to rely on estimates and an assortment of documents, interviews, and other evidence to substantiate their expenditures that qualify for the research tax credits. This has resulted in controversy between taxpayers and the IRS as to what documentation may be considered sufficient.

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Overview of the Qualified Research Activity Rules

To appreciate the difficulty in documenting and ultimately successfully substantiating research tax credits, one must consider the type of information that the taxpayer must capture. This information is outlined in the four-part test and other limiting rules that define what qualifies as a QRA for the research tax credit.

Sec. 174 Test

Sec. 174 Test: Definition

The Sec. 174 Test determines whether an activity qualifies as a research and experimental expenditure by requiring that the work aims to resolve uncertainty related to developing or improving a product.

Under Sec. 174, a taxpayer can deduct expenses incurred while attempting to eliminate uncertainty through a systematic development process.

To satisfy the Sec. 174 Test, the activity must meet two core conditions:

  • The costs must be incurred in connection with the taxpayer’s trade or business; and
  • The expenditures must represent research and development in an experimental or laboratory sense.

In practice, Sec. 174 covers development activities with a direct nexus to eliminating uncertainty using methods that could be replicated in a testing or laboratory environment. While the activity does not have to occur in a physical laboratory, the taxpayer must document the methods used to discover new information and resolve the uncertainty. The test is also met when the information already exists but is not available to the taxpayer—meaning it is not in the public domain or reasonably accessible at the time of the research.

Importantly, the Sec. 174 Test focuses on the development process, not the outcome. As a result, a project may satisfy this test even when the final product or improvement is not technologically advanced.

Business Component Test

Business Component Test: Definition

The Business Component Test requires that the research be intended to develop or improve a business component used or held by the taxpayer.

A “business component” is a statutory term that determines the subject of qualified research. A business component includes any:

  • Product
  • Process
  • Computer software
  • Technique
  • Formula
  • Invention

The component may be intended for sale, lease, or license, or it may be used directly by the taxpayer in the operation of a trade or business. Production processes and manufacturing techniques also qualify as business components for purposes of this test.

Discovery Test

Discovery Test: Definition
The Discovery Test requires that the purpose of the research activity be to discover information that is technological in nature.

Unlike the Sec. 174 Test, which focuses on methodology, the Discovery Test centers on technical knowledge gained through the research process.

Information is considered technological if it fundamentally relies on the principles of physical sciences, biological sciences, engineering, or computer science. To satisfy this test, the activity must be undertaken to discover technological information needed to eliminate uncertainty in developing or improving a business component.

Technological uncertainty exists when publicly available information does not establish the capability or method for achieving the desired development or improvement.

The Discovery Test does not require the taxpayer to exceed or expand the common knowledge of skilled professionals in the field, nor does the research need to be successful.

Process of Experimentation Test

Process of Experimentation Test: Definition
The Process of Experimentation Test requires that the research include a systematic process designed to evaluate one or more alternatives to achieve a new or improved function, performance, reliability, or quality.

This test builds on Sec. 174 by applying to the full research process rather than solely the act of resolving uncertainty.

To meet this test, the research must be conducted for a qualified purpose, meaning it must relate to improving function, performance, reliability, or quality. Activities related only to style, taste, cosmetic changes, or seasonal design do not qualify.

A valid process of experimentation generally includes:

  1. Identifying uncertainty relating to the development or improvement of a business component;
  2. Identifying one or more alternatives intended to eliminate that uncertainty;
  3. Evaluating the alternatives through modeling, simulation, trial-and-error, or another systematic method.

The taxpayer is not required to consider more than one alternative, but the process must be inherently evaluative, capable of testing more than one solution.

A process of experimentation may still exist even when there is no uncertainty about capability or method, as long as the appropriate design remains uncertain at the start of the activity.

This test is met when substantially all (generally at least 80%, based on cost or another consistent metric) of the research activities relate to improving function, performance, reliability, or quality.

Other Limiting Rules

The four-part test is supplemented by various rules that disqualify certain activities that would otherwise be qualified. These rules exclude research (1) that begins after commercial production; (2) to adapt existing business components; (3) duplicating existing business components; (4) involving surveys, studies, including activities related to management functions, market research, and efficiency surveys; (5) that is conducted outside of the United States; (5) in the social sciences; and (6) funded by a grant or contract or otherwise funded by another person or governmental entity. 

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R&D Tax Credit Case Law

Early R&D Tax Credit Case Law

Several older court cases addressed whether specific activities are eligible QRAs for the purposes of the research tax credit. These early court cases typically do not address the substantiation rules directly; however, they are instructive as they provide examples of what documents were and were not sufficient to substantiate research tax credits.

In Kollsman Instrument Corp., the Tax Court considered whether the taxpayer’s activities satisfied the Sec. 174 test. To support its argument that it had performed research and development in fulfilling its contracts, the taxpayer cited sections of the contracts that specified the types of activities it was to perform. Because the court found that the taxpayer was only required to manufacture products for which it had been supplied the designs and specifications, the Sec. 174 test was not satisfied.

In Fudim, the Tax Court considered patent applications and articles in scientific and popular magazines that described the taxpayer’s activities and a public mention by U.S. experts about the taxpayer’s status in the high-tech industry, coupled with the taxpayer’s own testimony. The court found that the taxpayer’s activities were well documented during the experimentation process and concluded that all parts of the four-part test were satisfied.

In United Stationers, Inc., the Seventh Circuit considered project summaries prepared by the taxpayer. The court found that the nonspecific project summaries and statements produced were general in nature and did not demonstrate the uncertainty or experimental nature of the activities. The court concluded that the process of experimentation test was not satisfied.

In Norwest, the Tax Court considered a report prepared by an expert. The expert’s report was based on an extensive noncontemporaneous review of documents and employee interviews. The expert report detailed existing technology generally, rather than describing the activities the taxpayer undertook. The court found that the expert’s report did not articulate the relevance of the underlying documents and their nexus to the R&D tax credit. The court concluded that for the activities that relied on the report, the four-part test was not satisfied.

In Eustace, the Tax Court considered employee testimony that related to QRAs. The court found that the employee testimonies were flawed, as the taxpayer did not have its employees address basic technical issues relevant to each activity in the case. The court concluded that the discovery and process of experimentation tests were not met.

The IRS’s Recent Focus on Substantiation

The IRS refocused its efforts on examining research tax credits in 2007. This shift in priorities was part of the IRS’s tiered issue system, which was intended to allocate its limited audit resources to issues of strategic importance. The IRS provided the following explanation for adding the research tax credit as a tiered issue:

Formal and informal Research Claims are filed using high-level estimates, invalid assumptions, lack of nexus between QREs and the business component without contemporaneous documentation to support the claim.

According to the IRS, these efforts were in response to “a growing trend among taxpayers . . . to submit prepackaged material to support research tax credit claims.”

The IRS issued a document titled Audit Techniques Guide: Credit for Increasing Research Activities (i.e. Research Tax Credit) IRC § 41 in June 2005 and another document titled Research Credit Claims Audit Techniques Guide: Credit for Increasing Research Activities § 41 in May 2008. These audit technique guides (ATGs) do not explain what documentation is sufficient to substantiate research tax credits. Rather, the ATGs merely explain why prepackaged claims are insufficient. The IRS’s 2008 ATG describes prepackaged claims as:

While the submissions often set forth the methodology employed in preparing the research credit claim, the submissions frequently fail to substantiate that the taxpayer paid or incurred qualified research expenses (“QREs”) as claimed. In addition, audits may have been restricted to evaluating the taxpayer’s methodology for capturing QREs found in the prepackaged submission, as opposed to examining the research credit claimed on the amended return.

The IRS’s 2008 ATG goes on to explain that if the prepackaged submission relies too heavily on high-level estimations, then the IRS auditor should consider disallowing the claim. The ATG refers to interviews, estimates, and judgment sampling as examples of high-level estimations. and supply invoices that detail a connection to the activity (e.g., contractor costs used during testing).

Recent R&D Tax Credit Case Law

The IRS abandoned its tiered issue system, which classified research credits as Tier I issues, in 2012. Before that system was eliminated, however, it brought increased audit focus to research credits, which, in turn, produced a new round of research tax credit court cases. Like the earlier court cases, these recent cases provide examples of what documents were and were not found to be sufficient to substantiate research tax credits. Several of the recent court cases go further by addressing the substantiation rules directly.

In McFerrin, a U.S. district court considered a research tax credit study prepared by a tax consulting firm. It concluded that the taxpayer had performed some qualified research activities, but it refused to accept the taxpayer’s estimates given that there were no records of the hours worked by each employee or the hours worked on any qualifying research project. It refused to accept employee testimony of the time spent on each project because it was based on 9-year-old recollections and was therefore not probative.

On appeal, the appeals court reversed the district court’s decision, noting that the district court should have applied the Cohan rule once it determined that there were some qualified research activities. The Cohan rule allows the courts to make estimates where there is some indication that the taxpayer is entitled to the tax deduction or credit. It has been applied to a number of tax deductions and credits. The appeals court specifically noted that the district court did not have to accept the estimates prepared long after the tax credit years as described in the research tax credit study, but the district court should have looked to testimony and other evidence, including the institutional knowledge of employees, in determining a fair estimate given that the district court had concluded that the taxpayer had performed some qualified research.

In Union Carbide, the Tax Court considered testimony from outside engineers, an accountant who had computed the research tax credit, and several of the taxpayer’s former employees, as well as various documents, including contemporaneous project reports, in determining that two out of the five projects claimed qualified for the credit. The court found this evidence sufficient to meet the four-part test and the other limiting rules raised by the IRS. As in McFerrin, the court applied the Cohan rule to the projects that qualified to estimate the amount of allowable credit.

In Trinity Industries, a district court considered the unusual case where the taxpayer’s records were inaccessible as they were maintained on computer systems no longer in use, a segment of the taxpayer’s business had been sold to a third party, the taxpayer no longer had physical custody of the records, and many of the records were destroyed by a hurricane. Given this fact pattern, the court concluded that some qualified research activities had been performed, and it looked at each of the boats that the company had manufactured to see whether they qualified as experimental. Because there was insufficient evidence to apply the Cohan rule to estimate the amount of the research tax credits, each boat had to be looked at as a whole and each had to meet the 80% test, after which 100% of the expenses would qualify for the credit. For several of the boats, the court considered the taxpayer’s testimony and the available records and concluded that QRAs that were not documented did not satisfy the four-part test.

In Shami, the Tax Court considered a research tax credit study prepared by a consulting firm. The dispute primarily focused on the time allocated to qualified research activities for the two highly compensated owners. The court found that the laboratory records and testimony from the owners and its employees were insufficient to support the time allocations and that the owners’ testimony was not credible because it was contradicted by the employees’ testimony. The court refused to apply the Cohan rule to estimate the amount of the expense, as it had concluded that there is no reasonable basis for it to make an estimate.

In Bayer Corp., a district court considered another research tax credit study prepared by a consulting firm. The study was supported by a number of documents, including internal status reports, emails, correspondence with federal agencies, Excel files, Word documents, PowerPoint presentations, access databases, lab notebooks, patent applications, and standardized and centrally maintained personnel and payroll records. It was also supported by the testimony of employees and former employees who performed the research. The taxpayer described the expense in gathering the necessary records as follows:

The vast scope of this enterprise is illustrated by the fact that Bayer has already collected more than one billion (1,000,000,000) pages of electronic records that are potentially relevant to its claims from just four of the forty-nine sites at issue and has already turned over more than 3 million pages of responsive documents to the government.

The case is noteworthy for the amount of documentation that was provided to the IRS and not accepted. The dispute between Bayer and the IRS is ongoing.

Analysis of IRS Guidance and Case Law

While the IRS has never provided any significant guidance as to what documentation is acceptable to substantiate research tax credits, its descriptions of what documents are not acceptable and past court cases do provide insights as to how to document research tax credits.

As described in the IRS’s ATGs, the documentation should not be a prepackaged submission with a significant amount of boilerplate text that might be used for multiple taxpayers. The documentation should be specific to the taxpayer and its facts.

The case law illustrates that taxpayers that were unable to substantiate all of the tests at the time of trial generally lost their cases. This was particularly acute in the Eustace and United Stationers cases.

Wherever possible, all activities should be documented contemporaneously. This should include project descriptions that address all four of the tests and the other limiting rules in real-time as the activity occurs.

Absent a situation like the Trinity Industries case, where records are missing due to factors outside the taxpayer’s control, estimates should be avoided if possible. Any estimates should  be used only if there is clear evidence that the taxpayer engaged in some qualified research activities as in McFerrin and there are other records to establish a reasonable basis for the estimates as in Fudim. This could help establish a foundation for the court to apply the Cohan rule to estimate the amount of the research tax credit.

All available documentation should be marshaled and organized in advance, including the various types of documents produced in Union Carbide, any applicable contracts, as in Kollsman Instruments, and even taxpayer and employee testimony and reputational evidence, as in Fudim.

The focus should be on the quality of information rather than on the volume. The ongoing Bayer Corp. saga provides a cautionary tale of having a large volume of records in different locations.

The information should be described and presented by applying the research tax credit rules, rather than being presented in light of the general state of the underlying technology or field of research as in the Norwest case.

The information should be organized by projects and on an employee-by-employee basis. The time spent performing qualified and nonqualified activities should be well documented, which was missing in Shami.

Case Study

This case study illustrates what is necessary to show that an activity is a qualified research activity and that the expenses of the activity are qualified research expenses for purposes of the credit.

Case Scenario

Battery Co. develops high quality long-life rechargeable batteries for smartphones. Its purpose is to disrupt the market by developing a reliable battery that has twice the life of its next-closest competitor. The six product development activities undertaken during the battery project are described in Exhibit 1.

Exhibit 1: Product development activities for the battery project

 

No. Activity Description
I

Research of existing technological information 

(ineligible activity)

 The concept of a new kind of long-life battery is conceived. Surveys are conducted to determine consumer need. A study of relevant existing technological information is performed, including review of relevant literature and exploration of available technology used in similar applications. All known market risks are evaluated.
II

Economic evaluation

(ineligible activity)

 Based on the risks identified in the information research phase, the business will consider whether to continue or terminate the project. Financing and resourcing are decided, and a business plan and budget are developed. 
III

Design and modeling

(QRA)

 The purpose to develop a reliable, long-life battery through design and modeling is documented. Brainstorming is used to develop a number of conceptual designs. Feasibility studies are undertaken to determine potential technical issues and benefits of each design. This often involves high-level analysis and design calculations to assess the technical uncertainties and develop alternative solutions. Based on this study, the best design option is selected and detailed technical specifications are developed for the chosen design. During this process, the exact technical uncertainties are identified and potential solutions are developed and tested using theoretical calculations and computer simulations. Data from these studies are gathered and analyzed to increase understanding of the technical uncertainties and evaluate the proposed solutions. Based on the findings, various design aspects may be modified or discarded, and alternate solutions may be developed and tested. This design process will be followed until a workable design is established based on the computer simulation. 
IV

Prototyping and trialing

(QRA)

 A reliable prototype is conceptualized from the workable design and the purpose is documented (i.e., to build and test a prototype). The technical uncertainties associated with quality and reliability are investigated and evaluated. The methodology is refined, and the first working prototype is built. Performance is tested and benchmarked against the finalized computer model. Experiments are conducted on the prototype to determine whether specifications are reliably achieved with a focus on quality, consistency, and repeatable results. Based on the results of the experiments, alternative designs may be investigated and evaluated. Technological information is discovered resulting in improvements in the original design. The prototype may be sent back to the design and modeling phase with possible alternative design suggestions. 
V

Sourcing and procurement

(ineligible activity)

 The components needed for the production of the saleable product are researched, sourced, and acquired. Commercial negotiations are achieved with suppliers to allow product assembly to occur within cost constraints. The business plan is revised.  
VI

Commercial production

(ineligible activity)

 The product is ready to be produced in a commercial setting. The components are assembled in accordance with the final design. 
Analysis of the Activities

Exhibit 2 illustrates the relationship between technological information (I) discovered by Battery Co. over time (T), while undertaking the six activities in Exhibit 1. There are four key technological information points on the graph, namely:

  • Point Io is the taxpayer’s knowledge base of relevant technological information before beginning the project. 
  • Point I1 is the information the taxpayer must review to be up-to-date on all relevant technological information in the public domain.
  • Point I2 is the technological information that has been discovered by Battery Co. through undertaking the feasibility study, options analysis, and computer model simulations. 
  • Point I3 is the technological information that has been discovered by Battery Co. through building and testing the prototype.

Exhibit 2 : Discovered technological information over time

Automation-1

Activity I, Research of Existing Information, is not a QRA as it relates to studies of existing information.63 Through undertaking this activity, Battery Co. does acquire technological information (from point I0 to I1). However, it is not discovering new information or eliminating technological uncertainty, but rather building a knowledge base of existing technological information available in the public domain. Under normal circumstances, expenses associated with this activity do not qualify for the research credit. But, although not a QRA in its own right, the documentation created from Activity Imay help substantiate Activities III, Modeling, and IV, Prototyping and Trialing.

Activity II, Economic Evaluation, is not a QRA because it is research that is related to management functions.64 Through undertaking this activity, Battery Co. does not discover technological information. Expenses associated with this activity cannot be applied to the research credit.

Activities III, Modeling, and IV, Prototyping and Trialing, are QRAs and meet the four-part test. Expenses that are incurred or paid in connection with these activities may be included in the research tax credit computation. A detailed analysis is provided below.

Activity V, Procurement, is a disqualified QRA as it relates to surveys, studies, and research related to management functions.65 Battery Co. does not discover technological information by undertaking this activity. Expenses associated with this activity cannot be applied to the research credit.

Activity VI, Commercial Production, is not a QRA as it relates to the adaptation of existing business components66 and to commercial production.67 General commercial production as defined here is not eligible as no technological information was discovered and no experimentation was undertaken.68 It is important to note that, if well-documented, difficult production activities such as automation or scale-up issues may have isolated QRA components and may therefore have eligible QREs (where nexus can be found).

Detailed Analysis of Activities III and IV

Application of the Sec. 174 Test

Activity III, Design and Modeling, satisfies the Sec. 174 test because there was technological uncertainty at the outset as to how to design a battery with twice the life of its next-closest competitor. It was determined that the technological uncertainty could only be eliminated through a computer model simulation, conducted as research or development in the experimental or laboratory sense.

Activity IV, Prototyping and Trialing, satisfies the Sec. 174 test as there was technological uncertainty at the outset as to whether a reliable working prototype could be developed with the required specifications.

Battery Co. intended to discover information that would eliminate this technological uncertainty. It was determined that the uncertainty could only be eliminated through trials of a working prototype that were conducted as research or development in the experimental or laboratory sense.

Documentation Relevant to the Sec. 174 Test

Documentation for the Sec. 174 test may be met through documents that describe the project and the technical uncertainty involved in the activities. This can be demonstrated through internal presentations, meeting notes, or reports that describe the technical issues or failures, the design options considered, and the feasibility studies performed. Supporting documents could include literature reviews conducted in Activity I that demonstrate the technological information gap. It may even be documented by Battery Co.’s previous products or product line up, which may be found in earlier product catalogs, emails, or other sources. 

Application of the Business Component Test

Activity III, Design and Modeling, satisfies the business component test. The activity produces a design and computer model for a reliable long-life battery. This intellectual property may be sold, leased, or licensed to a third party. For the same reasons, Activity IV, Prototyping and Trialing, satisfies this test.

Documentation Relevant to the Business Component Test

The utility of the business component will likely be self-evident from the product and activities to design it. Documents created in Activity II, Economic Evaluation, such as the business plan, financial, and budgeting reports, may be used. Additionally, bid proposals, contract documents, and emails may help substantiate that the product is intended to be held for sale, license, or use by Battery Co. in a trade or business. 

Application of the Discovery Test

Activity III, Design and Modeling, satisfies the discovery test as its purpose was to discover technological information that would result in the development of a business component (in this case, a new battery design and computer model). The literature search in Activity I, Research of Existing Information, did not uncover an existing design that resolves the technological uncertainty, and so a discovery must be made. The information discovered through the development and evaluation of various design options using computer simulations is represented on the graph as the distance between Point I1 and Point I2. The discovery relies on the principles of engineering and computer science.

Activity IV, Prototyping and Trialing, satisfies the discovery test as its purpose was to discover technological information that would result in the development of a working prototype of a reliable long-life battery. Activity III, Design and Model, developed a design that was tested by a computer model, but did not develop and test a tangible prototype. The information discovered through the development and trialing of the prototype is represented on the graph as the distance between Point I2 and Point I3. The discovery relies on principles of engineering and science (i.e., chemistry).

Documentation Relevant to the Discovery Test

While the science aspect will often be self-evident from the product and activities to design it, the discovered information may be demonstrated by various documents that describe the project, such as in internal presentations or meeting notes, technical reports, engineering drawings, computer screenshots, data gathered or collected during the experiments, or employee testimony.

Application of the Experimentation Test

Activity III, Design and Model, satisfies the experimentation test as its purpose was to test various designs using a computer model trial that would ultimately lead to a workable design of a reliable long-life battery unit. Battery Co. engaged in an evaluative process to identify uncertainty concerning the development of a reliable, long-life battery design. It then identified a number of alternatives that could eliminate that uncertainty. Finally, it conducted a process of evaluating the alternatives through computer modeling. 

Activity IV, Prototyping and Trialing, satisfies the experimentation test as its purpose was to develop and test through trials a prototype that would ultimately lead to a commercial product within the design specifications. Battery Co. engaged in an evaluative process to identify uncertainty regarding the reliability of the prototype. It then conducted trials and identified a number of alternatives that could make the product more reliable. Finally it identified and conducted  a process of evaluating the alternatives through testing the prototype.

Documentation Relevant to the Experimentation Test

This experimentation test is often the most difficult test to document. Assuming one business component and one experiment, Activity III, Design and Model, and IV, Prototyping and Trialing, could be documented by listing the identified technological uncertainties in real-time over the course of the activity. This would then be followed by documenting the experiments conducted that identified possible solutions to eliminate that uncertainty. Finally, a document could be produced that describes the repeatable experiment that was used to evaluate the alternative solutions and remove technical uncertainty. 

In practice, this may be documented in a number of records, which vary greatly from one taxpayer to another. For example, this documentation may include screenshots of the computer simulation, photos of the prototype at various stages during the testing, emails from internal or external technical personnel commenting on the testing methods used and the test outcomes, iterations of design specifications and engineering drawings, and various documents describing the project failures, such as internal presentations or meeting notes. QREs may be documented by employee timesheets and supply invoices that detail a connection to the activity (e.g., contractor costs used during testing).

R&D Tax Credit Preparation Services

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Swanson Reed’s R&D Tax Credit Audit Advisory Services

creditARMOR is a sophisticated R&D tax credit insurance and AI-driven risk management platform. It mitigates audit exposure by covering defense expenses, including CPA, tax attorney, and specialist consultant fees—delivering robust, compliant support for R&D credit claims.  Click here for more information about R&D tax credit management and implementation.

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