- Research Activities Credit (RAC) – Iowa tax incentive for qualifying research expenditures.
- Iowa Code § 422.33(5) (Corporate Tax) – Statute governing corporate research tax credits.
- Iowa Code § 422.10 (Individual Tax) – Statute governing individual research tax credits.
- Iowa Department of Revenue (IDOR) – State agency administering Iowa tax laws.
- Qualified Research Expenses (QREs) in Iowa – Eligible costs for calculating the research credit.
- Internal Revenue Code (IRC) § 41 – Federal law defining qualified research activities.
- Federal Alignment (Claiming IRC § 41 Credit) – Iowa rules mirroring federal research credit standards.
- Base Amount (for Regular Credit) – Benchmark for measuring incremental research spending.
- Fixed-Base Percentage – Ratio of historical research expenses to receipts.
- Average Annual Gross Receipts (4 Preceding Years) – Revenue average used for base amount calculation.
- Incremental Research Expenditures – Research spending exceeding the calculated base amount.
- Regular Credit Method (6.5% Rate) – Standard calculation method using 6.5% rate.
- Alternative Simplified Credit (ASC) – Optional calculation method without gross receipts data.
- ASC Rate (4.55% of excess QREs) – Alternative method rate applied to excess QREs.
- Basic Research Payments – Payments to universities for scientific research advancement.
- Iowa Apportioned Share – Portion of credit allocated to Iowa activity.
- Supplemental Research Activities Tax Credit – Additional credit awarded by economic development authority.
- Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) – Agency granting supplemental research tax credits.
- High Quality Jobs (HQJ) Program – Program offering tax incentives for job creation.
- Enterprise Zone (EZ) Program (Prior Supplemental Credit Source) – Expired zone-based incentive program for businesses.
- Refundable Credit (Subject to Phase-Down Limits) – Excess credit paid out as tax refund.
- Refundable Portion Percentage (e.g., 80% for 2024) – Percentage of excess credit eligible for refund.
- Unused Credit (Credited to Following Year) – Credits carried over to next tax year.
- No Carryforward (for refundable excess) – Refundable portion cannot be carried forward.
- Tax Credit Certificate Number (for Supplemental Credit) – Unique ID required to claim supplemental credits.
- Schedule IA 128 (Regular Credit Form) – Form for claiming the Regular Research Credit.
- Schedule IA 128S (Alternative Simplified Credit Form) – Form for claiming Alternative Simplified Research Credit.
- Pass-Through Entity (PTE) – Business passing income directly to owners.
- Pro Rata Share of Earnings (PTE Allocation) – Proportional distribution of income to shareholders.
- Wages for Qualified Services (in Iowa) – Compensation for employees performing research in Iowa.
- Cost of Supplies (Phase-Out Limitation) – Expenses for items consumed during research process.
- Supplies Phase-Out Percentage (e.g., 60% for 2024) – Reduces eligible supply costs over time.
- Rental/Lease Cost of Personal Property (Disallowed Post-2022) – Excluded costs for renting equipment or computers.
- Contract Research Expenses (65% in Iowa) – Allowable portion of payments to third-party researchers.
- Qualified Research (IRC § 41(d) Four-Part Test) – Activities meeting federal tests for research credit.
- Technological in Nature – Research relying on hard science principles.
- Elimination of Uncertainty – Research intended to discover unknown information.
- Process of Experimentation – Systematic trial and error to verify hypotheses.
- Substantially All Rule (Disallowed Post-2022) – Rule often requiring 80% of activity qualification.
- New or Improved Business Component – Product or process created or enhanced.
- Manufacturing (Qualifying Industry) – Production of goods eligible for research credits.
- Life Sciences (Qualifying Industry) – Biology and medicine fields eligible for credits.
- Agriscience (Qualifying Industry) – Agricultural science research eligible for tax credits.
- Software Engineering (Qualifying Industry) – Software development eligible for research tax credits.
- Aviation or Aerospace (Qualifying Industry) – Flight technology research eligible for tax credits.
- Ineligible Businesses (e.g., Retailer, Wholesaler) – Industries excluded from claiming research credits.
- Annual Gross Revenue Threshold ($20 Million for Supplemental Rate) – Revenue limit for specific credit rates.
- Renewable Energy Components Research Activities Credit – Incentive for research in renewable energy parts.
- Senate File 657 (Future Repeal Legislation) – Law phasing out certain research credit provisions.
- Taxable Year – Fiscal period for reporting tax liabilities.