First, a little R&D history.
In 1981, the R&D tax credit was established by Congress to encourage companies to keep their research and development in the U.S. If you’re doing founder things and building something new—whether it’s software, a product, or a process—there’s a good chance you’re eligible for R&D tax credits. In other words: it’s money back for the work you’re already doing!
Understand if you qualify.
Both the federal government and many states offer R&D tax credits based on your qualified research expenses each year. But a lot of startups and small businesses don’t realize they qualify.
Here’s what to check:
❓Not profitable? No problem, your company doesn’t need to be profitable to qualify!
✅ Is the work technological in nature?
Think: developing software platforms, building AI tools, improving data analytics pipelines, creating medical devices, or engineering new materials.
✅ Are you improving a product, process, or software?
For example: streamlining your app’s backend to handle more users, making your product more energy-efficient, improving your manufacturing process to reduce waste, or adding new features to your SaaS platform.
✅ Are you solving technical unknowns?
This could mean figuring out how to scale your app to 1 million users, working through compatibility issues with a new tech stack, or testing different ways to achieve faster data processing without sacrificing accuracy.
✅ Did you use trial and error, prototypes, or experiments to get there?
For example: building and testing different app versions, running A/B tests on algorithms, creating prototypes of hardware to evaluate performance, or experimenting with different coding approaches to solve a problem.
Why file your R&D tax credits with Opstart?
Simply put: we put money back in your pocket—and deliver an exceptional client experience every step of the way.
And here’s how:
- We keep it simple.
No drowning you in paperwork or jargon. We break it down into easy steps, only asking for what we truly need—so you’re not stuck digging for documents you don’t even use. - You get real experts + smart tech.
Our team of R&D tax credit pros work alongside our AI tools to make sure you’re getting the most credit possible while staying compliant. - We’ve got your back—before, during, and after.
Who wants to talk to the IRS? We do! Unlike other companies, we don’t disappear once the forms are filed—we stick with you. - Most importantly, we save clients money!
In 2024, OpStart helped qualifying clients secure an average of $57,000 through R&D tax credits—up from $53,000 in 2023. That’s over $57,000 back in your pocket to fuel growth and innovation.
🥳 As an added bonus—at no extra cost—we track your refund status to ensure you receive your refunds promptly.
