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R&D Tax Credits

Arkansas

The R&D tax credit can help a wide variety of businesses offset and reduce their income tax liability, in addition to providing many other benefits.

Businesses in Arkansas can earn a 3% state income tax credit for the increase in their annual research and development expenses, compared to the previous two years. To calculate the credit, the eligible expenses incurred for qualifying R&D activities must be identified and calculated, including wages, supplies, and contract research. The credit must be claimed 25% each year for four years. Accurate records and documentation must be kept to determine eligible expenses.

To be eligible for the income tax credit related to research and development collaborations with universities, a qualified business must submit both an application and a project blueprint to the Arkansas Economic Development Commission. The application will undergo review by the Arkansas Science and Technology Authority for final approval.

In Arkansas, R&D tax credits are available to companies that engage in qualifying activities to advance knowledge or improve processes, products, or technologies. These must be technological, aid in product development, and involve experimentation. Eligible expenses exclude land, equipment, surveys, customer-specific costs, and government-funded research. Some of the qualifying R&D activities include: Development of new products, Testing and experimentation, Development of prototype, Solving technical problems and the like. Accurate record-keeping is crucial for claiming credits.

Eligible businesses in Arkansas’s enterprise zones can claim for R&D tax credit if they meet legal requirements under the state and federal law. The credit requires 3 years of presence in the same enterprise zone, with prorated credit for businesses opening mid-year. Qualifying R&D activities must advance knowledge or improve processes, products or technologies. It even includes C-corporations and pass-throughs.

R&D Tax Credits in Arkansas

In Arkansas, the Research and Development (R&D) tax credit program offers significant financial incentives for innovation. The income tax credit is set at 33% of qualified research expenditures, encouraging businesses to invest in R&D activities within the state. However, there is a cap on the benefits; the maximum tax credit a taxpayer can claim under this program is limited to $50,000 per tax year. This aims to foster technological advancements while providing some fiscal relief to participating companies.

What Goes into the Arkansas R&D Tax Credit as a Qualified Research Expense?​

The Arkansas research and development tax credit allows for businesses to claim a percentage of their qualifying research expenses.

In order for an expense to qualify it must meet specific research criteria:

  1. Products, services, processes, or software must be new or improved in some way 
  2. Uncertainty must be eliminated as a result of the research 
  3. The research must be technological 
  4. Research must include experimentation processes of some nature

The types of expenses that are applicable to claim under the credit include the following:

Wages paid to employees who are directly involved in the performance of research and development activities within the state of Arkansas. This includes payments made to subcontractors involved in the performance of such activities.

Take Advantage of the
R&D Tax Credit with Source Advisors

Most states offer R&D tax credits as well with many of them being more lucrative than the federal credit. At Source Advisors, we can help assess your company’s federal R&D tax credit opportunity and also determine any state R&D tax credit availability. Our team of experienced CPAs, attorneys, engineers, and technology experts helps companies save money and create cash flow with R&D tax credits that can then help drive overall growth.