Stake Your Claim with R&D Tax Credits
It’s tax time. Are you getting all you can from the R&D Tax Credit for your business?
It’s tax time, and that reminded me of a presentation I heard that was given by Michael Devereux, II, CPA, CMP, partner and director of manufacturing, distribution and plastics industry services at Mueller Prost, at a recent conference in Anaheim, California. He told attendees that if someone had asked him 10 years ago, what percentage of injection molders or moldmakers were aware of the many possible tax credits they can earn for their businesses and why, he’d say maybe two or three percent. Today, he says, it’s closer to 50 or 60 percent, thanks to presentations like the one he was giving.
MMT readers, this just reinforces the importance of attending trade events and conferences, like Amerimold and others, to learn how to be more profitable—not just in traditional ways, but by becoming knowledgeable about topics like the R&D Tax Credit and hearing real-life examples about other companies like yours that are taking advantage of these benefits. Moldmakers are extremely creative and innovative, working daily to find solutions for their customers’ product development and molding challenges. But too many moldmakers call that problem solving “just a day’s work” or “just part of the job.” Not so!
“Research not only happens in the lab and in engineering at the draft table, it happens in board rooms when you’re having design review meetings,” Devereaux says. “Numerous different cost centers are involved in research: engineering, research, development, and even sales. For example, a sales engineer might come back with a design concept, sit down with his team of engineers and say, okay, our customer wants this; how can we do it? It all qualifies.”
He explains that even wages for certain employees also qualify. For instance, you might have an employee who is trialing a new mold and documenting everything that goes into that effort in order to validate the tool, or how about the quality department, which directly supports the effort, and the president of the company might be directly overseeing the whole process. “Most of the companies I’ve worked with are family-owned businesses. The Patriarch started the company. They love their businesses and they don’t want to give up the tool design or product design. They want to be involved in the research and development and that all qualifies as a credit,” he says.
Devereux says that even supplies and materials that you use but are not capitalized or depreciated, such as inventory, can qualify for the R&D Tax Credit. Molds are most often one-off, one-of-a-kind when they’re built, but perhaps you use a standard mold base for a mold you’re designing and building cores for. Those cores and cavities that you designed and built would qualify but you would exclude the mold base because it wasn’t the focus of your research, he says. Conversely, if you were to create your own custom mold base because it has complex waterlines or venting, etc., Devereux says the mold base would then count. Even work that is contracted out, including mold-flow analysis, metrology services and more can qualify.
I could continue, but the blog would be endless. Instead, I recommend you view MMT’s “The Bottom Line” series, which is authored by Michael and covers a wide array of tax-related tips, examples and guidelines. He’s very knowledgeable, especially when it comes to small- and mid-sized manufacturing companies and has been a regular contributor to MMT since 2015. You’ll find his columns here.
Related Content
Leading Mold Manufacturers Share Best Practices for Improving Efficiency
Precise Tooling Solutions, X-Cell Tool and Mold, M&M Tool and Mold, Ameritech Die & Mold, and Cavalier Tool & Manufacturing, sit down for a fast-paced Q&A focused on strategies for improving efficiencies across their operations.
Read MoreMold Design Review: The Complete Checklist
Gerardo (Jerry) Miranda III, former global tooling manager for Oakley sunglasses, reshares his complete mold design checklist, an essential part of the product time and cost-to-market process.
Read MoreThe Role of Social Media in Manufacturing
Charles Daniels CFO of Wepco Plastics shares insights on the role of social media in manufacturing, how to improve the “business” side of a small mold shop and continually developing culture.
Read MoreOEE Monitoring System Addresses Root Cause of Machine Downtime
Unique sensor and patent-pending algorithm of the Amper machine analytics system measures current draw to quickly and inexpensively inform manufacturers which machines are down and why.
Read MoreRead Next
How to Use Continuing Education to Remain Competitive in Moldmaking
Continued training helps moldmakers make tooling decisions and properly use the latest cutting tool to efficiently machine high-quality molds.
Read MoreReasons to Use Fiber Lasers for Mold Cleaning
Fiber lasers offer a simplicity, speed, control and portability, minimizing mold cleaning risks.
Read MoreHow to Use Strategic Planning Tools, Data to Manage the Human Side of Business
Q&A with Marion Wells, MMT EAB member and founder of Human Asset Management.
Read More