Chris Peters | R&D Tax Advisors
The R&D tax credit is one of the most misunderstood areas of tax for growing companies. Many businesses have heard of it, but are still unsure what qualifies, how it works, or what it takes to claim it properly.
I’m Chris Peters, founder of R&D Tax Advisors, and I help businesses understand, document, and claim R&D tax credits clearly and correctly.
On this channel, you’ll find practical guidance to help you understand the credit more clearly, make smarter decisions, and avoid mistakes that can create problems later.
Chris Peters | R&D Tax Advisors
I'm Pre-Revenue With 8 Developers. Can the R&D Tax Credit Still Help Me? - Episode 01
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R&D Payroll Tax Credit for Pre-Revenue Startups: How to Claim Up to $500K (Form 6765 + 8974)
The script explains how pre-revenue startups can use the federal R&D tax credit to offset payroll taxes (including the 7.65% payroll tax) without giving up equity, with examples of companies capturing roughly $50K–$197K and one engineering firm calculating about $150K from $1.5M in qualified wages. It outlines why the IRS enabled payroll offsets for startups, allowing up to $250K per year and later up to $500K, and gives qualification rules (the “555 rule”: within the initial five-year phase, under $5M gross receipts, and the offset available for up to five years). It details the filing process using Form 6765 with the payroll election and Form 8974 to apply the credit on quarterly payroll filings, clarifies that credits can be carried forward up to 20 years, and stresses meeting the IRS four-part test and strengthening documentation—especially ahead of expanded Form 6765 requirements becoming mandatory in tax year 2026—using existing engineering artifacts like Jira, Confluence, and GitHub.