Clothing R&D Tax Credit Benefits for Businesses

Textile, Clothing, and Footwear and the R&S Tax Credit

Small businesses in the Textile, Clothing, and Footwear sector can significantly benefit from the Research and Development (R&D) tax credit by offsetting costs associated with developing new materials, improving production processes, or designing innovative products. Activities such as testing new fabrics, optimizing production lines, or creating sustainable solutions are eligible. Fundamentally, the R&D tax credit payroll offset for startups allows eligible businesses to apply the credit against their payroll tax liability, providing a valuable liquidity boost, particularly for early-stage companies, even if they are not yet profitable. This frees up capital to be reinvested in further innovation and growth.

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Founded in 1984 by J.W. Norris under the name Reed & Co., Swanson Reed has grown to become one of the world’s largest firms specializing in Research and Development (R&D) tax credit consulting. We have numerous publications. Our artificial intelligence software, TaxTrex, is a cutting-edge AI language model capable of preparing R&D tax credit claims in just 90 minutes. Our audit insurance policy for R&D credits, creditARMOR, is one of the most cost-effective audit management products on the market.

If you have questions or need further assistance, call or email our CEO, Damian Smyth, at (000) 000-0000. Feel free to book a short conference call with one of our national R&D tax credit specialists at a time convenient for you.

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Case Study: Textile

Business Scenario

Wino Incorporated (Wino) is a specialist in the field of wine cellar refrigeration. In 2012, Wino was approached by a vineyard to create a solution that would allow them to reduce cellar operating temperatures from 59℉ (approx. 15°C) to 54℉ (approx. 12°C).

A solution was devised to use cold liquid CO2 from a CO2 recovery plant, vaporizing the liquid and passing it through the cellar cooling units to lower temperatures to 54℉.

To qualify for the Research and Experimentation Tax Credit, Wino had to ensure its “qualified research” met four main criteria, known and developed by Congress as The Four-Part Test. After a self-assessment, Wino claimed the following experiments as R&D work.

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Wino’s Eligible R&D Activities

Design and development of a series of prototypes to achieve technical objectives and prove the hypothesis (design development and initial testing of the solution to reduce cellar temperatures via a CO2 system).

The hypothesis for this phase of Wino’s R&D project questioned whether cellar temperatures could be reduced by 5℉ through the use of CO2.

In an attempt to prove its hypothesis, Wino conducted the following R&D activities:

Practical design through in-depth analysis of potential issues
The system design was constantly refined over months to improve system performance
Technical drawings and design calculations were updated as needed to incorporate changes and refinements
On-site implementation of the solution for testing and further development

Wino demonstrated that the system was a failure, as too many variables outside its control did not allow the system to operate consistently. With all these factors influencing performance, the system was too complicated for stable cellar operation.

Trials and data analysis to achieve reproducible results to a satisfactory standard and to test the hypothesis (testing and evaluation of practical performance of the revised solution).

Although Wino failed to find a solution to lower the overall temperature in the cellar, it was still able to claim the following testing and evaluation activities as R&D:

A complete design change was necessary using CO2 as a conventional refrigerant to reduce the cellar temperature.
Redesign of the system as a standalone plant using two new compressors and liquid CO2 pump recirculation to larger evaporators in the cellars.
A new evaporator in each cellar was added to the existing evaporators.

Background research to assess current knowledge gaps and determine feasibility (background research for designing a solution to reduce cellar temperatures).

Wino’s background research focused on identifying problems, designing a potential solution using CO2 recovery tanks, and collaborating with the client on design development. Design development included:

Meetings with the client, presentation of typical designs, other system options, and the commitment to provide refined designs.
Internal design development and development of sketches and calculations.
Discussions with site operators regarding the practicality of the system.
Presentation of the design to the client for their review and acceptance.

These background research activities were necessary because they helped identify the key elements of the research project, thus qualifying as R&D work.

Continuous analysis of client or user feedback to improve prototype design (R&D based on feedback of the solution to reduce cellar temperatures via a CO2 system).

Wino conducted the following activities during its analysis:

Development and modification to interpret experimental results/observations and draw conclusions that served as a starting point for developing new hypotheses; i.e., solutions to observed inefficiencies or problems
Evaluation of client feedback to improve system design
Client inspection upon completion of the construction phase
Validation of design inputs on the operation and testing of the new system

These activities were necessary to evaluate the performance capabilities of the new design in the field and to improve any flaws in the design.

Live Webinar: The R&D Tax Credit in the Textiles, Clothing and Footwear Sector

Duration: 60 Minutes

Learning Objectives Include:

An Overview of R&D Tax Credits
Identifying Qualifying Research Activities
Defining the 4-Part Test
How to substatiate activities through documentation
Identifying Qualified Research Expenses

Cost: FREE

Knowledge Level: Basic*

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Definition of Qualified Research

Qualified research consists of research with the intent to develop new or improved business components. A business component is defined as any product, process, technique, invention, formula, or software that the taxpayer intends to hold for sale, lease, license, or actual use in the taxpayer’s trade or business.

The Four-Part Test

Activities eligible for the R&D Credit are described in the “Four-Part Test,” which must be met for the activity to qualify as R&D.

Permitted Purpose: The purpose of the activity or project must be to create new (or improve existing) functionality, performance, reliability, or quality of a business component.
Elimination of Uncertainty: The taxpayer must intend to discover information that would eliminate uncertainty regarding the development or improvement of the business component. Uncertainty exists if the information available to the taxpayer does not establish the capability of development or improvement, the method of development or improvement, or the appropriateness of the business component’s design.
Process of Experimentation: The taxpayer must follow a systematic process designed to evaluate one or more alternatives to achieve a result where the capability or method to achieve that result, or the appropriate design of that result, is uncertain at the beginning of the taxpayer’s research activities.
Technological Nature: The process of experimentation used to discover information must fundamentally rely on principles of hard sciences such as physical or biological sciences, chemistry, engineering, or computer science.

What specific records and documentation did Wino keep?

Similar to any tax credit or deduction, Wino had to keep business records outlining what it did in its R&D activities, including experimental activities and documents to prove that the work was carried out systematically.

Wino kept the following documentation:

Project progress (e.g., meeting notes, minutes, emails, reports)
Conceptual sketches and technical drawings
Photographs of completed models
Test protocols
Results or records of test analyses / trials
Tax invoices

By having these documents on file, Wino confirmed it was “compliance ready”—meaning if it were subject to an audit, it could present the documentation to show the progression of its R&D work, ultimately proving its eligibility for R&D.