At a glance
The R&D tax credit at a glance
Check the four-part test
Form 6765
How it is claimed
The federal form that calculates the credit, filed with your return.
Any entity
Who can claim it
C corporations, S corporations, LLCs and partnerships can all qualify.
3 to 4 years
Open years
Prior years can often be claimed by amended return.
20 years
Carryforward
Unused credit can generally be carried forward for up to 20 years.
Eligibility
Who qualifies for the R&D tax credit in Florida
Any Florida business with qualifying research can claim the federal credit. The work matters, not the industry.
Industries we see in Florida
Manufacturers
Software
Marine
Aerospace
Medical device
Engineering
Construction
Machine shops
Any business structure
C corporations, S corporations, LLCs and partnerships can claim it. For pass-through entities, the credit goes to the owners.
Work done in the U.S.
Qualifying research counts wherever it happens, including Florida shops, job sites and offices.
Qualifying research
Work that meets the four-part test, even if it failed or nobody called it research.
Real spending on the work
Wages, supplies and contractor costs tied to that work make up the credit.
How it is claimed
How the R&D credit reaches your return
Florida has no personal income tax, so for most owners the federal return is where the credit does its work.
Step 1
Your business does qualifying work
Designing, testing and improving products, processes or software counts, even if you never called it research.
Step 2
The credit is calculated
We total qualifying wages, supplies and contractor costs and prepare the Form 6765 support.
Step 3
It passes through to the owners
S corporations, partnerships and LLCs report each owner’s share of the credit.
Step 4
Owners claim it on their returns
Your CPA carries the credit to each owner’s federal return. C corporations claim it on the corporate return.
Florida state credit
What about Florida’s own R&D credit?
Florida has a separate corporate credit, but it is narrow. Most Florida businesses do not use it and rely on the federal credit. Your CPA can tell you if it applies.
Read the statute
Corporations only
It applies to corporations subject to Florida’s corporate income tax, not to most S corporations, LLCs or partnerships.
Target industries and certification
A business must be in a target industry and hold a FloridaCommerce certification letter.
A short window and a statewide cap
Applications open for a short window each year, and the total pool is capped and prorated.
FAQ
Florida R&D tax credit questions, answered
Straight answers on how Florida businesses claim the credit and where the state credit fits.