How the R&D credit applies to Fort Myers businesses
The federal R&D tax credit rewards work that tries to solve a technical problem through design and testing. In Fort Myers that often means companies in construction and building products, software and healthcare technology, engineering and manufacturing.
The credit is claimed on the federal return, so Lee County companies follow the same rules as any other. Many are S corporations or LLCs, so the credit passes through to the owners and your CPA files it with the return.
Work we often see in and around Fort Myers
Construction and contractors: engineered building methods and custom systems
Manufacturers: building products and production improvements
Software and technology: new features, automation and healthcare technology
Engineering and architecture: new designs, simulation and custom technical solutions
Work that often qualifies
Developing a new building product or a better way to install it
Engineering a custom system for a hard building problem
Building new software features or automation
Testing a design in a lab or on site and revising it
Improving a production process for quality or yield
Work that usually does not
Routine construction and installation to a known method
Maintenance and repairs with a known fix
Cosmetic design and content changes
Costs that count
Wages for the people doing the work, supplies used in testing and a share of outside contractor costs can count when they tie to a qualifying project. We match each cost to a project so your CPA has a file that holds up if the IRS asks.
What to bring to a screening
A list of products, systems and projects from the last few years
Who worked on them and about how much time they spent
Drawings, test records, tickets or notes
Payroll and material totals for those projects
Based in Sarasota, we work with Fort Myers and the rest of Lee County, and with businesses across Florida and the United States.
Find out what your work has earned
Free 5 to 10 minute screening. See which of your projects can earn a credit.
Why us
Why businesses choose Strategic Incentive
We are a Sarasota firm that pairs R&D credit specialists with a practicing CPA, so every study is built for the return it feeds.
A CPA partner behind every study
A practicing CPA is part of our team, so the work is built for the return it feeds.
Project-level documentation
Each qualifying project is documented on its own, not covered by boilerplate.
An audit-ready file
Your CPA gets the calculations, narratives and records in one organized package.
How it works
How a study works
Four steps from the first screening to a filed, audit-ready claim.
1
Free screening
A 5 to 10 minute screening based on the IRS four-part test. We review your answers and estimate whether a credit is likely.
2
Discovery interview
A guided conversation and a questionnaire built for your business document each qualifying project.
3
Calculation
We calculate the credit and prepare Form 6765 support, project narratives and employee time allocations.
4
CPA hand-off
We work with your CPA or tax preparer and hand over an audit-ready package. If the IRS asks questions, we respond.
FAQ
Common questions
Straight answers before you start a screening.