Are R&D Tax Credits Available in Arkansas?
Yes. The state of Arkansas provides the Research and Development (R&D) Tax Credit for qualified research expenses (QREs) occurring within the state. Taxpayers must invest in a project under one or more of the R&D programs offered by the Arkansas Science and Technology Authority (ASTA) when the projects directly involve an Arkansas business and must be approved by its Board of Directors. The credit may be earned for the first five years following the signing of a financial incentive agreement with the Arkansas Department of Economic Development (ADED).
Some highlights of the Arkansas R&D tax credits include:
- In-House Research and Development: Businesses conducting research qualifying for federal R&D tax credits may claim a credit of 20% of in-house QREs that exceed the base, for a period of five years. For a new in-house research facility, the base year is zero. Therefore, in the first three years following the date of the financial incentive agreement, all eligible expenditures can qualify for the credit. QREs in the 3rd and 4th years are used as the base year to calculate the credits in the 4th and 5th years, respectively. The agreement may be renewed for up to 5 years. May not be used with In-House Research by a Targeted Business Credit.
- Research and Development in Area of Strategic Value: This credit is equal to 33% of in-house QREs in conducting research qualifying for federal R&D credits. The credit for in-house research in an area of strategic value is capped at $50,000 per taxpayer per year. Research must be in an area of strategic value OR for a project offered by the Arkansas Economic Development Commission (AEDC). Research in an area of strategic value means research in fields having long-term economic or commercial value to the state, and that has been identified in an AEDC-approved R&D plan. May not be used with In-House Research by a Targeted Business Credit.
- University-Based Research and Development: An eligible business that contracts with an Arkansas college or university in performing research qualifying for federal R&D credits may qualify for a 33% credit for QREs. May be used with other In-House R&D Credits.
- In-House Research by a Targeted Business: Upon application and approval by the AEDC Executive Director, targeted businesses may claim a credit of 33% of the QREs incurred each year for up to five years. QREs include expenses incurred in the conduct of research qualifying for federal R&D tax credits. This credit may be sold one time upon application and approval by AEDC. A targeted business claiming this credit is prohibited from earning job creation tax credits for the same expenses and may not be used with other In-house R&D credits. Targeted businesses are within the following business sectors: 1) Advanced Materials & Manufacturing Systems, 2) Agricultural, Food and Environmental Sciences, 3) Bio-Based Products, 4) Biotechnology, Bioengineering and Life Sciences, 5) Information Technology, OR 6) Transportation Logistics.
Utilization: The Arkansas R&D tax credit, including any carry forward amount, may be used to offset 100% of Arkansas state tax liabilities. Any amount in excess of the tax liability may be carried forward for a maximum of 9 consecutive tax periods.
Application Required: Taxpayers must apply to the ADED in order to qualify for the Arkansas R&D tax credit for research under programs of the ASTA. Application for this credit must include a project plan that clearly identifies the intent of the project, the expenditures planned, the project start and end dates, and a total project cost estimate. The ASTA specifies the application format for its programs. The ASTA must approve any research for which a taxpayer is seeking credit under this incentive. To claim a credit, a taxpayer must file the Certificate of Tax Credit issued by the ASTA with the tax return on which the credit is first claimed. (Reg. VIIE4b, Consolidated Incentive Act (Act 182 of 2003) Regulations, Research Under ASTA Programs)
Exclusive Provision: Taxpayers claiming the Arkansas R&D credit cannot receive the credit granted by Sec. 26-51-1102(b), A.C.A. for the same expenditures.
Arkansas R&D Tax Credit Case Study
A medical research company in Fort Smith, Arkansas had never claimed the R&D Tax Credits before. This project involved the tax year 2021. The Company qualified for the federal R&D Tax Credit of $75,000 and an additional $99,000 of state R&D Tax Credit in Arkansas.
FEDERAL
|
ARKANSAS
|
|||
Year
|
Total QREs
|
Credit
|
Total QREs
|
Credit
|
2021
|
$750,000
|
$75,000
|
$300,000
|
$99,000
|
You can read more about this Arkansas case study here.
Four-Part Test
Qualified research activities are defined by the four-part test outlined below
Technological in Nature
Activities must fundamentally rely on the principles of physical or biological science, engineering, or computer science.Permitted Purpose
Activities must be performed in an attempt to improve the functionality, performance, reliability, or quality of a new or existing business component.Eliminate Uncertainty
Activities intended to discover information that could eliminate technical uncertainty concerning the development or improvement of a product.Experimentation
All activities must include a process of experimentation including testing, modeling, simulating, and systematic trial and error.Research and Development Tax Insights

Retroactive and Permanent R&D Expensing Restored Under Proposed Senate Legislation
06/17/2025Follow KBKG on Social Media Linkedin Facebook X-twitter Youtube By Jonathan Tucker | Principal, Research & Development Tax Credits The Senate Finance Committee has proposed a significant change to the way U.S. businesses deduct their research and development (R&D) expenses. If passed, the bill would reverse a major change that took effect in 2022 based on … Read More

California Senate Bill 711 Proposes Simplified R&D Credit Method
06/10/2025Follow KBKG on Social Media Linkedin Facebook X-twitter Youtube By Tetyana Guguchkina, Elise Rhee, & Michael Maroney | Research & Development Tax Credits California is poised to overhaul its R&D Tax Credit with Senate Bill 711 (SB 711), which proposes replacing the state’s Alternative Incremental Research Credit (AIRC) with a new Alternative Simplified Credit (ASC) … Read More

House Narrowly Passes Major GOP Tax Bill 215–214, Senate Signals Revisions Ahead
05/22/2025Follow KBKG on Social Media Linkedin Facebook X-twitter Youtube By Jonathan Tucker | Principal, Research & Development Tax Credits Just after midnight on Thursday, May 22, 2025, a full House debate on the multi-trillion-dollar tax bill began, and the House narrowly passed this sweeping tax and spending package dubbed the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” with … Read More

House Committee Advances Major GOP Tax Bill Amid Internal GOP Divisions
05/19/2025Follow KBKG on Social Media Linkedin Facebook X-twitter Youtube By Jonathan Tucker | Principal, Research & Development Tax Credits On May 18, 2025, the House Budget Committee narrowly approved a major tax and spending package dubbed the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” with a 17-16 vote. Four Republicans voted “present,” highlighting growing tension within the party … Read More

Senate Reacts to Key Provisions from House Tax Bill, Eyeing Permanent R&D Expensing
05/16/2025Follow KBKG on Social Media Linkedin Facebook X-twitter Youtube By Jonathan Tucker | Principal, Research & Development Tax Credits Important developments recently came out of Congress related to the House’s ongoing reconciliation efforts, specifically around tax provisions that impact businesses directly, most notably, research and development (R&D) expensing. At a recent Tax Council Policy Institute conference, … Read More

House Tax Bill Prioritizes 174 R&D Amortization Fix, Bonus Depreciation, SALT Cap, and more
05/13/2025Follow KBKG on Social Media Linkedin Facebook X-twitter Youtube By Jonathan Tucker | Principal, Research & Development Tax Credits On May 12, 2025, the House Ways and Means Committee released a larger text than what Chairman Jason Smith (R-MO) released on May 9 for proposed tax legislation as part of the FY 2025 budget reconciliation process. … Read More

The Case for Human Expertise in your R&D Tax Credits
04/29/2025In a world increasingly driven by automation, it’s tempting to turn to Artificial Intelligence (AI) powered solutions for complex tasks, even something as nuanced as claiming R&D tax credits. While AI can be a powerful tool, when it comes to maximizing your R&D tax credit claim, human expertise of a trusted advisor is not just … Read More

House Passes 2025 Budget Resolution, Paving Way for Tax and Spending Reform
04/10/2025Follow KBKG on Social Media Linkedin Facebook X-twitter Youtube By Jonathan Tucker | Principal, Research & Development Tax Credits On April 10, 2025, the U.S. House of Representatives approved the final version of the Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 budget resolution (H. Con. Res. 14) by a razor-thin margin of 216 to 214, which will incorporate amendments … Read More

Lawmakers Introduce Bill to Retroactively Fix R&D 174 Expensing
03/14/2025By Kevin Zolriasatain and Paul McVoy | Principals, Research & Development Tax Credits On March 10, 2025, a bipartisan group of lawmakers introduced the American Innovation and R&D Competitiveness Act of 2025 in the U.S. House of Representatives. The legislation aims to restore the immediate deductibility of research and experimental (R&E) expenditures and reverse the amortization requirement imposed … Read More

KBKG Announces Enhancements to Dash.tax, Streamlining R&D Tax Credit Claims for CPAs, Startups, and Small Businesses
03/04/2025PASADENA, Calif. – March 4, 2025– KBKG, a leader in tax credits and incentives solutions, has introduced significant enhancements to Dash.tax, its innovative tax automation platform designed for CPAs, startups, and small businesses. The latest updates further streamline the process of claiming R&D tax credits, ensuring businesses can efficiently apply credits to payroll taxes, maximize … Read More