R&D Tax Credits
Automation & Robotics
Robotic cells, PLC programming, vision systems, motion control: this is the textbook definition of qualifying R&D.
$0
Initial assessment. No fee to find out.
4-8 wks
Typical study, start to finish.
9 yrs
Building defensible credit claims since 2017.
Why this work qualifies
Every automation cell is a bet that a process which has never been automated this way can hit rate, quality, and uptime targets. Winning that bet takes motion programming that gets rewritten, end-of-arm tooling that gets redesigned, vision systems that get retrained, and weeks of throughput validation. That is not incidental to your business. It is the qualifying research, and in this vertical it is nearly the whole job.
The trap for integrators is assuming the client owns the R&D because the client paid for the machine. The funded-research rules turn on contract terms, and fixed-price integration contracts frequently leave the technical risk, and therefore the credit, with the integrator. It is one of the most commonly missed credits we see, and one of the best documented once claimed, because commissioning records already tell the story of experimentation.
Common qualifying activities
- ✓Programming robot motion paths for new applications
- ✓Designing end-of-arm tooling and fixtures
- ✓Integrating machine vision and inspection systems
- ✓Developing control logic across PLCs and HMIs
- ✓Prototyping new automation cells and validating throughput
What typically does not qualify
Hardware resale, repeat builds of a proven cell design, standard installs to a settled spec, and routine support contracts generally do not qualify. The engineering hours are the claim, not the purchase orders.
Common questions
Automation & Robotics, answered.
Our projects are client-funded. Can we still claim?
Frequently, yes. If your contracts are fixed price, you bear the risk of the engineering not working, which is the key fact in the funded-research analysis. Rights to reuse what your team learned matter too. Contract review is part of the assessment.
Do failed or abandoned projects count?
Yes. The credit rewards the process of experimentation, not its success. A cell that never hit rate can still generate qualifying wages for the engineering time spent trying.
Which roles generate qualifying wages?
Controls engineers, robotics programmers, mechanical designers, and the engineers running commissioning and validation are typical. Direct supervision and support of that work can also qualify in part.
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