Licking County R&D Tax Advisors

R&D Tax Credit Services for Licking County Businesses

Licking County is home to a wide range of industrial and technical operations, including plastics and packaging manufacturers, metal fabricators, food processors, chemical blenders, building-materials producers, automation and electronics teams, software developers, and advanced facility engineering groups. These organizations frequently refine processes, test materials, evaluate prototypes, improve equipment performance, or develop internal digital systems. When documented properly, many of these activities may qualify for the federal R&D Tax Credit.


RCG has completed more than 25,000 R&D tax credit studies and identified over $750 million in federal tax savings. Our CPAs, engineers, and technical analysts focus exclusively on R&D credit services, supporting Licking County companies with audit-ready documentation.

Understanding the R&D Tax Credit

 The R&D Tax Credit rewards businesses that attempt to improve or develop:

Materials or formulations

Manufacturing and fabrication processes

Manufacturing or packaging processes

Structural or mechanical performance

Automation and control systems

Software tools and data architectures

Advanced facility systems related to high-tech infrastructure

Projects may qualify when teams perform:

Experimentation to resolve technical uncertainty

Prototype testing or iteration

Engineering analysis or simulation

Material, formulation, or system evaluation

Software development grounded in computer science principles

These types of activities are common across Licking County’s production and engineering sectors.

How the R&D Credit Supports Licking County Operations

Qualified research expenses may reduce federal tax liability and support reinvestment in:

Engineering and technical personnel

Material testing and formulation refinement

Structural or mechanical improvements

Automation upgrades and process optimization

Software development and system enhancements

Advanced facility engineering and environmental control refinement

Eligible companies may also review open tax years. Qualifying startups may apply the credit to the employer portion of payroll taxes.

Where Technical Innovation Commonly Occurs in Licking County

Examples of qualifying work include:

Testing plastics, resins, coatings, or packaging materials

Refining extrusion, molding, forming, or cutting processes

Improving structural performance of fabricated components

Enhancing automation sequences or robotics programming

Refining food processing variables or packaging consistency

Evaluating environmental control systems in advanced facilities

Improving cleanroom-related workflows or technical processes

Developing or refining software tools, integrations, or architecture

Conducting structured experiments to validate new methods

These activities consistently demonstrate engineering-based problem-solving and experimentation.

Sectors That Qualify for R&D Tax Incentives

Plastics, Packaging & Material Processing

Testing blends, refining molding or extrusion parameters, evaluating durability or stability

Metal Fabrication, Machining & Structural Products

Improving tolerances, testing strength, refining machining steps, evaluating configurations


Food Production & Process Engineering

Adjusting formulations, refining process conditions, evaluating packaging performance

Chemical Blending & Applied Formulations

Testing blend interactions, refining consistency, evaluating performance through structured trials


Building Materials & Construction Products

Refining formulas, testing structural behavior, improving durability


Automation, Robotics & Industrial Controls
Updating control logic, improving responsiveness, testing integrated systems

Software Development & Digital Systems

Enhancing architecture, developing features, refining workflows, improving integrations


Semiconductor & Advanced Facility Engineering

Evaluating process systems, refining environmental controls, improving high-tech facility workflows, testing technical configurations

Who Qualifies for the R&D Tax Credit

Licking County businesses may qualify when they:

Design, test, or refine prototypes or mechanical components

Evaluate formulations, material blends, coatings, or structural mixes

Improve production efficiency, quality, or automation reliability

Develop or refine process systems in high-tech facilities

Enhance software tools, system performance, or integrations

Conduct structured testing or engineering analyses

Address technical uncertainty related to product or process design

Eligibility is determined by the technical method, not company size or industry type.

Steps to Claim Your R&D Tax Credit

  • 1. Identify qualifying activity

    RCG meets with engineering, materials, automation, software, and production teams to identify eligible technical efforts.

  • 2. Gather supporting documentation

    We help collect testing logs, formulation notes, design files, prototype records, development documentation, system evaluations, and payroll data.

  • 3. Prepare project narratives

    RCG outlines the technical uncertainty, experimentation steps, engineering approach, and testing performed for each qualifying project.

  • 4. Evaluate qualified research expenses

    We analyze eligible wages, materials, supplies, and contractor work tied to qualified research activity.

  • 5. Deliver an audit-ready package

    Your CPA receives all technical documentation, supporting schedules, and required IRS forms.

  • 6. Respond if taxing authorities request clarification

    RCG relies on documentation created during the study to address questions.

IRS Requirements: The Four-Part Test

Permitted Purpose: Work must aim to improve performance, reliability, function, or quality.

Elimination of Uncertainty: Teams must address uncertainty involving capability, method, or design.

Process of Experimentation: Projects must include prototyping, testing, simulation, or evaluating technical alternatives.

Technological in Nature: Efforts must rely on engineering, chemistry, computer science, physical sciences, or biological sciences.

Documentation and Support for Licking County Businesses

RCG prepares engineering notes, formulation data, prototype evaluations, facility system assessments, cost schedules, and wage analyses that clearly connect technical work to qualified research expenses.

How RCG Works With Your Licking County Team

We begin by reviewing operations to identify where experimentation occurs. RCG conducts technical discussions with personnel involved in engineering, materials testing, facility system development, automation, food production, and software. All insights are consolidated into a complete audit-ready documentation package for your CPA.

Common Misconceptions About the R&D Tax Credit

Many organizations assume their work is routine. In practice, qualifying activities often occur in:

Material testing

Prototype development

Facility system refinement

Automation improvements

Formulation adjustments

Software development

Eligibility depends on the engineering method, not industry labels or company size.

Why Licking County Companies Work With RCG

RCG specializes in documenting engineering, materials development, facility system engineering, automation, process optimization, and software activities. Our combined technical and tax expertise supports Licking County businesses in pursuing the R&D Tax Credit confidently and accurately.

Start Your R&D Tax Credit Review

If your Licking County business develops, tests, refines, or improves products, materials, facility systems, automation controls, production processes, or software, the R&D Tax Credit may apply.

Frequently Asked Questions for Licking County Businesses

  • Do Licking County manufacturers qualify for the R&D Tax Credit?

    Many qualify when they test materials, evaluate prototypes, refine tolerances, or improve production workflows.

  • Does high-tech facility engineering qualify?

    It may when teams refine environmental controls, evaluate process systems, or test new technical configurations through structured experimentation.

  • Do plastics or packaging operations qualify?

    Often yes. Testing blends, refining molding or extrusion conditions, or evaluating durability may meet the IRS requirements.

  • Does food production qualify?

    It may when processing adjustments, packaging evaluations, or formulation refinements involve technical testing.

  • Do software teams in Licking County qualify?

    Yes. Enhancing architecture, developing features, solving technical uncertainty, or improving system integrations may qualify.

  • Can Licking County startups apply the R&D credit to payroll taxes?

    Yes. Eligible startups may apply the credit to the employer portion of payroll taxes.

  • What documentation strengthens an R&D claim?

    Testing logs, engineering notes, formulation data, facility system records, prototype evaluations, development histories, and payroll information help substantiate qualified research.

Our Serving Area

RCG assists clients in identifying and documenting available adoption assistance tax credits throughout the state of Ohio.