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With over 28 years of experience and support for 50,000+ companies worldwide, our experts help uncover valuable savings that fuel continued innovation.
How we help
Our team of tax and indusry technical experts supports thousands of businesses each year in navigating innovation funding & incentives.
From Our Experience
Many business owners mistakenly believe they don’t qualify for R&D incentives, causing them to miss out on significant tax savings.
The IRS defined R&D through a 4 Part Test and, surprisingly, the definition is incredibly broad. As long as a company is in a field of hard science and trying to either improve an existing product/process or develop a brand new one, they are likely conducting an R&D project.
The PATH Act expanded the R&D Tax Credit to help startups and growing businesses offset payroll tax liability, making innovation incentives more accessible beyond large corporations and encouraging continued investment in U.S.-based research and development.
More than 30 states offer their own version of R&D Tax Credit and most state credits closely follow the Federal legislation, Section 41.
WHY LEYTON
Tax & Industry Technical Experts
Years of Experience
Countries
Industries Served
In Incentives
& Funding
Industry Experts, Tax Professionals
Our expertise comes from our 28 years of existence, with PhDs, and Engineers, Tax Experts, Scientists, & Doctors, working in more than 65 industries.
Devin Medrek
Innovation Tax Manager
“As a Tax Manager on Leyton’s Innovation team, my team and I explain and assess the tax impact of our clients’ research and development tax credit claims and the corresponding treatment of research costs necessary per current legislation. Especially over the past few years, legal guidance on accounting for research costs has fluctuated and had a significant impact on companies claiming the credit.
Within the study, we gather qualified cost data according to the four eligible categories for the R&D credit in as much granular detail as possible. Typically that includes a combination of time tracking data, GL and transactional detail, and reasonable estimates of qualified time involvement by personnel and third parties, based on their activities which are technical in nature and involve a process of experimentation. We collectively have decades of R&D experience and will sense-check, challenge, and help substantiate the suggested level of qualified costs being represented by our clients according to their industry, and our technical understanding of the work being performed. It is extremely rewarding to legitimately help our clients further fund their innovative work, especially through ensuring that additional talented people are hired to do so. We work tirelessly, especially around tax-filing deadlines, to ensure that as many companies benefit from the R&D credit incentive as possible, as was intended when legislation made the credit permanent over a decade ago.”
Savannah Durham, J.D.
Technical Manager, Innovation Funding & Compliance
“As Technical Manager of Innovation Funding & Compliance, I have the pleasure of leading a team of highly specialized engineers and scientists within Leyton’s Innovation Business Unit. Together, we leverage our diverse technical backgrounds to identify, calculate, substantiate, and defend federal and state incentives that reward companies for investing in domestic research and development. These incentives include R&D Tax Credits, Orphan Drug Tax Credits, NIH and DOD grants, Advanced Manufacturing Credits, and more.
Beyond managing Leyton’s Innovation Technical Consultants, I draw upon the skills I developed while earning my Juris Doctorate to drive process improvements across the organization and help ensure Leyton remains at the forefront of industry compliance. I am fortunate to be in a role where my work directly supports innovation in the United States, and I look forward to helping companies achieve their growth and innovation goals.”
Benjamin Brissette
Innovation Tax Manager
“As a Tax Manager within Leyton’s Innovation Funding & Compliance practice, I help lead and work alongside a team of financial specialists to identify, calculate, and substantiate the federal and state tax incentives that reward companies for investing in domestic research and development. My focus is on the financial and regulatory side of these engagements — building defensible credit calculations, navigating IRS documentation and audit requirements, and translating complex tax law into practical guidance for clients across a variety of industries.
My work centers on the §41 R&D Tax Credit, with additional experience in the Orphan Drug Tax Credit and Employee Retention Tax Credit. Having passed the CPA exam and currently completing my licensure requirements, I bring that same technical rigor and expertise to every engagement. I take pride and satisfaction in helping companies capture the full value of the incentives they’ve earned while ensuring every position we take stands up to scrutiny.
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Our Innovation team is there to ensure your projects are seen from all perspectives and to answer all your questions and help you make the most out of your Innovation efforts
FAQs
Can’t find the answer you’re after? Please contact our team
Our goal is to make the process as efficient as possible. Once we receive all required financial and technical documentation, an R&D Tax Credit study is typically completed within 1–2 months, depending on the size and complexity of your business.
Completing the study is separate from receiving the tax benefit. If the credit is claimed on a current-year tax return, the benefit may be realized when the return is filed. If you’re claiming the credit through an amended return, the IRS processing time for a refund can vary and may take 12 months or longer.
Claiming the tax incentives does not increase your chances of an audit. However, any time you amend your tax returns, the chance of an audit slightly increases. What’s important is that you have an experienced team that provides audit defense to support you.
This report details the Research & Development activities being conducted and the expenses associated with all activities. The core of the R&D Tax Credit is being able to tie financial expenses with technical research activity. This nexus is what builds the credit and allows companies to claim the benefit on their tax return. Without this nexus, the credit is null. This is where Leyton’s technical report comes in.
In addition to calculating the credit, Leyton prepares comprehensive supporting documentation, including technical narratives and expense analyses that align with IRS requirements. This documentation helps substantiate your claim, supports your tax position in the event of an IRS review, and provides your CPA with the information needed to accurately file the credit.