The Olympic Games (including this year’s summer games in Paris) provide the perfect analogy for anyone unfamiliar with indirect rates. While most of us are familiar with the game and rules surrounding basketball, few of us are familiar with team handball. Trying to apply what you know about basketball is futile when deducing any rules surrounding team handball, unless you already know those rules ..read more

Earlier this week, ReliAscent® posted a guest blog from one of our partners on how SBIR/STTR awardees can minimize the impact of the R&D amortization requirement in IRS Section 174. However, there are differing opinions and approaches to dealing with this issue, and though we do not give tax advice, nor endorse any company or specific approach, we want to present the SBIR/STTR community with resources and options to support contractors in these turbulent times ..read more

With the September and October 15 tax (extension) deadlines looming, now is a critical time for SBIR/STTR awardees to determine if their contracts are subject to IRS sections 41 and 174 (if they have not already), and if so, how they can minimize the impact of  amortization, while maximizing the R&D tax credit. The following post on this important topic is the second from one of our newest partners in 2024, Hull & Knarr LLP, written by Business Development Manager, John Berry ..read more

“What’s a good G&A rate?” At ReliAscent, we are frequently asked this question ..read more

We get a lot of great questions from small business owners each week, and some of the most common issues that come up during an SBIR Phase I are related to Timekeeping, Compensation/Payroll, and Tax issues. The six questions below were selected for the 3rd installment in this series ..read more

You’ve poured your life into developing your product or technology. You finally won and negotiated your contract, drafted a budget, and things are good to go, right ..read more

Perhaps the greatest factor that affects the SBIR/STTR Phase II regulatory environment is the particular agency you’re focused on. It can be hard enough if you are pursuing Research and Development (R&D) funding from just one agency. The administrative approach can be particularly challenging if you are seeking funding from both a contract agency (DoD, NASA) and a grant agency (DOE, NIH, NSF, and others).    Phase II Proposals and Budgets The process of developing an SBIR/STTR Phase II budget in general is common among all agencies. A variety of factors contribute to much confusi ..read more

ReliAscent® would like to remind all government contractors that if you had a Cost Reimbursable type contract in 2023, your Incurred Cost Proposal / DCAA ICE Submission is due 6 months after the end of your FY (per FAR 52.216-7).  If your FY ends on Dec 31st, that means your submission deadline is rapidly approaching, and it's time to get started! Just like you shouldn't wait until April 1st to select your accountant and start your tax return, you shouldn't wait any longer to select a qualified government contract accounting firm to help you with your ICE.  The ex ..read more

The following post is the first guest blog from one of our new partners in 2024, Hull & Knarr LLP, written by Business Development Manager, John Berry. Stay tuned for more blogs from John, as well as featured guest posts from new  partners this spring and summer!   The R&D Credit is an incentive that has been around for more than 40 years, yet there remain many businesses that opt not to claim it for one reason or another. In some cases, businesses owners have a vision of what R&D is and don’t believe that what they do constitutes R&D despite the fact that the tax cod ..read more

Government Contractors and SBIR/STTR awardees are holding their collective breath as Congress considers tax legislation that would immediately halt the devastating R&D Amortization requirement from the TCJA and IRS section 174. In a 40-3 vote on January 19th, the House Ways and Means Committee advanced a tax deal to the floor that would restore two major business deductions through 2025, among other changes. The deal, titled “Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act of 2024,” while only a temporary fix (through 2025, but retroactive back to 2022), would restore immediate R&D ex ..read more