The firearms, ammunition, and missile defense industries are highly regulated and serve consumers, law enforcement, and the military. A significant proportion of the industry’s resources is spent on research and development (R&D). If your manufacturing company designs and tests novel prototypes, increases efficiency of existing systems, or experiments with missile technology, it may be eligible to claim the R&D Tax Credit. The tax savings allow companies to reinvest in their workforce, infrastructure, and additional R&D projects.
Employee wages, raw materials and supplies, cloud computer rental, and third-party contractor costs associated with R&D activities are considered qualified research expenses (QREs). Companies can receive refunds of up to 22% of total QREs through federal and state tax credits, depending on the state in which your business operates.
Examples of qualifying activities:
- Designing and implementing technology that improves gun safety (e.g. requires user voice, fingerprint, or facial recognition)
- Developing novel microstamping technology to track suspects after a crime has been committed
- Improving the military’s weapons performance to maintain combat effectiveness
- Experimenting with new materials for ammunition, optics, and small arms that reduce weight and waste
- Implementing operational processes that are cost-effective and increase throughput on the shop floor (e.g. robotics)
Do you have these job titles on your payroll, or do you hire third-party contractors to do these jobs?
- Ammunition Technicians
- Chemical Engineers
- Computer-aided Design (CAD) Engineers
- Materials Engineers
- Mechanical Engineers
- Process Engineers
- Project Managers
- QA/QC Personnel
- Systems Engineers
Use our R&D Tax Calculator to estimate your potential benefit, and partner with STRIKE to claim your tax benefits with no up-front costs. Contact one of our experts today.
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