Founders are driven to create the future, to disrupt a broken system, or to make something new out of whole cloth. It’s not surprising then that for most of them, tax season — with its archaic rules and tedious paperwork — is the worst part of the year. Luckily, we at neo.tax are tax guys through and through; we’ve spent decades obsessing over the minutia. And so, we’re here to help make tax season simple, streamlined, and even advantageous for your startup.
Our Co-Founder and Head of Tax Stephen Yarbrough has been a corporate tax CPA for over 20 years. He spent most of the 2000s working at PwC, followed by 6 years as a Senior IRS Auditor, before serving as Head of Tax at a startup-focused CPA firm. In 2020, he joined forces with Ahmad Ibrahim to help found neo.tax. These are his six essential tax tips for your tech startup.
Incorporate in Delaware: If you’re expecting to raise money from venture capital firms or major investors, a Delaware C-Corp Structure is almost always a condition of funding. If you don’t expect to raise money for a long time, there may be other tax-advantageous structures (such as a partnership or LLC). However, be aware: conversion from an LLC/Partnership is more complex than you’d think and can trigger tax for the founders if executed incorrectly.
Get your R&D Payroll Tax Credit: For tech startups (software, hardware, biomedical, SaaS), the R&D Payroll Tax Credit is the closest thing to “free money” that a company will ever get from the government. Startups with less than 5 years of revenue (or no sales at all!) can earn up to 10% of their R&D spend back in payroll tax credits. R&D spend includes wages to engineers, payments to U.S. contractors and cloud computing (AWS) costs used towards R&D. This payroll benefit (up to a max of $250k/yr) is eligible for startups for a max of 5 years and only eligible on originally filed tax returns (you can’t amend to get this payroll benefit retroactively), so don’t miss out! The credit can extend your runway by dropping your total payroll costs by 6+% each pay period until the credit is used up. With the help of neo.tax, you can file for your R&D Payroll Tax Credit in just 15 minutes.
Get Compliant with Payroll Taxes: Big problems can pop up if founders draw funds as “loans” and neglect setting up and paying payroll taxes. Getting compliant doesn’t need to be a painful process; automated services like Gusto make this a breeze.
Collect Forms W-9 and Issue Forms 1099: Make it a point to collect W-9s BEFORE making a single payment to an outside contractor and to issue Forms 1099 each January. If you fail to receive a vendor’s taxpayer ID, or SSN, with a Form W-9 (or a foreign tax exemption declaration with form W-8 BEN), your company may be liable for up to 24% backup withholding tax with respect to those payments. On top of that, the failure to file Forms 1099 has become costly — over the past few years, penalties have skyrocketed from $25 to $1000 for each Form 1099 you fail to file!
Hire an Accountant with Tech Startup Experience: Startups are “small businesses,” but they often have multinational corporate tax challenges due to the nature of their work. This means a small-business accountant may not be the right choice for the complicated work: we can help with the R&D tax credits, but these accountants may not be familiar with forms related to foreign investments or investors. Startups are often penny wise and pound foolish when it comes to tax compliance. Saving a few hundred dollars on an accountant upfront isn’t worth the backend cost, especially if you have any business or owners outside the United States. Failure to file some international information returns can result in mandatory $25,000 penalties for EACH form missed! Also, small business accountants will likely keep your books on a “cash basis”, when future investors will want to see “Accrual basis” books. It’s easier to set it up right from the start than have to change this in a couple years.
Don’t Make Tax an Afterthought: This is the hardest piece of advice, but it’s the one that will extend your runway and keep you safe from costly fines down the road. It also can prove essential when you’re negotiating an acquisition down the road. So, invest in an accountant or automated service that you trust. If you’re making a major R&D equipment purchase, your accountant can get you a 50% sales tax exemption in CA. If you’re hiring employees, you’ll need to make sure you’re registered in the state. If you start making sales, you should be verifying that you’re compliant with sales tax collection and remittance. Sales taxes are complicated, but services such as Avalara or TaxJar can link into your current systems and automate the process — thinking about taxes with each major transaction can save you money in the future by avoiding penalties and interest. Fine-avoidance often isn’t enough incentive for a funded startup to get compliant, but this fact should: tax compliance is often a MAJOR area of due diligence when a larger company is negotiating an acquisition. I’ve seen founders lose money or have long delays during an acquisition as they scramble to correct the tax issues they ignored. Believe me: it’s not worth the risk.
Even as we’ve watched the Federal R&D Credit become more widely known by founders and CFOs, many innovative companies still don’t state 38 states offer their own State R&D Credit for companies. This is tax law built specifically to incentivize innovative companies like yours to, well, innovate. Not claiming it is just leaving money on the table…
For years, we’ve been working to make sure innovative companies claim the money they’re owed via the Federal R&D Credit. It’s never been more important to extend runway, and claiming your credit is the best way to secure non-dilutive capital.
But even as we’ve watched the Federal R&D Credit become more widely known by founders and CFOs, many innovative companies still aren't aware that 38 states offer an additional State R&D Credit for companies. This is tax law built specifically to incentivize innovative companies like yours to, well, innovate. Not claiming it is just leaving money on the table…
What is the State R&D Tax Credit?
Like the Federal R&D Tax Credit, many states have a state-specific R&D credit to incentivize innovative companies to create jobs and products within their state. Currently, 38 states offer specific R&D credits — each differs slightly, but many follow similar frameworks to the Federal R&D Tax Credit when it comes to Qualified Expenses and deadlines.
Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Wisconsin.
While each state has different rules on which expenses qualify, what type of companies can file for the credit, and how much the credit is worth, it’s always valuable for a company to claim every R&D credit they’re owed. Go to Neo.Tax and we can help calculate how much you’re owed and help you prepare your R&D tax credits today!
You’re a California-Based Company; How Much Can You Claim?
To give a sense of how valuable these credits can be, we wanted to share a case study of a California-based company that used Neo.Tax to claim both the Federal and State R&D Credit. For any research and development done within the state of California, the California State R&D Credit is equal to the sum of: 1) 15% of qualified expenses that exceed a base amount + 2) 24% of basic research payments.
A Series A IT Management Software Company approached Neo.Tax to help with their R&D Credit filing. With a revenue of $1.5M and $9M in expenses, the rapidly growing startup was able to claim $150,000 via the Federal R&D Credit. And how much more could they claim via California’s State R&D Credit? $50,000!
That extra $200K in their coffers was a game-changer during this precarious economic moment. And all it took was reaching out to Neo.Tax. As founders know, there’s almost no such thing as free money. But this credit was built by Congress and by 38 states to incentivize innovation within their borders. So, the money is available to innovators. All you have to do is claim it.
Book a call with an expert at Neo.Tax and we’ll walk you through the entire process. It’s easy and takes less than 30 minutes. So, what are you waiting for?
CF0to1: Sachin Sood, Chief Financial Officer at CRV
Sachin Sood, CFO at CRV, has leveraged a foundation in taxes, a laser-focused work ethic, and a love of diving deep into issues into a fascinating career on the finance side of some of the most successful companies in the world. He's continued to learn every step of the way. "Now, I’m in a role where all the skill sets are needed,” he tells us.
When Sachin Sood was in college at UC Irvine, a friend asked him what he planned to do with his economics degree. In retrospect, Sachin now knows, “You can’t do s*** with economics, quite frankly, unless you’re an East Coaster who wants to go into banking,” but as a 20-year-old college student, Sachin responded confidently. “I said, ‘I want to be a CFO,’” he remembers, grinning. “No joke.”
In the two decades since graduating, Sachin has taken a winding path to the CFO chair at CRV, the venture capital firm that invests in early-stage enterprise and consumer startups. “Now, did I know what CFO meant while at UC Irvine? Hell no. I had no idea what a CFO was going to do at that point,” Sachin says, laughing. “And now, in retrospect, it's completely different than I ever anticipated. But I knew I wanted to go down this route.”
Like most career paths, the route only looks linear when seen through the rearview mirror. “Economics went into tax when I took the job at PwC. Tax went into a finance operational role when I was a controller, and that actually ended up changing to more global thinking and finance models at e.ventures,” he explains. “And Social Capital was a completely different mold altogether.”
Since entering the workforce in 1999, Sachin’s “done a little bit of everything.” As he explains it: “For me, it's been hop, skip, jump.”
Ibrahim, Sachin, and Cailen at the Neo.Tax onsite
A Foundation in Taxes
Sachin credits a lot of his success in investing and venture capital to his time working on the tax side early in his career. He began at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) as an associate before moving to the role of Tax Manager at Delloite and Controller at Saints Capital. Those 8 years getting deep on tax allowed him to understand the foundational aspects of alternative investments such as venture, private equity, and hedge. “Taxation is the fundamental basis of a lot of what we do, especially in venture,” he says. “When government creates a tax credit, you'll see more money going into that type of business because companies know there's a tax incentive behind it. So, tax drives a lot of what we do. People just don't notice it sometimes, but it's critical.”
While so much of the focus for pre-IPO companies is on valuation, those numbers are projections for shareholders. Taxation at the time of an IPO is the tangible reality for a VC firm. “People will mark up portfolios and down portfolios in this market, but it doesn't mean anything,” he says. “At the end of the day, it's all about when you exit, what price do you exit, when do you sell it at, what do you IPO at? You want to ensure that when there is an IPO window and there is an exit, it's structured properly to give the best tax structure.”
His background in the fundamentals of economics and his years on the tax side has allowed him to remain laser-focused on the tangible reality. It’s the superpower that’s allowed him to thrive in his role as CFO. “I had an economics background. I went to work at a tax firm. I did portfolio management at Saints; a lot of it. And then I went to Social, where I did a little bit of everything, including working as a CCO at a RIA and sharpening legal skills,” he says. “Now, I’m in a role where all the skill sets are needed.”
The Five Types of CFOs
Over the last seven years, Sachin has been on the finance side at the global investment fund e.ventures, at Social Capital, and now at CRV. His time as VP of Finance at the two former companies and as CFO at his current company has allowed Sachin to dive deeply into the wide breadth of leadership styles across the tech world. “The investment side is all about learning,” he says. “At times, it's not just about one business that you learn; instead, you have to figure out how that business works across the different companies that focus upon. Each sector is so different. It's so nuanced.”
But from his bird’s eye view, he’s identified what he likes to call “the five types of CFOs.” First, there’s the startup CFO, who is involved across many different slices of the company and must be a master of shareholder desires, cap tables, and much more. Next, there is the small-business CFO, who has to have a mastery of all that but also have a specialty that is specific to the company’s focus. The medium-sized CFO who takes on the role of scaling the business — they are a strategy specialist. “Then you'll have a division CFO at a public company, and finally the public company CFO,” Sachin explains.
“What we end up seeing is, in the early stages of the company, you usually won't hire a CFO. You will hire an external firm to help you scale. You’ll hire a CFO when you have the breadth and the vision and when you have scale. The best way to say this: you have revenue, at that point, you bring the CFO,” Sachin says.
But how do you select the correct CFO for your growing business? “It really depends on what the CEO of the firm is looking to do,” he says. “If you're looking at an exit, you're bringing someone a bit more strategic. You're bringing a banker who has a better understanding. And then if you're looking for an IPO, you bring in somebody who actually understands the business in the long run.”
The real key is for both the CEO and CFO to understand the job of the Chief Financial Officer. “Quite frankly, a CFO’s job is just to know facts. At the end of the day, I always explain: ‘I present facts; it's up to you to make a decision,” he says. “If you want my opinion, I'm happy to provide it because I always have an opinion. But first I present the facts. This is what you're spending. This is what the org is struggling with. This is where costs are compared to our competitors. Ultimately, those choices get brought up to the CEO and then eventually a board member.”
Delegation Can Power Strategic Thinking
When Sachin first started as CFO at CRV, people kept asking him why he was always reading. He explained that to do his job well, he needed to dive deep into the weeds to fully understand as many aspects as possible of the core business. But now four years into his role, he’s come to understand the power of delegation. “It was really tough for me to be strategic because I knew I first had to learn the core business,” he says. “That’s why you have to rely on another partner. You have to rely on your controller. You have to rely on various controllers or people that are specialists.”
Today, Sachin works closely with two controllers: one who is a tax specialist and the other who is a portfolio analyst who is a data analyst. Each controller can focus full-time on their specialties, ensuring every aspect of their slice of the business is perfectly in order. “I have people that specialize in specific components because I can see the value of having experts in the weeds,” Sachin says. “They're going to be better at that than I am, quite frankly.”
Because Sachin worked in a controller role earlier in his career, he respects the value of great controllers. “It’s rolling up your sleeves. It’s ensuring the fact that your books and accounting records are in place, so there are no surprises at the end of the day,” he says. “They can allow the CFO to focus more on strategy, on thinking ahead, on tax savings, on thinking about how your portfolio is affected, and what the CFO can do to help out your portfolio companies. A great controller opens up a CFO’s mind to do more deep, strategic thinking.”
You’re not an accountant, but for founders, CFOs, and CEOs, understanding the language of taxes can help you strategize from a position of strength. So, we’re proud to present “The Language of R&D Taxes, Translated”, a helpful cheat sheet from your friends at Neo.Tax :)
We aren’t breaking news to tell you that the language of taxes is remarkably obscure. There are tax code numbers, endless terms, numerous IRS tests, and so much more, which all become extremely important on Tax Day.
You’re not an accountant, but for founders, CFOs, and CEOs, understanding the language of taxes can help you strategize from a position of strength. So, we’re proud to present “The Language of R&D Taxes, Translated”, a helpful cheat sheet from your friends at Neo.Tax :)
Tax Lingo
Capitalization - capitalization can be understood as a limitation on the timing in which you can take a deduction. There are two different subgroups of capitalization: depreciation (for physical assets) and amortization (for intangible assets).
Deduction - a deduction can be thought of as an expense that is subtracted from taxable income. So, if you made $10 mil in revenue and spent $5 mil on R&D, deducting that amount would make your taxable income $5 mil ($10,000,000 minus $5,000,000).
Doing Business As (DBA) - a DBA is a name other than one’s legal name that a person or company does business under.
Employee Identification Number (EIN) - a nine-digit number assigned by the IRS, used to identify taxpayers who are required to file various business tax returns.
NOL - a Net Operating Loss means how much in the red you are in a given tax year. So, if your startup is pre-revenue or early-revenue, every dollar you spend on payroll, marketing, R&D, or rent over the amount brought in via sales would be counted as an NOL.
Unused NOL - if the loss is not fully used up in the carryback years, any unused portion of the loss may be carried forward for up to 20 years after the NOL year. Any NOL that is not used up in the carryover period is lost.
Taxable Income - the portion of your gross income that's actually subject to taxation. Deductions are subtracted from gross income to arrive at your amount of taxable income.
Total Expenses - The cumulative sum of expenses from your accounting and payroll systems.
R&D-Specific Lingo
R&D Credit - enacted in 1981 to encourage research and development (R&D) activities in the United States, the R&D tax credit reduces tax liability for organizations that perform certain activities to develop new or improved products, processes, software, techniques, formulas, or inventions. You can get about 10% back on qualifying expenses such as wages, contractor costs, cloud hosting and infrastructure, supplies, and legal costs.
Expenses allocated to R&D - direct expenditures relating to a company's efforts to develop, design, and enhance its products, services, technologies, or processes.
Qualified Expenses - these are the expenses covered by IRC Section 41. They are the expenses eligible to be claimed as part of the R&D Tax Credit (they must pass the IRS’s 4-Part Test to qualify), such as:
W-2 Employees (W2, Box 1 Wages) - all taxable wages including bonuses and stock-option redemptions
The 4-Part Test - for an R&D expense to qualify for the R&D Tax Credit, it must pass the IRS’ 4-Part Test. It must:
work to eliminate a technical uncertainty.
experiment via modeling, trial-and-error, simulation or other methods.
use an experimentation process relies on a hard science.
have the goal to create a new or improved product or system.
New or improved business component (product/process) - the first part of the 4-Part Test: The research must be focused on developing a new or improved business component for the company. A “business component” means any product, process, computer software, technique, formula, or invention held for sale, lease, or license or used in a trade or business. This can include improving the function, performance, reliability, or quality of an existing product or business component.
Technological in nature - the second part of the 4-Part Test: The research relies on principles of the physical or biological sciences, engineering, or computer science, including software development.
Attempts to eliminate uncertainty - the third part of the 4-Part Test: The research aims to eliminate uncertainty concerning the development or improvement of a business component. For example, the method or appropriate design is not apparent and not readily found in the public domain. Essentially, an uncertainty can be “How can we develop this new application?” or “Could this material make our product lighter without sacrificing durability?”
Process of experimentation - the fourth part of the 4-Part Test: The research must be a process of evaluation and generally should involve comparing alternatives looking for the best solution. This includes the iterative trial and error process inherent in version-controlled software development.
Non-qualified R&D(IRC Section 174) - these are R&D expenditures that DO NOT qualify for the R&D credit:
R&D after Commercial production
Internal use software
Foreign Research
Funded Research
Social sciences, art, humanities
Deductible R&D - In years prior, companies were permitted to deduct R&D expenses in the year they were incurred. Beginning in tax year 2022, that is no longer the case. Instead, you are now required to amortize those expenses over five for domestic R&D or 15 years for foreign R&D.
Foreign R&D - R&D performed abroad by U.S.-located companies.
R&D Capitalization - as part of the TCJA, you can now only deduct a fraction of total R&D expenses. That means companies may now find that they have a taxable income, even through they are not yet profitable. The graphics below highlight this point:
Before these changes were written into law, 100% of your R&D spend could be deducted from your income. If you brought in $1M in revenue and spent $2M on R&D to develop your innovative product, you would end the year with $1M in Net Operating Losses (NOLs). Now, you have to spread the R&D deduction over 5 or 15 years depending on if the spend is made in the United States or abroad—this is called amortization. Worse than that, only 6 months of the first year of R&D spend can be deducted. So, if the $2M you spent on R&D is domestic, you’ll only have $200K to deduct from your $1M.