In this on-demand "Fireside Chat" webinar, Gary Derheim of PTP spoke with experts from Leyton, consultants specializing in R&D tax credits for innovation-driven sectors. Guests Brandon Carroll and Andrew-Dave Simpson deep-dived into crucial questions relevant to the life sciences and biotechnology industries.
Due to the high level of research, development, and software innovation in the life sciences sector, many organizations are strong candidates for claiming R&D Tax Credits. Whether you're a biotech startup developing internal use software or a clinical research organization running trials, your qualified expenses may reduce payroll or corporate tax liability—freeing up funds for strategic IT initiatives like bioinformatics infrastructure or scientific computing IT support.
For organizations using outsourced IT services for life sciences or implementing cloud-native solutions with AWS, understanding how day-to-day activities intersect with tax credit eligibility is essential. Topics explored include:
- What is the four-part test for the tax credit?
- What is Internal Use Software and how can it be included?
- What activities qualify for the credit?
- What are high-risk activities that could be disqualified?
Explore More Life Sciences Cloud Enablement Resources
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About Leyton's Life Sciences Practice
For businesses investing in IT infrastructure for biotech startups, deploying high-performance computing, or relying on managed IT services for life sciences, aligning tax strategies with technical operations offers both compliance and financial advantages. PTP partners with organizations across the industry to support scalable, secure, and compliant cloud and IT environments that complement the work of R&D tax consultants like Leyton.
🔎 Transcript Highlights: R&D Tax Credits for Life Sciences
00:00 – Introduction: Time and funding challenges in biotech
01:54 – What is the R&D tax credit and who qualifies?
05:01 – Life sciences cloud infrastructure and AWS workloads
07:04 – Qualified research expenditures and cloud services
11:03 – The IRS four-part test for R&D credit eligibility
16:45 – Internal Use Software: rules and modern eligibility
22:07 – Disqualified and high-risk R&D activities
25:26 – What engagements with Leyton look like
29:37 – Who should be involved from the client side
32:00 – Summary and next steps for getting started