Author:
R&D Tax Advisors
Role:
CPAs
Publish Date:
Feb 13, 2026
Most founders and finance leaders treat an R&D credit discovery call as a quick gut check.
“How much could we get?”
“Do we qualify?”
“Is this even worth doing?”
Those are fair questions. But the quality of the answers you get depends heavily on how prepared you are going into that conversation.
A strong discovery call isn’t about selling.
It’s about accuracy — and accuracy upfront saves time, reduces risk, and prevents unpleasant surprises later.
Why Discovery Calls Go Wrong
When discovery calls fall short, it’s usually for one of three reasons:
The company is missing key information.
The discussion stays too high-level.
Assumptions replace facts.
That leads to:
wide estimate ranges,
misaligned expectations,
or worse — studies that need to be reworked after they start.
A little preparation changes all of that.
What a Good Discovery Call Is Actually Trying to Answer
At its core, a discovery call is trying to assess four things:
Where R&D is actually happening
Who is involved — beyond just engineering titles
What costs are realistically eligible
The clearer those answers are, the more reliable the estimate — and the smoother everything that follows.
What to Have Ready Before the Call
You don’t need a full study prepared. But having the right inputs makes a big difference.
1. Confirm Where the R&D Is Performed
A simple but critical question:
Is your R&D conducted in the U.S.?
Are any engineers, contractors, or researchers outside the U.S.?
Location matters — especially for federal eligibility and state layering.
2. Payroll Data (At a High Level)
You don’t need perfect numbers, but you should know:
roughly how many people worked on technical efforts,
whether they’re employees or contractors,
and whether payroll is your primary R&D cost (it usually is).
If payroll systems like Gusto, ADP, or Rippling are involved, knowing that upfront helps frame expectations.
3. A Clear Picture of What Was Built or Improved
Be ready to describe:
major projects from the year,
what was technically uncertain,
and what didn’t work the first time.
This isn’t about buzzwords — it’s about technical effort and experimentation, even if the end product feels “normal” now.
4. Contractor and Vendor Activity
If you used:
R&D vendors,
or third-party development firms,
having those details ready matters. Contract terms, IP ownership, and supervision all affect eligibility.
5. Prior-Year Tax Returns
Previous returns help with:
base period analysis,
carryforward tracking,
and understanding how credits would actually be used.
You don’t need to send them immediately — but knowing they’re accessible speeds things up.
Why This Preparation Pays Off
Prepared discovery calls lead to:
tighter estimate ranges,
clearer timelines,
fewer mid-study surprises,
and better alignment with how the credit will actually be claimed.
They also help surface issues before a study begins — not after costs are incurred.
That’s good for everyone involved.
The Bigger Picture
The R&D credit isn’t just a math exercise.
It’s a combination of:
technical facts,
tax mechanics,
and documentation discipline.
A discovery call is the first place those threads come together.
Treat it seriously — not as a formality — and you’ll get far more value out of the process.
