You can still claim R&D credits from 2022, 2023, and 2024.
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (July 2025) reversed §174 capitalization and reopened three past tax years for amended returns. For most SaaS companies, that's six-to-seven figures in refundable cash — but only until July 6, 2026.
Time left to amend 2022–2024 returns
No obligation · Built for US SaaS · 20% contingency, published
What you could recover
Typical for a 10-engineer SaaS at $180K avg fully-loaded. Your number could be higher or lower.
3
Tax years recoverable
$300K–$600K
Typical refund range
20%
Our fee
Jul 6, 2026
Deadline
Congress rewrote §174. You can amend.
The 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act changed Section 174, forcing companies to capitalize R&D expenses over 5 years (15 for foreign) starting in 2022, instead of deducting them immediately. For SaaS companies, this quietly created a massive tax burden on engineering payroll.
On July 4, 2025, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act reversed that for domestic research. Companies can now:
- Expense domestic R&D immediately again, starting tax year 2025
- Amend 2022, 2023, and 2024 returns to apply the old treatment retroactively
- Claim Section 41 credits they may have missed because of §174 confusion
The amendment window is one-time. It closes on July 6, 2026. After that, the 2022–2024 amendment path is gone for good — even if you're eligible.
If you had US engineers in 2022, 2023, or 2024, you almost certainly qualify. Section41 handles the full amended package — 6765 refiling, substantiation memo, §41 mapping — and we stay on for any IRS follow-up.
Free estimate
How much of 2022–2024 can you recover?
Enter your US engineering payroll. The number below is the single-year estimate — multiply by three for a rough multi-year recovery.
Total W-2 wages for US engineers doing software R&D (fully loaded, not including benefits).
Most SaaS engineers qualify at 70–90%. We verify this line-by-line.
Estimated federal R&D credit
Range: $72,000 – $168,000 · Plus state credits in 30+ states
Estimates are illustrative. Actual credit depends on qualifying activities, gross receipts test, and documentation. Not tax advice.
The amended-return path
Four steps, usually 30–45 days from kickoff to refund filed.
20-minute intake call
We confirm you qualify (US engineers in 2022–2024, filed returns for those years) and review what payroll and system data we'll need.
Data ingest + §41 mapping
Read-only access to GitHub, Linear, payroll. We map three years of engineering activities to the §41 four-part test.
CPA-signed amended package
Form 6765 plus substantiation memo plus workbook for each of 2022, 2023, 2024. Licensed CPA signs every claim.
File + get cash
We file (or hand to your CPA). IRS processes amended returns in 8–16 weeks. We defend for the life of the return.
Built for this window, by SaaS specialists.
SaaS-only
We only work with US software companies. Faster intake, tighter documentation, and none of the context switching.
Pricing on the homepage
20% of the credit we recover. Nothing else. No hourly bills, no minimums. You pay when the IRS sends your refund.
The Section41 Promise
If the IRS questions any claim — this year or ten years from now — we respond at our cost. Written in your engagement.
The §174 lookback — questions founders ask
Do we really have until July 6, 2026? +
Yes. The OBBBA (signed July 4, 2025) gave taxpayers one year from enactment to file amended returns for 2022–2024. After July 6, 2026, the retroactive path closes permanently.
We already filed those years. Can we still amend? +
Yes — that's the whole point. You file Form 1040-X (or 1120-X for corps) with an updated Form 6765 for each year. We handle the full package.
What if we already claimed R&D credits for those years? +
You can still benefit. The §174 reversal often unlocks additional credit that was blocked by the old capitalization rules. We run a free re-analysis to confirm.
How long until we get the cash? +
Filing: 30–45 days from engagement. IRS processing of amended returns: 8–16 weeks. Some clients see refunds in under 90 days from kickoff.
What if the IRS audits the amended return? +
We respond at our cost. Our loss rate on R&D claims is zero. The amended return path is well-established — the IRS wants these processed.
What do you charge? +
20% contingency on the refund we secure. If we don't recover anything, you don't pay. That's it — no hourly, no minimums, no surprise fees.
Book a 15-minute call
See what 2022–2024 is worth to you.
On this call, you'll walk away with a specific refund estimate for each year, confirmation of qualification, and a next-step plan — in under 15 minutes.
After July 6, 2026, the 2022–2024 money is gone.
The IRS doesn't extend the lookback. Once the amendment period closes, the refunds stay with the Treasury. For SaaS companies, that's typically six-to-seven figures left on the table — permanently.
Time remaining
Free · No obligation · Outcome in under 15 minutes