Each year the US government provides billions of dollars to innovative businesses for developing new or improving existing technologies, products, materials, and processes, under the Research & Experimentation Tax Credit (R&D Tax Credit) program.

The R&D Tax Credit is a general business tax credit under the Internal Revenue Code section 41 for businesses that incur research and development (R&D) costs in the United States. The US R&D tax credit has been in existence since 1981.

Previously, the program periodically expired and was renewed by Congress. Businesses wishing to include this in their long-term budgeting plans could not rely on the credit being around for certain.