The North Carolina R&D tax credit, explained
North Carolina has no state R&D tax credit today. The old credit expired in 2016 and has not been revived.
Last verified July 2026 against North Carolina Department of Revenue guidance.
The short answer
North Carolina does not have a state R&D tax credit right now. The state used to offer one under Article 3F of its tax code, but that credit expired for tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2016.
Where that leaves North Carolina startups
Since then, North Carolina companies have relied on the federal R&D credit alone. There is no current state form, no state application, and no state rate to calculate.
A bill to bring the credit back, Senate Bill 354, known as the NC Breakthrough Act, was introduced in March 2025 and would reinstate the credit retroactively for tax years starting in 2025. As of July 2026, it remains in committee and has not become law.
How it stacks with the federal credit
With no state credit, the federal R&D credit is the full opportunity available to North Carolina companies doing research today.
Example: a North Carolina hardware company with 7 engineers and an average salary of $102,000 spends $714,000 on qualified research. There is no state credit to add. The federal credit alone can run roughly $43,000 to $71,000, using the typical 6% to 10% range. A company under $5 million in revenue can apply up to $500,000 of that federal credit against payroll taxes each year instead of waiting for profitability.
If North Carolina passes the NC Breakthrough Act, companies with 2025 or later research spending could see a retroactive state credit added on top of what they already claimed federally. Until then, plan around the federal credit only.
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Claiming the federal credit instead
There is no state eligibility test to pass, since North Carolina has no active credit. Any company doing qualified research in the state can still pursue the federal credit under the standard federal rules.
The federal credit covers wages, supplies, and contract research tied to developing or improving a product, process, formula, or software, regardless of the company's home state.
Claimship prepares the federal research study and Form 6765 package for the company's CPA to file. The company's CPA remains responsible for filing the federal return and any future North Carolina credit claim if the state reinstates the program.
Official source: North Carolina Department of Revenue.
Carryforward and deadlines
There is no North Carolina state deadline to track, since there is no active credit. Companies should instead watch federal filing deadlines for their Form 6765 credit claim.
If Senate Bill 354 becomes law with its proposed retroactive start date of January 1, 2025, companies with research spending in 2025 or later could need to file amended North Carolina returns to claim the new credit. Claimship will track that legislation and flag it if it passes.