Louisiana · research and development · LA-RD-001
Research and Development Tax Credit
Publication revised September 24, 2026. Sourcebook page 128.
Credit amount / calculation
Rate varies by business size/research circumstances; annual fiscal-year cap applies.
Business fit and eligible activity
Louisiana provides an allocation-limited credit for qualifying in-state research. Qualified research activity. Ordinary production, routine quality control and an equipment purchase alone do not qualify.
Eligibility and practical use
Document eligible Louisiana research costs and submit the credit application by the applicable deadline. The agency describes applications for 2025 expenses as due December 31, 2026; do not treat this as a blanket ban on research begun before application.
Illustrative business benefit
Use-of-credit illustration, not an estimated award: assume the agency or completed tax form establishes a $1,000 credit for the qualifying activity described above. If sufficient eligible tax is due, a $1,000 credit available for current use reduces that tax by $1,000. If annual limits allow only $600, that is this year's saving; the other $400 survives only if the carryforward or transfer rules permit. Obtain the actual program calculation before estimating a project benefit.
Timing / first action
Check the application deadline for the expense year and the remaining fiscal-year allocation.
Official sources
- opportunitylouisiana.gov — Incentives (opportunitylouisiana.gov)
Related programs
Inventory Tax Credit
Credit for eligible inventory property tax paid
Forest-products businesses with large taxable inventory may benefit where current taxpayer-type rules permit; 2026 law changed corporate availability.
Clean Electricity Investment Credit (Internal Revenue Code §48E)
Generally
Potentially relevant when a forest-products facility owns qualifying zero-emission generation or energy-storage property.
Credit for Increasing Research Activities (Internal Revenue Code §41)
Regular research-credit method
A sawmill, secondary manufacturer or biomass business can qualify when it performs genuine technological experimentation to improve a product or process.
Rehabilitation Credit (Internal Revenue Code §47)
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A forest-products company rehabilitating a certified historic mill or industrial building for income-producing use may qualify.