SaaS Startup Tax Filing, by people who know your numbers
Delaware C-corp 1120s, R&D credit with the payroll offset, Section 174 treatment and the franchise-tax method that saves startups thousands — filed by a CPA & EA team.
- CPA & EA prepared and signed
- Industry-specific deduction review
- Federal + state included in quote
- Year-round support
What your return involves
The forms
Form 1120 for Delaware C-corps (the standard VC structure) with state returns where you have nexus; 1120-S/1065 for pass-through setups; R&D credit Form 6765 with payroll-offset election; Section 174 R&D capitalization compliance; 5472 for foreign-owned entities.
The deadlines
1120 due April 15 (extendable to Oct 15); Delaware franchise tax March 1 — run the assumed-par-value method, never pay the default invoice; 1099s January 31. Full calendar on our 2026 deadlines page.
The deductions we chase for you
R&D credit on engineering payroll (up to $500K/yr against payroll tax for qualified small businesses), cloud/hosting in development, software subscriptions, Section 174-compliant treatment of dev costs, QSBS planning on the equity side.
FAQ
We're pre-revenue. Do we still file?
Yes — a C-corp files 1120 even at zero revenue, Delaware wants its franchise tax, and skipping the year forfeits R&D credits and clean loss carryforwards investors will later want documented.
Everyone mentions Section 174. Does it hit us?
If you pay engineers, yes — R&D costs are subject to capitalization rules that change taxable income timing. It interacts directly with the R&D credit, so the two get planned together at filing.
Want the bigger picture for your business type? See our full accounting & bookkeeping for saas startups page, or the general US tax filing service.
File it right this year
Flat quote in one email — send last year's return and we'll also tell you what it missed.