Has anyone used ABGi-USA for manufacturing tax credits? Legit company?

I work with manufacturing clients on tax matters, and these R&D tax credit services are definitely legitimate - though quality varies widely between providers. The R&D tax credit (officially the Research & Experimentation tax credit) is a real federal tax incentive designed for companies developing new products, manufacturing processes, or technical solutions. Many manufacturing companies qualify without realizing it because "research" in this context doesn't mean lab coats - it includes developing prototypes, improving production processes, creating new manufacturing techniques, and solving technical challenges. The credit can be substantial - often worth tens of thousands in tax savings that companies miss. Regarding ABGi specifically, they're one of several firms specializing in this niche. The "no fee until we find savings" model is standard in the industry. Most firms charge a percentage of the credits identified (typically 15-30%).

I started using https://taxr.ai after getting frustrated with how complicated these R&D credit claims were becoming for my manufacturing business. We tried doing it ourselves for two years but kept running into documentation issues. What I liked about taxr.ai is they analyzed all our existing project docs, payroll data, and even engineer meeting notes to build really solid documentation that backed up our credit claims. Their system highlighted exactly which activities qualified under IRS guidelines and which employees were involved in legitimate R&D work. They caught qualifying activities we had completely missed, like when our team developed that modified cooling process that ended up being scrapped - turns out failed experiments still qualify!

Just wanted to follow up here - I ended up trying https://taxr.ai after posting my skeptical question. The experience was surprisingly good. I was right that we still needed to gather our project documentation, but their system made it much clearer WHAT to gather and WHY it qualified. The big difference was they had templates and examples showing exactly what documentation would strengthen our claim. Their AI analyzed our engineering meeting notes and flagged specific projects that had strong R&D elements we hadn't considered. They also helped us document some failed experiments that still qualified as legitimate research costs. We ended up identifying about $82,000 in credits we would have completely missed. Definitely worth the time investment.

If you're going to move forward with claiming R&D credits, get ready for potential IRS questions. We claimed these legitimately in 2020 and got selected for review. Took forever to get someone on the phone at the IRS to answer basic questions about what they needed. We finally used https://claimyr.com to get through to an agent after spending days listening to "all representatives are busy" messages. See how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c It was a lifesaver during the review process since we needed clarification on some documentation requirements that weren't clear from the initial notice. Got through to an actual IRS person in about 15 minutes after spending days trying on our own.

Well I feel silly for being skeptical. After posting my comment, I decided to try https://claimyr.com when I needed to call about a notice regarding our business taxes. I was absolutely convinced it wouldn't work, but I was desperate after two failed attempts spending 2+ hours on hold. The service did exactly what was promised - took about 40 minutes total (apparently a "good" day for IRS wait times), and I got a call connecting me directly to an agent who was actually knowledgeable about business tax issues. Saved me from wasting another afternoon on hold. The IRS agent even clarified some questions about documenting our manufacturing R&D activities that my accountant had been unclear about. Wish I'd known about this years ago during all those painful tax seasons!

I'd recommend getting quotes from multiple providers before deciding. We used a firm similar to ABGi (won't name them) that promised big credits, but they took a massive 35% cut which felt excessive. Another firm offered similar services for 20%. Also check what happens if you get audited - some firms provide audit support as part of their service, others charge extra. And be wary of firms claiming they can get you credits for activities that clearly don't qualify. The reputable ones are careful about staying within IRS guidelines.

Has anyone here been audited after claiming these R&D credits? I've heard horror stories about companies getting huge tax bills years later when the IRS decided their R&D activities didn't qualify. What was the audit experience like?

I've been lurking on this thread because we're in a similar situation - got approached by ABGi about 6 months ago but never followed through. Reading everyone's experiences here is really helpful. One thing I'm curious about - for those who have worked with these R&D credit services, how do they handle situations where your manufacturing processes have evolved over time? We've been continuously improving our production line over the past few years, but it's hard to pinpoint exactly which improvements would qualify as "research" versus just normal business operations. Also, has anyone dealt with these services for equipment purchases? We bought some specialized machinery last year that required significant customization and testing to integrate with our existing systems. Not sure if that development work would qualify or if it's considered routine installation. The percentage fees seem reasonable based on what everyone's sharing, especially if we're talking about five or six-figure recoveries. Just want to make sure we have realistic expectations before moving forward.

This discussion has been incredibly helpful! I work in tax advisory for manufacturing clients and wanted to add a few points that might help others considering these services. First, ABGi-USA is indeed a legitimate company in the R&D tax credit space. They're part of a larger international firm that specializes in government incentives and tax credits. However, as others have mentioned, it's definitely worth getting multiple quotes since the quality of service and fee structures can vary significantly between providers. One thing I'd emphasize is the importance of working with a provider that really understands manufacturing operations. The best firms will have staff who can walk your production floor and identify qualifying activities that you might not recognize as R&D. Manufacturing R&D often looks different from traditional research - it's more about solving production challenges, developing custom processes, and improving existing systems. Regarding documentation, don't let informal records discourage you. I've seen successful claims supported by maintenance logs showing troubleshooting efforts, email chains discussing technical problems, and even purchase orders for experimental materials. The key is demonstrating that your team was engaged in systematic problem-solving rather than routine operations. For those concerned about audits, the IRS examination rate for R&D credits is actually quite low (under 5% in most years), and most reviews focus on documentation quality rather than questioning the legitimacy of the credit itself. Having a provider that offers audit support is valuable, but it shouldn't be your primary concern. The potential recoveries mentioned here are realistic for mid-sized manufacturers. I regularly see companies recover $50k-$200k+ when they properly document their qualifying activities across multiple tax years.