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.

The continuous improvement question is a great one - this is exactly where many manufacturers miss opportunities. The key distinction the IRS looks for is whether your process improvements involved uncertainty about the method, capability, or appropriate design. If you were solving technical problems or testing different approaches to achieve better performance, efficiency, or quality, that often qualifies. For example, if you were just following manufacturer instructions to install equipment, that's routine. But if you had to experiment with different configurations, develop custom interfaces, or solve technical challenges to make it work with your existing systems, that development work could qualify for R&D credits. Equipment purchases themselves don't qualify, but the labor costs for customization, testing, and problem-solving during integration often do. The specialized machinery situation you described sounds promising - especially if your team spent time troubleshooting, testing different setups, or developing workarounds. Good R&D credit providers will walk through your operations and help identify these qualifying activities. They're trained to spot the technical problem-solving that manufacturers do routinely but don't think of as "research." The documentation doesn't have to be perfect - even informal emails between engineers discussing technical challenges can support a claim. Given the timeframes and amounts others have shared, it's definitely worth getting a preliminary assessment. Most reputable firms will do an initial review to give you a realistic estimate before you commit to anything.

I've been following this discussion with great interest as we're facing a similar decision. We're a smaller manufacturing company (about 45 employees) and have been contacted by several R&D credit firms over the past year, including ABGi. What's really valuable about this thread is seeing the actual numbers and experiences from companies that have gone through the process. The $82k and $115k recoveries mentioned here are significant amounts that could really impact our operations. One concern I have that hasn't been fully addressed - how do these firms handle the documentation process for smaller companies that might not have kept detailed project records? We do a lot of process improvement and custom tooling development, but our documentation tends to be pretty informal. Most of our engineering discussions happen in person or through quick emails rather than formal project documentation. Also wondering about timing - if we decide to move forward, is there an optimal time of year to start this process? We're coming up on tax season and I'm not sure if that makes it better or worse for getting started with R&D credit recovery. The success stories here are encouraging, but I want to make sure we're not setting ourselves up for disappointment if our documentation isn't as robust as what larger companies might have.

Thanks for starting this thread - it's been incredibly informative! I'm the CFO at a mid-sized manufacturing company and we've also been approached by ABGi recently. Reading through everyone's experiences has given me much more confidence about exploring this. What strikes me is how many legitimate qualifying activities companies are missing. We do continuous improvement projects, prototype development for custom client solutions, and have spent considerable time this year troubleshooting integration challenges with new equipment. Based on the examples shared here, it sounds like we could have significant unclaimed credits. The key takeaways I'm getting are: 1) Get quotes from multiple providers and compare not just fees but also audit support, 2) The "no upfront fee" model is standard and legitimate, 3) Even informal documentation can support claims if it shows technical problem-solving, and 4) The potential recoveries (based on the numbers shared here) make it worth the time investment. I'm planning to reach out to a few firms including ABGi for preliminary assessments. The success stories here from companies similar to ours are encouraging, especially knowing that even smaller operations have seen substantial returns. Has anyone worked specifically with ABGi that the original poster mentioned, or would you recommend starting with other firms first?

This has been an incredibly helpful discussion! As someone who's been hesitant about these R&D credit services, reading everyone's real experiences has been eye-opening. What really stands out to me is how many qualifying activities manufacturing companies are missing. We've done prototype development, process improvements, and custom tooling work over the past few years but never considered it "research." The examples shared here - like failed experiments still qualifying and equipment integration challenges counting as R&D - show there's probably money we've left on the table. The fee structures (20-35%) and success stories ($80k-$115k recoveries) give me a much better sense of what to expect. I appreciate the practical advice about getting multiple quotes, asking about audit support, and not being discouraged by informal documentation. For ABGi specifically, it sounds like they're one of several legitimate providers in this space, but the consensus seems to be to shop around and compare approaches. The "no upfront fee" model appears standard, which reduces the risk of trying. I'm convinced enough by the experiences shared here to at least get a preliminary assessment. Even if we only recover a fraction of what others have found, it would be worth the time investment. Thanks to everyone for sharing their real-world experiences - this is exactly the kind of insight I was hoping to find when researching these services.

This thread has been incredibly valuable! I'm the operations manager at a small manufacturing company (about 30 employees) and we've also been getting calls from R&D credit firms, though not ABGi specifically. What's really encouraging is seeing the range of activities that actually qualify - we've been doing custom fixture development, modifying our assembly processes to handle new product variants, and spent months last year troubleshooting issues with a new coating system that required extensive testing and adjustments. Reading through these examples, it sounds like a lot of this problem-solving work could qualify as R&D. The documentation concern resonates with me too. We're pretty informal - most of our engineering discussions happen on the shop floor or in quick emails. But based on what others have shared, it sounds like even basic records showing we were solving technical problems rather than just following instructions could support a claim. I'm definitely going to pursue preliminary assessments from multiple providers now. The potential recoveries mentioned here ($80k+) would be significant for a company our size. Even if we only recover half that amount, it would more than justify the time investment and fees. Thanks everyone for sharing your real experiences - this is exactly the kind of practical insight you can't find in generic online reviews!