Tax Credit Services

Confidently Leverage the Tax Credits You Qualify For

We take a holistic approach to tax planning and consulting. We don’t just look at the tax credits you qualify for this year, we explore your finances as a whole to provide cohesive tax planning. Together, we’ll ensure you have the proper documentation in place to secure your credits on time each year that you qualify.

Employee Retention Tax Credit (ERC)


To support companies impacted by COVID-19, the IRS enacted an employee retention credit designed to reward firms that suffered financial losses but still retained employees. Aura Advisors helps companies in all industries understand how to qualify for this credit. We then provide support claiming the credit and reviewing how this impacts your filings.

Research & Development Tax Credit (R&D)

We support companies that invest in qualified research and development activities in claiming the research & development (R&D) tax credit they’ve earned.

Cannabis Tax Credits

We support our cannabis clients by evaluating potential tax credit opportunities for Commercial Cannabis Companies operating in California and ensuring they have the proper documentation in place to claim the credit.

Tax credits available for January 1, 2023 through December 31, 2027 include:

  • High-Road Cannabis Tax Credit (HRCTC), for commercial cannabis companies, possessing a Type-10 (retailer) or a Type-12 (micro business) license
  • Cannabis Equity Licensee Credit (CETC), equity licensees with approval for the fee waiver and deferral program administered by the California Department of Cannabis Control

Learn more about how Aura Advisors supports cannabis companies.

Orphan Drug Credit

The Orphan Drug Credit is designed to incentivize pharmaceutical companies developing medications and treatments for rare diseases affecting small populations. We work closely with life services organizations to ensure they claim every credit they qualify for.

Discover all the ways Aura Advisors supports life sciences organizations.

Check out the Latest Insights from Aura Advisors

IRS Launches Digitally Authenticated Tax Compliance Report: What You Should Know

Taxpayers who need to prove their federal tax compliance now have a faster way to obtain and share that information. On August 20, 2026, the IRS announced a new digitally authenticated Tax Compliance Report available through the IRS Individual Online Account. The...

California FTB Overcollections: When an Old Refund May Still Be Recoverable

Discovering that California collected too much tax is frustrating enough. Discovering the error years later, after the normal refund deadline has expired, can make the situation appear unrecoverable. A new Franchise Tax Board ruling provides an important exception in...

Made Money on a Prediction Market? California Says It Is Still Taxable Even Without a 1099

Prediction markets have moved quickly from a niche trading activity into the mainstream. These markets are exchange-based platforms where individuals buy and sell contracts tied to the outcome of a future event—such as election results, inflation reports, Federal...

Do Not Wait Until Tax Season to Build Your 2026 R&D Tax Credit Documentation

For many technology and life sciences companies, the records needed to support the 2026 Research and Development (R&D) tax credit are being created right now. Engineering tickets are being closed, sprint epics are moving into production, scientists are advancing...

Opportunity Zones Are Becoming Permanent, but Existing Investors Still Face the 2026 Rules

The Opportunity Zone program is entering a permanent phase, but existing investors are not automatically moving into the new framework. Notice 2026-40 confirms that investments made under the original Opportunity Zone regime remain subject to the original December 31,...

California’s 2026 Budget Tax Changes: What Businesses Should Know Beyond the SaaS Tax

Governor Newsom has signed California’s 2026-27 budget, including Senate Bill (SB) 122, Taxation. For technology companies and California businesses, the headline is the new tax treatment for Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) and digital prewritten software. But the...

Why Employee Meal Deductions Disappear in 2026 and What Businesses Should Do Next

Beginning in 2026, many businesses will face a quiet but meaningful tax change: the deduction for employer-provided meals is narrowing again. That includes common workplace staples such as on-site cafeterias, break room snacks, coffee, and certain meals furnished for...

No Profit But Still Taxed? How Gross Receipts Trigger State Exposure

Gross receipts taxes are structurally different from income taxes. Instead of taxing profit, taxes on gross receipts  tax revenue, which means a business can owe taxes even while reporting a financial loss. That distinction is especially important for early-stage...

IRS Dirty Dozen 2026, Part 3: Overstated Withholding, Spear Phishing, OIC Mills, And Audit Risk

The IRS’s 2026 Dirty Dozen is a curated list of twelve schemes that are actively harming taxpayers, delaying refunds, and consuming enforcement resources during the current filing season. The list focuses on patterns the IRS is already tracking in its filters and...

State Nexus Can Create Filing Obligations Even Without Profit

Many businesses assume that state filing obligations follow profitability. That assumption is increasingly unreliable. In today’s state and local tax (SALT) environment, a company can trigger state filing or registration obligations even if it is operating at a loss....

“Dana and Cory from Aura Advisors were instrumental in the processing of our ERC, which helped our company get through the toughest of times. They collectively have a deep and nuanced understanding of tax law, and they helped us understand how our unique situation fit into the ERC guidelines, which helped us to confidently move forward with the ERC filing and maximize the potential benefit of this program.”

– Jimmy Sigona, Brothers Pride