Changelog
Follow up on the latest improvements and updates.
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GOAT UI
- Company EIN and Principal Business Activity Code Fields Added(Enhancement): Added optional Company EIN Number and Principal Business Activity Code (NAICS) fields to the Additional Information step of Company & Tax Overview. The EIN auto-formats as 12-3456789 and shows validation feedback. The NAICS field is a searchable dropdown grouped by sector and subsector. Both values will be used in the R&D tax credit study report on Form 6765.
- State Search Added to Company & Tax Overview(Enhancement): Added a search field to the State dropdown so users can filter by State name or abbreviation. Existing selection behavior, including multi-select, is unchanged.
- SME Bulk Assignment Added to Wages and Expenses Workspaces(Enhancement): Added bulk SME assignment to Wages, Supplies, Computing, and Subcontractors, using the same design and functionality as BC Allocations.
- Lock Icon Tooltip Added for Prior-Year States(Enhancement): Added a hover/click tooltip to the locked State icon in Wages, Supplies, Computing, and Subcontractors. It explains that prior-year States are locked and directs users to the edit icon to update the study year's State.
- BC Allocation CSV Export/Import Updated for DSS Fields(Enhancement): Updated the BC Allocation CSV export and import to include the DSS allocation fields (Direct, Supervision, Support), shown only when the study meets the DSS criteria. Employee first and last names are now combined into a singleemployee_first_last_namecolumn.
- BC Allocation Difference Column Redesigned(Enhancement): Replaced the red/green heatmap in the Difference column with a directional caret, a signed value, and a bar on a fixed 0–100% track. Direction, magnitude, and absolute qualified percentage are now shown separately.
- Expenses Submenu Added to Left Navigation(Enhancement): Added an expandable Expenses submenu with Supplies, Computing, and Subcontractors. Each item links to its page and shows its current status icon.
- Qualified Activity Type Added to Allocations Workspace for Section G Reporting(Enhancement): For Wages on studies with Total QREs over $1.5 million and current-year or prior-year Gross Receipts over $50 million, added a Qualified Activity Type column with Direct Research, Direct Supervision, Direct Support, and Remaining sub-columns. The three percentages must total 100%, and Remaining shows the completed state at 100%. The group is also available in Edit Columns, where the group and each column can be shown or hidden without affecting saved data.
- Expenses R&D % Validation Now Per State Row(Enhancement): Aligned Computing, Supplies, and Subcontractors with Wages by validating R&D % on each state row's own 0–100% scale instead of summing across a vendor's states. This removes false ">100%" errors on multi-state allocations that blocked Finalize Section. Locked base-year rows that were valid when finalized are not affected.
- Estimated State Credits Now Use Federal Range and Rounding Logic(Enhancement): State Credit estimates now follow the Federal estimate presentation for ± range, rounding, labeling, and disclaimer language, so they no longer look like final filing amounts. Applied to the GOAT UI Sidebar and Study Submission page for all States.
- SME "Select All" Fixed for Rolled-Over Studies(Bug Fix): Fixed an issue where "Select All" and the header checkbox skipped employees and vendors with locked prior-year data on rolled-over studies in Wages and Supplies. All rows on the page are now selected, so an SME can be assigned in one action.
- Remaining % Display Fixed in BC Allocation and Allocations Workspaces(Bug Fix): Fixed inconsistent "0%", "0.0%", "0.00 %", and "0.0000" values in completed Remaining % cells when percentages contain decimals. Completed rows, including the DSS Remaining % column, now show only the green check icon.
- Support Chat Widget Overlap Fixed(Bug Fix): Fixed an issue where the support/chat widget button overlapped the "next page" arrow in table pagination.
Admin Panel
- Company EIN and NAICS Added to Admin Panel(Enhancement): Admins can now view and edit the Company EIN Number and Principal Business Activity Code (NAICS) in the Admin Panel.
- Assigned SMEs Displayed in Admin Expense Modals(Enhancement): The Edit Expense modals for Supplies, Computing, and Subcontractors now show the SMEs assigned through SME Tracking. Changes follow the current SME Tracking logic. The previous manually entered SME field is renamed Legacy SME Field (Do Not Use), kept below the new field, grayed out, and read-only so historical values are preserved.
- Minnesota Missing from State Credit Eligibility Fixed(Bug Fix): Fixed an issue where Minnesota disappeared from the State Credit Eligibility list when its status was Ineligible.
- Texas Eligibility Calculation Label Fixed(Bug Fix): Corrected the Texas State Eligibility calculation label, which misspelled "Preceding" as "Proceeding".
State Credit & Deliverable Updates
- Illinois Follow-Up Question Added for No Income Tax Liability(Enhancement): When users answer NO to "Has income tax liability reported on the 202X Illinois tax return...?", a Yes/No follow-up now asks whether they anticipate Illinois state tax credit liability within the five-year carry forward period.
- Texas Credit Made Ineligible for Amended Studies(Enhancement): Texas is now automatically Ineligible on amended Studies. It no longer appears as an available State Credit in GOAT UI, and users cannot claim it or continue the Texas flow. In the Admin Panel, Texas still appears under State Credit Eligibility as Ineligible with the reason that the Texas R&D Credit is not available for amended Studies.
- California State Credit Now Shows Gross Receipts for Amended Studies(Enhancement): For amended studies, the top-left corner of California State Credit Available now shows gross receipts instead of net receipts, for both RC and ASC. Original studies continue to show net receipts.
- Pennsylvania Ineligibility Now Enforced and Shown in Admin Panel(Bug Fix): When PA opt-in conditions are not met (filing status is not "Filing on time" or "Filing an extension", or the date is on or after December 1 of the year following the study year), PA now shows Ineligible with a reason on the State Eligibility page, consistent with NH. PA also can no longer resolve to Eligible with a credit on a disqualified study. Client portal behavior is unchanged.
- Referral Source and Referrer Name Now Synced to Airtable(Enhancement): The Company Details → Airtable sync for Direct Studies now includes Referral Source and Referrer Name (Referral from CPA Partner). Airtable records update with the latest saved values. Short Name is not synced, and other Company Details fields sync as before.
GOAT UI
- Expenses Workspace UI Updated(Enhancement):Updated the Expenses Workspace with Vendor Name and Expense Type search, simplified action controls, consolidated import options, and a relocated Finalize action across Supplies, Computing, and Subcontractors.
- Estimated State R&D Credits Added to Study Sidebar(Enhancement):Added Estimated State R&D Credit information to the Study sidebar to provide greater visibility into expected State Credits.
- Allocation Copy/Paste Functionality Added(Enhancement):Added copy and paste support for editable percentage cells in the Allocations workspace, allowing users to quickly reuse allocation values while maintaining existing calculations and validations.
- Wages Rows-Per-Page Control Added(Enhancement):Added a Records per page control to the Wages table, allowing users to display 50, 100, 150, or 200 employee records per page.
- White Label Partner Branding Added(Enhancement):Added white-label GOAT.tax branding support with Partner logos to provide a more customized experience for Partner-managed companies and studies.
- Prior Study Details Added to Business Component Documentation(Enhancement):Added access to prior-year R&D Activities, Technical Uncertainties, and Processes of Experimentation from Business Component Documentation without automatically carrying this information into the current study.
- New Study Creation Expanded on All Studies Page(Enhancement):Updated the All Studies page to support new Study creation for both single-company and multi-company users.
- Carried-Over Expense Additional Information Editing Fixed(Bug Fix):Fixed an issue where Additional Info fields, including SME, Explanation, and related checkboxes, were disabled for carried-over Expense records.
- Estimated Federal R&D Credit Display Fixed(Bug Fix):* Fixed an issue where the Study sidebar could display Regular Credit as the Estimated Federal R&D Credit when required Base Year data was unavailable.
Admin Panel
- Deliverable Actions Relocated(Enhancement):Moved Uncomplete and Release actions from the Study-level subheader to Deliverable History alongside Revise, keeping deliverable-related actions in one location.
- Credit Details by Study Added(Enhancement):Added a Credit Details by Study section to Financial Data, providing historical Federal and State Credit information across Study Years with CSV export support.
- QRE Totals by Activity Type Added(Enhancement):Added a Total Wages QREs by Activity Type breakdown to the Business Components section, showing QRE allocations by Direct Research, Direct Supervision, and Direct Support for each Business Component.
- Study Tree Permissions Fixed(Bug Fix):Fixed an issue where permission restrictions were not correctly reflected in the Study tree, causing users to see sections they did not have access to.
State Credit & Deliverable Updates
- Utah Average Annual Gross Receipts Calculation Fixed(Bug Fix):Corrected the Utah Average Annual Gross Receipts calculation to use the actual number of applicable prior years the company was in business rather than always dividing by four.
- Illinois 1299-A Worksheet References Fixed(Bug Fix):Corrected line references in Step 2 of the Illinois 1299-A worksheet included in the PDF deliverable.
- Tax Prep Advocates Closing Letter Logo Fixed(Bug Fix):Fixed an issue where the Tax Prep Advocates logo could render on a separate page instead of remaining with the closing letter signature.
GOAT UI
- Multi-Company Support Added to Company Overview(Enhancement): Updated the Company Overview UI to support Direct/Datahub users with access to multiple companies.
- New Company and Study Creation Added(Enhancement): Added a + Create flow to the redesigned All Studies page, allowing Direct/Datahub users to create new companies and studies directly from the application.
- Business Component Allocations Table Updated(Enhancement):Updated the Business Component Allocations table UI to improve the overall table experience and align with the latest design.
- Full-Screen Table View Added(Enhancement):Added a Full-Screen view for Wages, Expenses, and Allocations tables, allowing users to hide the workspace navigation and use more screen space when working with large tables.
- Florida R&D Credit Eligibility Restrictions Added(Enhancement):Updated Florida State Credit eligibility to validate filing status, C-Corporation entity type, Qualified Target Industry certification, and completion of the annual March application process.
BUGS
- Expense Data Loss When Hiding Year Columns Fixed(Bug Fix):Fixed an issue where hiding a year column through Edit Columns could permanently delete that year’s Expense data after saving another row.
- Documentation Export Behavior Fixed(Bug Fix): Fixed an issue where exported PDFs included Documentation content while the Documentation section was still In Progress.
Admin Panel
- Regular Credit Suppressed for Incomplete Base Year Data(Enhancement): Updated the Federal Regular Credit calculation and display logic to prevent Regular Credit from being surfaced when required Base Year data is insufficient to calculate the Fixed Base Percentage.
- Wages and Expenses Change History Improved(Enhancement):Updated Financial Data History to identify the specific Wage or Expense record affected by each change and preserve record names for deleted entries.
- Prior-Year QRE Differences Highlighted(Enhancement):Added visual indicators in Qualified Expenses by Study when prior-year QRE values for Wages, Supplies, Computing, or Subcontractors differ from the values stored in the corresponding prior-year study.
- Billing Notes Synced to Airtable(Enhancement):Added support for pushing Billing Notes from the Admin Panel to Airtable.
- Billing Note Save Issue Fixed(Bug Fix):Fixed an issue preventing Billing Notes from being successfully saved in the Admin Panel.
Backend & Infrastructure
- Controlled Group Data Model Added(Enhancement):Added the Controlled Group data model to support the underlying structure required for Controlled Group functionality.
- Heroku Dyno Restart Alerting Improved(Enhancement):Improved alerting for Heroku dyno restarts to provide better visibility into restart events and potential system issues.
GOAT UI
- Colorado Enterprise Zone Eligibility Updated(Enhancement):Updated the Colorado State Credit eligibility flow to require companies to have been located in the same Enterprise Zone for the last three years.
- Indiana Research Activities Defaults Updated(Enhancement):Added default values for unanswered Indiana Research Activities fields to ensure required information is populated in generated deliverables.
- BC Allocation R&D Percentage Editing Added(Enhancement):Added the ability to edit R&D allocation percentages directly from the BC Allocation workspace for Wages and Expenses, including support for single-state and multi-state records.
- Table Controls Simplified(Enhancement):Replaced Edit Columns and Filters buttons with compact icon-based controls and added counters for hidden columns and active filters.
- Business Component Documentation Status Updated(Enhancement):Added a Skipped status for optional Documentation tabs finalized without any information, providing a clearer distinction between completed and skipped documentation.
- All Studies Page Redesigned(Enhancement):Updated the All Studies page with redesigned Active and Completed Study cards, expanded study details, workspace statuses, and improved navigation aligned with the new GOAT/Datahub design.
- BC Allocation Workspace Redesigned(Enhancement):Updated the BC Allocation table workspace to align with the new Figma design and improve the overall table experience.
Admin Panel
- Minnesota Startup Credit Calculation Added(Enhancement):Updated the Minnesota State Credit computation to support startup companies by dynamically determining applicable historical years and applying the appropriate Fixed Base Percentage methodology.
- Not-to-Exceed Fee Calculation Added(Enhancement):Added support for an optional NTE Fee percentage and cap calculation across Expected Fee Structure, Credit and Fee, and Study Deliverable pages.
- Fixed Base Percentage Calculation Details Added(Enhancement):Added a dedicated RC FBP Details view to provide greater visibility into the Federal Fixed Base Percentage calculation and support percentage overrides.
- Ineligible State Reasons Added(Enhancement):Added visibility into the reason a State Credit was marked Ineligible, making state eligibility decisions easier to review from the Admin Panel.
Bug Fixes
- Redacted PDF Formatting Fixed(Bug Fix):Corrected State and Wage column alignment and limited R&D percentages to two decimal places in redacted PDF reports generated without wages.
- Connecticut Qualified Expenses Breakdown Fixed(Bug Fix):Corrected inaccurate values displayed in the Qualified Expenses By Type breakdown for Connecticut State Credit.
GOAT UI
- Partner Logo Visibility Extended(Enhancement):Updated the sidebar to keep the Partner logo visible across the Company, Study, and Workspace views, providing a consistent branded experience throughout the Partner user journey.
- California Prior Credit Method Questions Added(Enhancement):Added conditional questions to the California R&D Credit flow to capture prior-year credit usage and calculation methods for new users, including additional logic for previously filed and amended California returns.
- Multi-Company Support Added for Direct Users(Enhancement):Added backend support for Direct Users to access multiple assigned companies, establishing the underlying logic required for the Multi-Company experience.
- Supporting Documentation Workflow Simplified(Enhancement):Removed the Edit mode requirement from the Business Component Supporting Documentation section, allowing users to add and manage documents directly using the existing auto-save functionality.
- SME Assignment Display Improved(Enhancement):Updated empty SME cells across Business Components, Wages, Expenses, and Allocations so theAddaction appears only on hover, reducing visual clutter while preserving quick access to SME assignment.
- Historical Data Messaging Clarified(Enhancement):Updated messaging related to historical data ranges to provide clearer guidance on the data required for credit calculations.
- Business Component PDF Export Added(Enhancement):Added the ability to export Business Component table data to PDF directly from the Business Components Workspace.
Admin Panel
- Expected Fee Structure Page Added(Enhancement):Moved the Expected Fee Structure from the Study Edit page to a dedicated Admin page and updated the existing fee management navigation accordingly.
GOAT UI
- Expenses Workspace Review Fields Added(Enhancement):Enhanced the Expenses Workspace to support additional review fields, SME assignments, explanations, and quick-view indicators for Supplies, Computing, and Subcontractor expenses.
- Expense Modal Behavior Updated(Enhancement):Updated the Add/Edit Expense modal to display additional review fields only when SME Tracking is enabled, improved empty review field display, and preserved the previous experience for Direct Users.
- Customizable Table Columns Added(Enhancement):Added column visibility controls to the Wages, Expenses, and BC Allocation workspaces, allowing users to customize which columns are displayed.
- Personalized Table Views Saved(Enhancement):Added support for saving each user's customized table layout per study across the Wages, Expenses, and BC Allocation workspaces.
- Fixed Base Year Column Support Added(Enhancement):Updated the Edit Table modal to display Fixed Base Year columns as a separate visibility option when applicable.
- Validation Error Navigation Improved(Enhancement):Updated table validation navigation to automatically reset filters and hidden columns before navigating users to the corresponding validation error.
- Supporting Documentation Added to Business Components(Enhancement):Added a new optional Supporting Documentation tab to Business Components, allowing users to upload, categorize, download, and manage supporting files.
- Supporting Documentation Status Added(Enhancement):Added Supporting Documentation status tracking to the Business Components workspace for improved visibility into documentation progress.
- Company Tax Overview Workflow Updated(Enhancement):Added a Finalize action to the final step of the Company Tax Overview workflow.
- Historical Data Scrolling Improved(Enhancement):Added scrollbars to the Wages and Expenses workspaces when historical data exceeds the visible table area.
- Base Amount Validation Added(Enhancement):Added a notification when the calculated Base Amount exceeds supported thresholds.
- Character Counter Added(Enhancement):Added character counters and soft warning messages to supported free-text fields.
- Truncated Text Tooltips Added(Enhancement):Added hover tooltips for truncated names and descriptions across supported workspaces.
Admin Panel
- Minnesota State Credit Validation Updated(Enhancement):Updated Minnesota State Credit eligibility to correctly enforce entity type requirements.
Bug Fixes
- Maryland State Credit Status Fixed(Bug Fix):Corrected the Maryland State Credit eligibility status to displayIneligibleinstead ofNot Startedwhen opt-in requirements are not met.
- Controlled Group Keyboard Accessibility Improved(Bug Fix):Fixed keyboard support for adding and removing Controlled Group fields using theEnterandSpacekeys.
- SME Email Synchronization Fixed(Bug Fix):Fixed an issue where updating an SME's email address did not update their login email or future email notifications.
- BC Allocation Rounding Fixed(Bug Fix):Corrected Allocation Percentage rounding behavior in the Business Component Allocation workspace.
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GOAT UI
- Pennsylvania State Credit Support Added(Enhancement):Added Pennsylvania State Credit computation, including the PA State Form in the Deliverables workflow and a dedicated Pennsylvania section in the Admin Panel.
- SME Management Improved(Enhancement):Updated the Manage SMEs page to supportDeactivatefor existing DataHub SMEs andRemovefor placeholder SMEs, aligning available actions with SME type.
- Calculation PDF Updated(Enhancement):Added the Supplementary Refund Claim Info section to the Calculation PDF for amended studies, matching the content and formatting of the Final PDF Deliverable.
- Business Component Workflow Updated(Enhancement):Updated the Business Component workspace to require users to finalize each section before progressing to the next, ensuring a sequential review workflow.
- Wages Workspace Filtering Added(Enhancement):Added advanced filtering to the Wages Workspace, allowing users to filter by Study Year, Job Title, State, R&D Allocation, and SME, along with active filter indicators and one-click filter clearing.
- Business Component Navigation Improved(Enhancement):Improved the display of Business Component names and descriptions by truncating long values with tooltips for better readability.
- Smart CSV Import Added(Enhancement):Enhanced the Wages CSV import process to update existing employee records instead of creating duplicates and added a summary of updated versus newly imported records.
- Financial Data Header Updated(Enhancement):Added the Company Name and Study Year to the Financial Data page header, allowing users to easily identify the current entity while navigating financial sections.
- Federal Credit Validation Warnings Added(Enhancement):Added warning messages when Federal Filing or Federal Billing credit amounts do not match the system-calculated values, helping users identify potential discrepancies before proceeding.
Bug Fixes
- Business Component Allocation Difference Calculation Fixed(Bug Fix):Corrected the R&D % Difference column in the Business Component Allocation table to display decimal precision instead of rounding values to whole numbers.
- Amended Return Notice Logic Updated(Bug Fix):Removed the amended return notice from generated PDFs for amended studies where the company was not profitable during the study year, while preserving the notice for applicable studies.
GOAT UI
- Deliverable PDF Formatting Restored(Enhancement):Restored blank line spacing between paragraphs throughout the Deliverable PDF to improve readability.
- BC Allocation Prior-Year Comparison Added(Enhancement):Added Prior Year R&D Comparison columns to the Business Component Allocation workspace, including Prior Year Qualified %, automatically calculated allocation delta, and color-coded indicators highlighting significant year-over-year changes.
- R&D Documentation Display Updated(Enhancement):Updated the R&D Documentation column to display documentation details in a clear, section-based text format instead of icon-only indicators.
- Overview Page Submit By Date Editable(Enhancement):Added a date picker to theSubmit Byfield on the Overview page, allowing users to create or update the deadline directly while keeping it synchronized with the Company & Tax Overview workspace.
- State Credit Eligibility Year Display Improved(Enhancement):Updated the Qualified Expenses by Type table within State Credit Eligibility to display all applicable tax years sequentially, including years with zero qualifying expenses.
- Partnership Wage Guidance Updated(Enhancement):Updated the GOAT information panel with expanded guidance for multi-member partnerships, including instructions for reporting guaranteed payments and applicable W-2 wages.
- SME Self-Assignment Added(Enhancement):Expanded SME permissions to allow eligible SMEs to assign and remove themselves from records within Wages, Expenses, Business Components, and BC Allocation workspaces while maintaining permission-based access restrictions.
- Section 174 Compliance Banner Removed(Enhancement):Removed the temporary Section 174 compliance deadline banner from the Study Overview page for study years 2022–2024 following the expiration of the filing deadline.
Bug Fixes
- Business Component Allocation Labels Updated(Bug Fix):Updated the Business Component Allocation layout and column labels to better support year-over-year allocation comparisons.
GOAT UI
- SME Invitation & DataHub User Management Added(Enhancement):Added a new SME invitation flow with support for assigning existing SMEs, restricting access to assigned records, and managing users through new Current, Invited, and Removed sections on the DataHub Users page.
- Business Component PDF Export Added(Enhancement): Partner users can now export finalized Business Components as PDF documents, including the Business Component details, questionnaire, responses, and supporting content.
- Qualified Expenses Comparison Added(Enhancement): Added R&D Amount Diff and R&D % Diff columns to the Qualified Expenses by Type table to compare the current study year with the previous year.
- Prior Year Business Component Indicator Added(Enhancement):Added an indicator to identify Business Components carried over from a previous study year.
- Business Component Navigation Improved(Enhancement):Business Component names and descriptions are now clickable for quicker navigation.
- Admin Review Workflow Improved(Enhancement): Improved the Admin Panel review experience by preserving the user's scroll position after submitting Supply and Contractor expense edits.
- Study Fee Page Updated(Enhancement):Removed the Accurate Calculation Guarantee card and related $1M guarantee messaging from the Study Fee page.
- QRE Business Component Sorting Added(Enhancement):Added sorting by the Total column in the QREs Total by Business Component section.
Bug Fixes
- SME Assignment Success Messages Added(Bug Fix):Added confirmation messages when Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) are successfully assigned to records.
GOAT UI
- Section 174 Compliance Deadline Banner Added(Enhancement): Added a warning banner on the Study Overview page for studies with tax years 2022–2024. The banner informs users about the July 6, 2026 deadline related to Section 174 compliance under the OBBBA and highlights potential impacts on R&D tax credit treatment.
- BC Allocation Workspace Improved for Large Studies(Enhancement): Improved the Business Component Allocation workspace table usability for studies with a large number of Business Components. Adjusted the table layout to provide more visible space for allocation columns and improve horizontal navigation.
- BC Allocation Column Sorting Added(Enhancement): Added ascending and descending sorting to the Business Component Allocation workspace. Users can now sort allocation data by Name, Job Title, Target, Remaining, and BC Allocation % to make reviewing large employee lists easier.
- SME Tracking Expanded Across Workspaces(Enhancement): Expanded SME visibility and assignment functionality across Datahub. tax and GOAT. tax workspaces. Added SME columns to Business Components, Wages, Expenses, and Allocations workspaces, allowing users to view assigned SMEs directly within the relevant records. SME assignments remain synchronized across related workspaces to ensure consistent tracking.
Bug Fixes
- BC Allocation Table Layout Fixed(Bug Fix): Fixed an issue where the Business Component Allocation table became difficult to use when a study contained a high number of Business Components. The allocation area now remains accessible and easier to navigate when scrolling horizontally.
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