CT-648: Life Sciences Research and Development Tax Credit (2025)
New York · NY DTF · Used for tax years 2025
Form CT-648 is used by corporations to claim New York’s Life Sciences Research and Development Tax Credit. It reports credit certificate details, calculates the credit, and records credit amounts allocated from partnerships. For C corporations, it also calculates the credit used,
Who files this form
Form CT-648 is for corporations claiming the Life Sciences Research and Development Tax Credit with Form CT-3, CT-3-A, or CT-3-S. It covers corporations that earned the credit and corporate partners claiming a share of the credit from a partnership.
Submit a separate Form CT-648 for each certificate issued by Empire State Development (ESD).
What you'll need
- ESD certificate of tax credit: Submit a copy with your return. Use it to enter the credit allocation year, certificate number, and number of employees.
- Corporation information: Enter the legal name, employer identification number (EIN), and tax period.
- Franchise tax return: File CT-648 with Form CT-3, CT-3-A, or CT-3-S.
- Partnership information, if applicable: Schedule C asks for each partnership’s name, EIN, and allocated credit amount.
- Combined group information, if applicable: Schedule B asks for the names of members claiming the credit as qualified life sciences companies and their credit amounts.
How to file
File Form CT-648 with Form CT-3, CT-3-A, or CT-3-S. Include a separate CT-648 for each ESD certificate and a copy of the certificate with your return. The supplied form does not provide a mailing address or e-filing directions.
All filers must enter their tax period and complete line A to indicate whether the corporation earned the credit itself rather than receiving it as a corporate partner.
- C corporations answering Yes: Complete lines B through E, Schedule A, Schedule C line 5, and Schedule D. CT-3-A filers must also complete Schedule B if applicable.
- C corporations answering No and claiming as corporate partners: Complete lines B through D and Schedules C and D.
- New York S corporations answering Yes: Complete lines B through E, Schedule A, and Schedule C line 5.
- New York S corporations answering No and claiming as corporate partners: Complete lines B through D and Schedule C.
Common mistakes
- Do not leave line A or the tax period blank. Both are required for all filers.
- Do not use one CT-648 for multiple ESD certificates. Submit a separate form for each certificate and include a certificate copy with your return.
- Do not enter more than $500,000 on Schedule A, line 1b.
- New York S corporations must not complete Schedule D.
- CT-3-A filers must complete Schedule B when more than one member included in the combined return claims this credit as a qualified life sciences company.
Questions people ask
Can a corporate partner claim a share of this credit?
Yes. The form includes filing directions for corporate partners receiving a share of the credit from a partnership. Schedule C records the partnership information and allocated credit amounts.
What if I have more than one ESD certificate?
Submit a separate Form CT-648 for each certificate, and submit a copy of the certificate with your return.
How do I identify my year of eligibility?
On line E, mark the box for the first, second, or third year of eligibility for which you are claiming the credit, when line E applies to your filing.
Can unused credit be refunded or applied to next year’s tax?
Schedule D calculates unused credit available for a refund or as an overpayment toward the next tax year. Line 13 records the refund amount, limited to line 12, and line 14 records the remaining amount applied to next year’s tax. New York S corporations do not complete Schedule D.