Qualified Research Expenses (QRE): Enter how much you spent on wages, supplies, contractors, or software for creating or improving products.

Startup box: Leave it checked if your business is new or you don’t have 3 years of past data. Uncheck if you do, and enter those numbers.

Prior Year 1–3: If you uncheck Startup, enter your R&D spend for the last 3 years.

Asset cost: The purchase price of the equipment, vehicle, or software you bought.

Business-use %: How much you use it for business. (100% = only business. 50% = half personal, half business.)

Section 179 annual limit: The maximum amount the IRS lets you deduct for the year (default is already set).

Phase-out threshold: If your total purchases are very large, the deduction begins to shrink. (Leave as-is unless you know your purchases are in the millions.)

Your total qualifying purchases: Total spent on all Section 179-eligible items this year.

Bonus depreciation rate: Extra percentage you can write off after Section 179. (Defaults to the rate for the year—leave it unless you know it’s different.)