Understand the business
Discuss your operations, projects, entities and filing plans. Identify the technical and financial people who can help explain the work.
R&D tax credits.
Federal and state R&D credit studies grounded in your technical work, project records and research costs. Work directly with the specialists responsible for your study.
Start with the technical questions your team had to answer.
A useful review begins with the projects, the uncertainty and the alternatives your team considered. We talk with the people who did the work and examine the records that help explain it.
The result should make sense to the people running your business and to the CPA responsible for your return.
- The activities
What was being developed or improved, what was uncertain and how alternatives were evaluated.
- The records
Project notes, technical records, time information, payroll, invoices and relevant agreements.
- The boundaries
Which activities and costs support the claim, which do not, and where further information is needed.
Across the United States
State R&D Credit Explorer
Compare state research programs and review the conditions behind them. Open the full tool to filter and compare all 50 states and DC.
Open R&D credit explorerGeneral information; source dates and limitations are shown in the tool.
What the
work involves.
We define the scope around your business, the relevant years and the information available.
Assess the activities
Evaluate the facts against the applicable requirements. Review technical uncertainty, experimentation, exclusions and contractual arrangements.
Connect the evidence
Relate the activities to the supporting records and costs. Document the reasoning behind the findings and resolve gaps with your team.
Coordinate the next steps
Walk through the findings and work with your tax preparer on the information needed for filing. Confirm ongoing support in the engagement scope.
Tracey Baird
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The people responsible
Senior expertise.
Direct involvement.
Our owners and senior specialists stay involved throughout your engagement. You have access to the people doing the work and can ask questions as they arise.
Tracey Baird, Esq.
VP, Tax Credits & Incentives
Meet TraceyQuestions
worth asking.
A few starting points before discussing an engagement.
What does an R&D review look at?
The federal credit has specific requirements, commonly called the four-part test, as well as exclusions. A review considers the business components, activities and supporting facts. The fact that a project is new or difficult does not establish eligibility by itself.
What should we bring to an initial conversation?
A description of your business and recent technical projects, the entities and years you want to discuss, and any relevant filing deadlines. We can then identify the information needed for a more detailed review.
Will you work with our CPA?
Yes. We coordinate the engagement with your tax preparer so the technical findings and filing information can be considered together. Responsibilities are confirmed at the outset.
Can you review work that has already been studied?
We can discuss a review of an existing study. The first step is to understand what was previously prepared, the questions you want answered and the records available. Scope and timing are agreed before work begins.
Does this include state or Canadian credits?
Tell us where the work takes place and which entities incur the costs. State programs and Canadian SR&ED require their own analysis. We confirm coverage, delivery responsibilities and any specialist involvement before proposing the engagement.