How we work and what you receive
We reply within one business day, Monday to Friday, US hours.
The process
The nine stages
- 1
Free feasibility call
15 minutes with us, free and without obligation. We learn what you make, how your team works and which years may be open. No documents needed. We give you a range, or tell you it isn't worth doing. You then decide whether to sign the engagement letter.
- 2
30-minute project walk-through
After you sign, half an hour with whoever knows your jobs best. We shortlist the projects that were new or difficult, so we only ask you for records that matter.
- 3
Gather
We send one request list built around that shortlist. You send what already exists. Nothing to write and nothing to tidy.
- 4
Scan and specialist review
We read and index every file, tie each document to a project, check costs against your returns, and list what the records don't answer. The independent tax specialist works from that evidence map before anyone is interviewed.
- 5
Short interviews
We talk to the people who did the work, about the gaps only. Calls are recorded with your permission so your own account is on file.
- 6
Study and forms
We test each project against the four-part test and the funded-research rules, build the expense workbook and complete the forms.
- 7
Specialist sign-off
The independent tax specialist checks the analysis, the numbers and the forms and signs off.
- 8
Your CPA files
We walk your CPA through the package and stay with it until they confirm the credit is on the filed return.
- 9
Next year, easier
You get a short record-keeping guide and a 30-minute check-in each quarter, so the next study is mostly written before year end.
Why evidence first
A credit is only worth what you can show behind it. Starting from dated records, instead of from memory, makes the study quicker for you and stronger if anyone asks questions later.
At a glance
Time and what we ask for
Turnaround
Typical time from signed engagement to final study: 2 to 3 weeks, provided we get everything we need.
Your time
Most owners spend 3 to 5 hours at most in total, mostly in interviews.
What we ask for and when
Before signing: nothing beyond a conversation. After signing: payroll summaries, contractor invoices, supply costs and project records. We never ask for detailed payroll files at the feasibility stage.
Deliverables
What you receive
- Study memo explaining what qualifies and why
- A write-up for each business component (product, process, formula or design) tied to the four-part test
- QRE workbook: wages, supplies and contract research, with the calculation
- Completed federal Form 6765, including Section G business component detail
- Completed state credit forms where your state offers a credit (for example, Kansas Form K-53)
- A filing manual for your CPA and a plain-English summary for you
- Delivered in a private, view-only folder shared only with the people you name
Audit support
Audit support and your data
If the IRS asks questions
Every study includes audit support. If the IRS or your state asks about a credit we documented, we provide the workpapers, explain our analysis and help your CPA or representative respond for as long as the tax year stays open, at no extra charge.
How we handle your data
We ask for what each stage needs and nothing more. Payroll and detailed cost records are requested after you sign the engagement letter, not before. Files are delivered in a private, view-only folder shared only with the people you name, and our client portal requires a login. We keep your files for the life of the engagement and delete them on request. An NDA is available on request.
Software reads. A specialist decides.
We use software, including AI tools, to read and index your records so nothing is missed and your team spends less time in interviews. It does not decide what qualifies. Every qualification decision and every number is reviewed by a person, and an independent R&D tax specialist signs off before delivery.
Find out in 15 minutes whether it's worth doing
Bring a rough idea of headcount and what your team worked on. We'll tell you whether there's a credit worth claiming and what the study involves.