A structured approach.
No loose ends.

Every engagement follows the same disciplined path. It’s designed to be thorough without being disruptive, and to leave the client with documentation that stands on its own — today and in the years ahead.

Phase 1

– Estimate

We begin by meeting with your point of contact and key team members to get a working understanding of your operations. Using estimated numbers you provide — such as wage data, project counts, or supply costs — we prepare a preliminary estimate of the potential credit. This gives a clear sense of the likely credit amount before committing further resources.

Phase 2

– Project Substantiation

We determine which of your projects qualify for the credit, and which deserve deeper review. Priority goes to projects with the largest qualified research expenses (QREs). We work directly with your technical leads to gather contemporaneous documentation and technical details. For each project we review in detail, we prepare a narrative that becomes part of your final deliverable and supports the credit’s substantiation.

Phase 3

– Credit Calculation

Often running alongside Phase 2, this is where we compile the financial records needed for accurate calculations: tax returns, wage data, general ledger detail, and contracts for third-party research. We organize the data, review it with your team, and determine QRE amounts for employees, supplies, and contract research. The result is a precise credit amount, along with the required federal and state tax forms for your CPA or tax preparer. We field questions from them directly.

Phase 4

– Deliverable

We assemble everything into a comprehensive package:

  • A summary memo of your company’s R&D efforts and credit amounts
  • A procedures memo outlining how the credit was calculated
  • All calculations, workpapers, and tax forms
  • Project narratives
  • Any additional documentation useful in an audit

If the credit is ever reviewed, what an auditor would request is already in the client’s files.

Phase Highlights

Phase 1: Estimate – Identify the opportunity using your preliminary numbers.

Phase 2: Substantiation – Confirm qualifying work and gather documentation.

Phase 3: Calculation – Compile, organize, and calculate the credit.

Phase 4: Deliverable – Package everything for filing and future reference.

The credit is the outcome.
The documentation is what makes the outcome hold.

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No pressure. No Pitch. Just clarity.