Our Fees for R&D Tax Credit Services

Author: Jess Doocey | Published: March 13, 2026

Answer Capsule: How does Swanson Reed structure its fees?

Swanson Reed operates on a foundation of absolute pricing transparency and strict professional independence. To maintain complete objectivity and adhere to the highest ethical standards of tax practice, we do not charge success-based or contingency fees. Instead, our Fees for Research and Development (R&D) Tax Credit services are structured around predictable, value-driven models. We primarily utilize Fixed-Fee Engagements that provide our clients with absolute budgetary certainty before any work begins, as well as Phased Engagements for complex, multi-jurisdictional claims. We ensure there are no hidden costs and that comprehensive audit defense support is clearly defined in every contract.

Key Takeaways

No Contingency Fees: We do not take a percentage of your tax credit. This ensures our technical assessments remain 100% objective, independent, and compliant with professional tax preparer standards.
Predictable Fixed Pricing: Choose a fixed-fee model for complete budgetary predictability. You will know your exact investment upfront.
No Hidden Costs: All scopes of work, including technical interviews, financial tracing, report generation, and audit defense parameters, are clearly defined before the engagement begins.

Fee Structure Options

Engagement Model	How It Works	Strategic Advantage
Fixed-Fee Engagement	A flat, pre-agreed rate based on the estimated hours, technical complexity, and project scope.	Provides absolute budget certainty and ensures compliance with strict corporate governance rules.
Phased / Hybrid Model	A structured fee broken down by project milestones (e.g., scoping, technical writing, financial calculation).	Allows companies to manage cash flow while undertaking complex, multi-year R&D claims.
Hourly Consulting	Standard hourly rates for specific, ad-hoc advisory services, audit defense, or tax controversy representation.	Ideal for highly specific inquiries, IDR responses, or limited-scope consulting needs.

Transparent Pricing and Professional Independence

Navigating the complexities of the tax code should not mean navigating complex invoices. Swanson Reed is committed to providing tier-one tax advisory services with commercial terms that protect both your bottom line and your compliance profile.

1. Our Stance Against Contingency Fees

Many boutique R&D firms charge “success fees,” taking a percentage of the final credit identified. Swanson Reed explicitly refuses this model. We believe that tying a tax professional’s compensation to the size of a client’s tax return creates an inherent conflict of interest. By eliminating contingency fees, we guarantee that our engineers and tax CPAs remain entirely objective. This ensures your claim is maximized legally and ethically, reducing your risk profile and ensuring strict adherence to IRS guidelines and professional independence standards.

2. Fixed-Fee Engagements

Following a preliminary (and complimentary) scoping discussion to understand your business activities, Swanson Reed will provide a firm, upfront fixed-fee quote. This fee covers the entire claim lifecycle: from the initial technical interviews with your subject matter experts, to the complex financial tracing of QREs, to the delivery of the final, audit-ready substantiation report. You will know exactly what your investment is before any work begins, allowing for seamless corporate budgeting.

3. Incorporating Audit Defense

The true value of an R&D tax credit is only realized if it can withstand scrutiny from the IRS or state tax authorities. Because we stand behind our objective, fixed-fee technical substantiation, comprehensive audit defense parameters are always established upfront in our engagement letters. Audit representation can be integrated into your baseline fee or structured separately under clearly defined terms, ensuring you are never caught off-guard by defense costs in the event of an examination.

Software Development Claim | Fee Example | R&D Tax Credit Review

The Project: A tech startup is creating a new mobile app that uses a proprietary algorithm to analyze user data in real-time and provide personalized financial advice.

The Uncertainty: The team isn’t sure how to process the massive volume of data in real-time on a mobile device without causing significant battery drain or performance issues. They try multiple different data compression techniques and processing architectures, with many failed experiments and iterations.

The Claim: The company can claim the R&D tax credit for the time and costs associated with the experimentation, testing, and

Our ISO31000 Risk Management Compliance Framework to ensure Fee Transparency and a Conservative approach

The table below consolidates the key elements of Swanson Reed’s trust and compliance framework, detailing their implications for clients.

Framework Element	Description	Implication for Clients
Six-Eye Review	A mandatory internal review of every claim by a qualified engineer, a scientist, and a CPA or Enrolled Agent.	Ensures the claim is technically sound, financially accurate, and compliant with tax law, maximizing defensibility.
ISO 31000:2009 (Risk Mgmt)	We offer a fair and reasonable fixed fee or hourly rate that is commensurate of the time and experience of the team members assigned to the engagement. We do not offer success fees.	Avoids a conflict of interest where a consultant increases compliance risk by inflating the size of an R&D claim beyond what can be conservatively justified.
ISO 27001 (Info Security)	A leading global standard for establishing and maintaining an information security management system (ISMS). All staff will have virtual barriers and focused on their part of the claim. They will not have an association during the engagement with other staff members working on the costing segments of the claim	Guarantees the highest level of protection for sensitive intellectual property and confidential financial data.
IRS CE Provider	Approved by the Internal Revenue Service to provide continuing education credits to Enrolled Agents. Swanson Reed will continue to train internal staff to the IRS CE standardson risks in preparing an R&D claim	Signifies a level of expertise and trustworthiness recognized by the U.S. federal tax authority.
NASBA CPE Provider	Certified by the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy to provide continuing education to CPAs. Swanson Reed will continue to train internal staff to the NASBA CPE standards on risks in preparing an R&D claim	Ensures client training programs are fully up-to-date, and establishes the firm as an authority in its field, trusted to educate other accounting professionals.
BBB Accreditation (A+ Rating)	Accredited by the Better Business Bureau with the highest possible rating for ethical business practices. Swanson Reed will request feedback either positive or negative from the client on the conclusion of the engagement. Here if a conflict arises, the client can make that conflict public.	Confirms a strong track record of client satisfaction and a commitment to resolving issues transparently.