Run a mock R&D tax audit before the IRS does.
Completely freeFree R&D mock audit: completely free. Book a call or email hello@creditarmor.ai for a login.
Upload your claim forms and each project’s evidence, and get the examiner’s questions as a draft federal and state IDR, evidence scoring, an R&D tax audit risk score and a fix plan.
State check
Pick the state you file in, from any of the 50 states or DC. creditARMOR knows which states run an R&D credit program, so it builds a federal and state audit where one exists, or a federal-only audit where it does not.
State R&D credit
StrongProgram found
Audit scope
Federal + Texas
Try another state: 36 states run a credit program.
Upload your claim, one IDR per project
Start from the claim as filed: Form 6765 and your state credit claim form. creditARMOR reads the business components from Section G, fills in each QRA for you to approve, then asks for the documents behind each project in turn.
Every project gets its own IDR and its own risk score. TaxTrex subscribers can add a project's position paper with its documents; its time-stamped surveys answer the four-part-test questions directly.
- Form 6765 (federal credit claim)Form6765_2025.pdf · 412 KBreceived
- Texas credit claim formTX_research_credit_2025.pdf · 286 KBreceived
- R&D project plansbracket_project_plan.docx · 1.2 MBreceived
Smart upload checklist
A checklist for the evidence behind the claim, across 11 categories, from payroll and time tracking to project documents and contracts. Each item ticks off as its file arrives, so gaps are visible before anyone else finds them.
- Payroll and wage recordspayroll_2025_export.xlsx
- Time trackingtimesheets_Q1-Q4.csv
- Project documentskickoff_meeting_notes.pdf
- Contracts and SOWscontractor_SOW_signed.pdf
- Technical specificationsspec_rev_C.pdf
- Test logs and resultsStill needed
- Design iterationsrib_layouts_v1-v6.zip
- Meeting notesStill needed
- Supply and material invoicesmaterial_invoices.pdf
- Lab notebooksnotebook_scan.pdf
- Prior year returnsStill needed
Draft federal & state IDR
The questions an examiner is likely to put in an Information Document Request, drafted per project: eight federal and two state questions for each QRA, plus the company-wide questions answered once from your forms. Each answer is a full draft of a page or two, ready to download as Word, PDF or Google Docs for submission.
- F1Describe each business component and the new or improved function it was meant to achieve.
- F2What technical uncertainty existed at the start of each business component?
- F3Describe the process of experimentation used to resolve that uncertainty.
- F4Which principles of engineering or the physical sciences did the work rely on?
- F5Reconcile qualified wages to payroll records for each employee claimed.
Evidence scoring
Every IDR question is rated Strong, Weak or Missing against the files you uploaded. Each rating shows the documents it matched and the reason for the score, so you can see exactly what an examiner would see.
F1Business components and intended function
Strongbracket_project_plan.docxspec_rev_C.pdfFunction and target load stated before work began.
F2Technical uncertainty at the outset
Weakbracket_project_plan.docxUncertainty described, but only in a summary written after the work ended.
F3Process of experimentation
MissingNo matching fileNo test logs uploaded for the vibration trials.
F5Qualified wages reconciled to payroll
Strongpayroll_2025_export.xlsxtimesheets_Q1-Q4.csvHours per employee match payroll totals.
Hallucination control
Three independent AI models cross-check every IDR answer and evidence match against your supporting documents. An answer is marked Verified only when all three agree it is supported.
Any disagreement or unsupported statement is flagged for human review, with the source passage shown alongside it.
Source: rib_layouts_v1-v6.zip · six design files dated Feb–Mar
Source: No test log uploaded; figure appears only in the project description
Source: timesheets_Q1-Q4.csv · project code BRK-25
Risk assessment engine
Federal, state and combined scores from 0 to 100, each in a Low, Medium or High band. Risk is broken down across seven areas, and red-flag overrides lift the band whenever a single issue is serious enough on its own.
federal
state
combined
Red flag: no experimentation records for the largest business component
- Qualification (four-part test)
- 78
- Contemporaneous documentation
- 52
- Wage substantiation
- 84
- Contractor and supply costs
- 71
- Calculation and base period
- 80
- State nexus and apportionment
- 61
- Procedural and filing
- 88
Fix library
Each gap comes with a specific fix, prioritised by impact and the effort it takes. The projected score shows what the file would look like once the fixes are done, so the work can be planned rather than guessed at.
Combined score
66 → 84
Projected after fixes
- 1Upload vibration test logs for all three prototypesHigh impact · Low effort+9
- 2Add dated notes on the uncertainty from the project kickoffHigh impact · Medium effort+5
- 3Reconcile Texas expenses to Form 6765 line 48Medium impact · Low effort+4
Draft examiner responses
A suggested reply for each IDR question, listing the documents provided in support. Every draft is marked Review before sending: it is a starting point for your specialist, never a submission.
F3Describe the process of experimentation used to resolve that uncertainty.
The team evaluated alternatives through modelling and physical testing. Six rib geometries were modelled; the three strongest candidates were machined as prototypes and run through vibration testing, with failure points recorded and used to revise the design.
Documents provided
- rib_layouts_v1-v6.zip
- notebook_scan.pdf
- vibration_test_log.xlsx
Risk report export
Export the full risk report as PDF or Word to share with your CFO, your CPA or your specialist. Every report carries its disclaimer: the analysis is general in nature, not tax advice.
Includes scores, risk by area, the draft IDR, evidence ratings and the fix plan.
Always-current state rules
State program data is kept up to date by tax specialists, without waiting for a code release. Anything that needs verification is reviewed internally before it reaches a report.
- Texas: Franchise tax credit rules reviewed for 2025 filingsState tax specialist · Oct 2026Published
- Kansas: Transferability guidance updatedState tax specialist · Sep 2026Published
- Michigan: New credit: application deadline to confirmInternal review · Sep 2026Needs verification
No code release needed: specialists publish rule changes directly.
Role-based access
CFOs, CPA firms and specialists work on one file, each with the access their role needs. Everyone sees the same evidence and the same score, and nobody works from an old copy.
| Role | View | Upload | Edit | Approve |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CFOClient finance lead | ✓ | ✓ | – | ✓ |
| CPA firmExternal tax advisor | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | – |
| SpecialistSwanson Reed reviewer | ✓ | – | ✓ | ✓ |
Built on Swanson Reed's R&D practice
creditARMOR operates as part of Swanson Reed, a specialist tax advisory practice focused on research and development incentives, working with businesses across multiple jurisdictions.
That relationship gives creditARMOR engagements access to specialists for technical review, documentation and assistance with existing examinations. Automation organizes the evidence; professional judgment stays with specialists.
About creditARMOR and Swanson Reed