AI-Powered R&D Tax Credit Review
A structured review that pairs automated data analysis with specialist tax review, so you have an estimate of your claim's value and an assessment of its documentation strength before anything reaches a return. Estimates are not a guarantee of the credit the IRS or a state will allow.
What's included
- Qualified research expense schedule by project, cost centre and year
- Federal and state credit estimate with methodology notes
- Confidence rating and risk commentary for every project
- Prioritised list of documentation gaps to close before filing
Who this service is for
Companies preparing a first claim or validating a claim prepared elsewhere.
Discuss this service (opens in a new tab)How it works
Step 1: Analyse your data
The review begins with your raw operational data: payroll registers, general ledger detail, project trackers, engineering tickets and contractor invoices. Automated classification models cluster this material into candidate research projects and flag the cost lines most likely to represent qualified research expenses.
Step 2: Specialist review
In this Swanson Reed service, a Swanson Reed specialist reviews each machine-generated conclusion against the four-part test in IRC Section 41(d) and the exclusions in Section 41(d)(4). The model narrows the field and drafts the first pass; the specialist assesses what qualifies, and the final decision on what is claimed rests with you and your tax advisor. That division of labour is designed to speed up the review while leaving qualification judgments to a specialist.
Step 3: Estimate and gaps
You receive a costed credit estimate with a confidence rating for each project, a list of the evidence that supports it, and a list of the gaps that would weaken it under examination. Nothing is filed until you have seen both.
Where creditARMOR helps
The parts of the platform this service draws on.
- Upload your claim, one IDR-style response per projectStart from the claim as filed: Form 6765 and your state credit claim form. See the feature
- Smart upload checklistA checklist for the evidence behind the claim, across 11 categories, from payroll and time tracking to project documents and contracts. See the feature
- Evidence scoringEvery IDR question is rated Strong, Weak or Missing against the files you uploaded. See the feature
- AI cross-checkMultiple AI models cross-check each IDR answer and evidence match against the documents you upload. This reduces, but does not eliminate, the risk of errors, and AI output should be reviewed before you rely on it. See the feature
Data use notice: Documents you upload are processed by creditARMOR using Google Gemini, in the United States. Tax return information is used or disclosed only as permitted by IRC 7216 and Treas. Reg. 301.7216-3. See our Privacy Policy.
Related services
- Audit ReadinessStress-test an existing or planned claim against the evidence standards examiners commonly apply.
- Compliance ReviewAn independent second opinion on methodology, base period calculations and multi-state apportionment.
- Documentation BuilderCapture engineering activity as it happens so project narratives are supported by contemporaneous records — continuously, not annually.
- Audit Defense SupportFacing an R&D tax credit examination? We help assess your claim, organize supporting evidence and prepare for the examiner's questions. If needed, Swanson Reed can assist you with representation before the IRS.
Common questions
How does creditARMOR use AI in a claim?
In the mock audit, AI (Google Gemini) reads the documents you upload, matches them to the examiner-style questions, rates the evidence, drafts first-pass responses and flags inconsistencies. In Swanson Reed's separate services, automation also parses ledgers and payroll data and groups activity into candidate projects. If requested, a person at Swanson Reed can review your mock audit results and re-perform the mock audit for assurance. The taxpayer remains responsible for the positions on its return.
What are the four parts of the qualification test?
The activity must have a permitted purpose: the costs must be eligible research or experimental expenditures (IRC sections 174 and 174A), and the research must relate to a new or improved business component (a product, process, computer software, technique, formula or invention) and aim to improve its function, performance, reliability or quality. It must be technological in nature, meaning the process of experimentation fundamentally relies on principles of the physical or biological sciences, engineering or computer science. It must be intended to discover information that would eliminate uncertainty about the capability or method for developing or improving the business component, or about its appropriate design. And substantially all (at least 80%) of the activities for the business component must be elements of a process of experimentation, such as modelling, simulation or systematic trial and error, used to evaluate one or more alternatives.
How is an engagement priced?
The creditARMOR mock audit is free. Scoping is also free, and for separate Swanson Reed services pricing is agreed before work begins, based on the size and complexity of the engagement. We do not price documentation or examination support work as a percentage of an unverified estimate.
Run a free R&D tax credit mock audit.
You can also book a free thirty-minute scoping call with a specialist. Upload your files and see how your evidence would hold up to the questions an IRS examiner is likely to ask. A higher score means a more audit-ready claim.
creditARMOR is a free service. Passing this mock audit does not guarantee that your claim will pass an IRS examination. Book a call or email hello@creditarmor.ai for a login.