R&D Agent Modules
The agent is built from modules you can understand one at a time. Each handles one stage of a claim, and they share the same records so nothing has to be entered twice.
Why modules
A research credit claim is made of several different jobs, and they do not all matter equally to every business. A firm with good time records may only need help with the evidence. A company whose finance team already tracks costs carefully may want the screening and the draft forms. A practice that handles many clients may care most about a defense binder it can hand to an examiner. Building the agent as separate modules lets you start with the stage that hurts most and add others when you are ready.
The modules are connected by a shared set of records. A note captured in the documentation module is the same note the screening module reads and the same note the defense binder cites. That is why adding a module later does not mean starting again: it reads what is already there.
The modules at a glance
Each module has its own page with the detail.
- Documentation capture collects evidence as the work happens, files it per project and prompts staff for short notes when a record is thin.
- Four-part test screening reads that evidence and tags each activity as qualified, unqualified or needing review, with reasons, for a person to confirm.
- Time allocation turns time records and manager adjustments into a split of each person's time across projects.
- Cost capture pulls wages, contractor payments, supplies and relevant cloud costs from accounting and payroll systems and codes them to projects.
- The credit calculator works out the credit from the qualified costs, using rules a reviewer can see and change.
- Section 174A tracking records how research costs are treated for deduction purposes, so that treatment stays consistent with the credit calculation.
- The audit defense binder assembles the evidence, costs and reasoning for each project into a pack that can be produced if a claim is questioned.
How the modules work together
- 1
Evidence first
Documentation capture runs throughout the year. Everything else depends on what it records, which is why it is usually the first module to switch on.
- 2
Tests and costs in parallel
Screening and cost capture both read the evidence and the accounting data, and they can run side by side. The reviewer sees the tags and the costs against the same projects.
- 3
Allocation and calculation
Once tags, costs and time are in place, time allocation and the calculator produce the figures for the draft forms.
- 4
Binder at the end
The defense binder gathers the trail for each project so that the claim can be explained, and the reviewer can open any figure back to its source.
Choosing where to start
This is a rule of thumb. We will suggest a starting point on the call.
| If your biggest problem is | Start with | Then consider |
|---|---|---|
| Evidence is scattered or missing | Documentation capture | Four-part test screening |
| You are unsure which work qualifies | Four-part test screening | Documentation capture |
| Time records are weak or inconsistent | Time allocation | Cost capture |
| Costs take weeks to assemble | Cost capture | Credit calculator |
| Past claims were questioned | Audit defense binder | Documentation capture |
A worked example (illustrative)
This is an invented scenario with no real figures. A twelve-person engineering firm has decent payroll records and an accountant who knows the credit exists, but nobody has ever documented the technical work. The owner starts with documentation capture only. Over the first quarter, engineers add short notes to the tickets they already use, and the agent files them by project. In the second quarter the firm turns on screening, and the reviewer discovers that two projects they assumed would qualify had too little evidence, while a third they had ignored looks promising. At year end, the firm adds cost capture and the calculator, and the claim pack comes together from records that already exist.
Limits
Modules prepare and organize. They do not decide eligibility, give tax advice, sign or file anything. Each depends on the quality of the records behind it, so a module cannot rescue a claim for work that was never documented. Rules about the credit and about research costs change, and the reviewer, not the agent, confirms that the current rules have been applied. Integrations are proposals until confirmed for your setup.
How we deliver the modules
We scope the modules you want in writing, say which systems each one will connect to and agree who reviews the output. You can choose a self-serve kit, a joint build or a hosted and maintained version. Contact us for pricing. In each case, access to your systems is limited to what the work needs, and we hand over documentation your team can follow.
Modules
From capturing evidence to a defense binder.
R&D Documentation Capture
Capture R&D evidence while the work is happening, filed by project and ready for a reviewer.
Learn moreFour-Part Test Screening
The agent tags each activity as qualified, unqualified or needs review, with reasons.
Learn moreR&D Time Allocation
Work out how much of each person's time went to each project, using their own input.
Learn moreR&D Cost Capture
Pull the costs that go into the credit from accounting and payroll and code them to projects.
Learn moreSection 174A Tracking
Keep research and experimental costs organized for the way Section 174A treats them.
Learn moreR&D Credit Calculator
Calculate the research credit under the available methods and compare the results side by side.
Learn moreAudit Defense Binder
An evidence pack that links each number in an R&D claim to the record behind it.
Learn moreSetting up the modules
- 1
Choose the starting point
Pick the module that fixes your biggest problem, usually documentation capture or screening.
- 2
Connect your systems
Link the tools the module needs, such as project trackers, payroll and accounting. Each connection is confirmed for your setup.
- 3
Agree the rules
Decide who reviews, how tags are chosen and what the agent may do without asking.
- 4
Pilot on one project
Try the module on a single project, then compare the result with how the work was done before.
What your team does
The agent reduces the effort of each role. It does not remove the roles.
- Technical staff add short notes when prompted, and confirm or correct the agent's summaries.
- Managers adjust time splits and give reasons.
- Finance checks cost coding.
- The reviewer confirms tags, reviews the draft and decides what is supportable.
Roles and responsibility
A tool that touches evidence, costs and forms needs clear ownership. We recommend naming a business owner for the process, who is accountable for the quality of the records, and a professional reviewer, who is accountable for the claim. The agent keeps a log of what it did and what people changed, so that responsibility can be traced if questions arise.
Module questions
Do I have to buy all of the modules?
No. Many firms begin with documentation capture and add others later. The modules read the same records, so nothing is entered twice.
Can I use my own tools for some stages?
Often, yes. If you already track time or costs well, you can use the screening and drafting modules on top of those records. We confirm what can connect before you commit.
Who makes the final decisions?
A licensed CPA or enrolled agent. The agent suggests and organizes, and the reviewer decides.
Does it work for state credits too?
It can draft state forms where supported. State rules vary, so the reviewer checks each one.
How much does it cost?
Contact us for pricing. The cost depends on the modules, the route you choose and the systems to connect.
Keep exploring
How the R&D Tax Credit Agent Works
The seven steps from evidence to e-filing, and who does what at each one.
Learn moreR&D Credit Forms and Filing
Federal forms, state credits and how e-filing works for the research credit.
Learn moreWays to Get Your R&D Agent
DIY kit, done-with-you, done-for-you and white-label: four routes to an R&D Tax Credit AI agent.
Learn morePlease note: Estimates and drafts are prepared by software for review by a licensed CPA or enrolled agent. This is not tax advice.
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