Continuous Claim Monitoring
A claim's risk does not stay still. Monitoring keeps the score current by re-scoring when records are added or changed and when IRS rules change, and by showing you what moved.
Why a one-off score is not enough
A claim is not finished the day it is first assembled. Records arrive late, allocations are adjusted, a reviewer asks for a clearer description, and the rules that govern the credit change from time to time. A score produced in May may be out of date by September, for better or worse. Monitoring is the answer to that drift. It keeps watching, so that the score you rely on describes the claim as it is now.
How it works
- 1
Watch
Records and rules are monitored. New evidence, edited descriptions and changed figures are noticed.
- 2
Re-score
Scores update when something changes, using the same factors as the original score, so results are comparable.
- 3
Alert
You see what moved, and why, so you do not have to compare reports by hand.
- 4
Respond
Your team decides whether the change needs action, and records what it did.
Triggers for a re-score
Which triggers are used is confirmed by Swanson Reed. Rule changes are for professionals to interpret.
| Trigger | Example | What you see |
|---|---|---|
| New record added | A test report is uploaded to a project | Documentation gaps may shrink and the score may improve |
| Record changed | A project description is rewritten | Test support may be re-assessed |
| Figures changed | A time allocation is adjusted | Wage ratios are recalculated |
| Rule change | Guidance on the credit changes | Affected claims are flagged for review |
What you get
- A score that stays current without anyone re-running it by hand.
- Early warning of new exposure, for example when a change makes a claim weaker.
- A history of scores and what changed between them.
- Less time spent checking whether yesterday's report is still true.
A worked example (illustrative)
This scenario is invented. A firm has a claim with a moderate score in spring. Over the summer, the client uploads time records and a few test reports. Monitoring re-scores the claim after each batch and the firm sees the score improve in steps, with the documentation gaps shrinking. In the autumn, a team member edits two project descriptions to be shorter, and the score slips, because the descriptions no longer explain the uncertainty. Monitoring points to the change. The firm reverts the edit and adds a clearer sentence instead. Without monitoring, the slip would have gone unnoticed until filing.
Rules changing
The tax rules that govern the credit change, and a change can affect claims already in progress. Monitoring is meant to flag claims that a change may affect, so a reviewer can look at them. It does not interpret the change or decide what to do. That is for a licensed CPA or enrolled agent, who works from the official sources. Treat a rule alert as a prompt to check, not as a conclusion.
Limits
Monitoring only sees what is loaded and connected, so a record kept elsewhere will not move the score. It may produce alerts that turn out to be minor, and teams should agree how to triage them. It is not tax or legal advice. A mock audit does not guarantee acceptance of a claim or predict whether it will be examined.
A mock audit does not guarantee acceptance of a claim or predict whether it will be examined. Integrations, review tiers and partner pricing are proposals until confirmed by Swanson Reed.
Setting up monitoring well
- Decide who receives alerts and who acts on them.
- Agree what size of change deserves attention, so small movements do not cause noise.
- Review the history of scores monthly, not only when an alert fires.
- Record what you did in response to significant changes.
- Check that all relevant records are connected, because monitoring only sees what it can reach.
Monitoring and the filing calendar
Monitoring is most valuable in the months before filing, when records are still arriving and claims are still changing. It is also useful after filing, because a claim remains open to questions for some time, and records and rules may keep moving. A reasonable pattern is to monitor actively until filing, review the final state, and then keep watching at a lower intensity. How long to keep it on is something to decide with your adviser.
What a change in score does and does not mean
A score that falls after an edit is a hint that something was weakened, but it is only a hint. Sometimes the edit improved accuracy and reduced detail, and the right response is to restore the detail. A score that rises when a record is added shows that the record helped. A score that moves for no obvious reason deserves a look, because it may reveal that a connection or a rule update has changed what is being tested. In every case, someone should look at the reasons, not just the number.
Triage in practice
Alerts are only useful if someone looks at them. A simple rule is to sort them into three groups: those that need action now, those that can wait for the next review and those that can be dismissed with a note. Agree who does the sorting, and aim to clear new alerts within a set time. Over a season, the pattern of alerts will teach you which kinds matter. If many turn out to be minor, adjust what you treat as significant, so the signal stays clear.
A monthly monitoring review
- Look at claims whose scores changed since last month.
- Check that new records were attached to the right projects.
- Follow up on any claim whose score slipped.
- Make a note of any rule change that may need a professional's attention.
Monitoring questions
How often does it re-score?
When something changes. The exact behavior is confirmed by Swanson Reed.
Will I be flooded with alerts?
Teams should agree how to filter and triage them. The aim is to show what matters.
Does it track rule changes on its own?
It is designed to flag claims that a rule change may affect. A professional decides what the change means.
Is it suited to one claim?
It is most useful where claims change over time or where there are many of them. For one claim, the health check may be enough.
Keep exploring
R&D Claim Health Check
A one-off mock audit of a single R&D claim, so you can test it before you file.
Learn moreR&D Audit Risk Scoring
A score that shows where an R&D claim is exposed, and why, so fixes can be prioritized.
Learn morePortfolio Risk Dashboard for CPAs
See all your R&D clients at once, ranked by risk with year-over-year trends, and know where to look first.
Learn moreDocumentation Gap Finder
Find the holes in R&D evidence, by project and by dollar, while there is still time to fill them.
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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