R&D Audit Expert Network

Specialists who know R&D examinations, available through Swanson Reed. Partners can offer clients access as part of an audit readiness program, on terms confirmed with Swanson Reed.

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What it is

The network is made up of Swanson Reed's R&D defense specialists. Partners can offer clients access as part of an audit readiness program. It exists because an R&D examination is a specialist matter. The questions are particular to the credit, and the best answers come from people who have dealt with them before. For a small firm or business that has never been through one, access to that experience can be the difference between a calm response and a scramble. Terms and availability are confirmed with Swanson Reed, and this site does not state them.

How it works

1
Ask
Contact us or Swanson Reed about specialist help, ideally before a problem arises, so you know what to expect.
2
Match
Swanson Reed identifies the right specialist for the claim or the examination.
3
Support
The specialist advises on the claim or examination, working alongside your own CPA, enrolled agent or attorney.

What you get

R&D-specific experience.
Access through a partner program.
A second view on a difficult claim or a difficult question.
Support that sits alongside your own professionals.

How a specialist might fit in

These are examples. What is actually available is confirmed by Swanson Reed.

Stage	How a specialist could help
Before filing	Review a complex claim and point out weak spots
When a notice arrives	Advise on how to read it and what to do first
During an examination	Support the professional handling the response
Afterwards	Help the business learn from the experience

Questions to ask before relying on it

Ask Swanson Reed what the network includes and what it does not. Is it advice, representation or both? Are fees involved, and who pays? How quickly can a specialist be involved? Does the help depend on which products the claim was prepared with? What are the limits, and what happens if a matter becomes legal in nature? Get answers in writing. An honest description of what exists is more useful than a promise.

A worked example (illustrative)

This scenario is invented. A partner firm has a client whose claim has just received a letter from the tax authority. The firm's own CPA is capable but has not handled an R&D examination. The firm asks Swanson Reed whether a specialist can advise. Swanson Reed identifies one, who speaks to the CPA, reviews the claim file and suggests how to structure the response. The CPA drafts and sends the response herself, as the responsible professional. The specialist's role was to inform her judgment, not to replace it.

Who remains responsible

Whatever specialist help is available, the professional who signed the return, and the business that claimed the credit, remain responsible for it. A specialist's advice does not transfer that responsibility. Partners should explain this to clients, and should be careful not to describe the network in ways that imply a guaranteed result or that suggest they themselves are providing a service they are not.

Limits

The network is described here only as far as Swanson Reed has approved. This site does not say who the specialists are, what they charge or what they can and cannot do. It does not describe insurance, and Cost Guru and its partners do not sell insurance through this site. Nothing here guarantees that a claim will be accepted or that an examination will end in any particular way.

How partners can prepare before they need the network

Know what the network is and is not, from Swanson Reed's own description.
Tell clients plainly what access exists and under what conditions.
Keep claim files organized so a specialist can be briefed quickly.
Name who at the firm will make the call to Swanson Reed.
Keep a note of what you have said to clients about this, so that it stays accurate.

What clients should hear

Clients should hear a simple, accurate message: if a claim is questioned, there are specialists who know R&D examinations, and we can ask for their help, on terms that Swanson Reed provides. They should not hear that help is guaranteed, that cost is covered or that outcomes are assured. If a client asks for details, point them to Swanson Reed. A client who understands what is on offer is better placed to decide whether it matters to them.

Why experience matters in an examination

Examinations of research claims follow patterns. Examiners tend to focus on a few things: whether the work meets the test, whether the people and time claimed are supported and whether costs link to projects. Someone who has seen many of them knows which questions are routine, which signal a deeper concern and how responses are usually received. That experience helps a professional decide where to put effort. It does not change the facts, but it can shape how they are presented, and it can save time on points that turn out not to matter.

What a business can do to help any specialist

Brief them quickly, with the claim file organized and the notice to hand.
Be candid about weak spots, since a specialist cannot help with a problem they are not told about.
Respond to requests for records promptly.
Keep one person as the point of contact.
Follow the advice of the professional who is responsible for the response.

Terms and availability are confirmed with Swanson Reed. Cost Guru and its partners do not sell insurance through this site.

Expert network questions

Is it free?

Confirm with Swanson Reed. We do not state fees on this site.

Does it replace my own CPA or attorney?

No. It works alongside them. They remain responsible for the return and the response.

Can anyone use it?

Access is through a partner program. Terms are confirmed with Swanson Reed.

Is this insurance?

No. Cost Guru and its partners do not sell insurance through this site.

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Audit Defense Coverage

Coverage details come from Swanson Reed.

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Where to start if your claim is being examined.