SR&ED consultant: how to choose the right help in 2026

This is an independent guide. ClearSRED is not affiliated with the Canada Revenue Agency. We prepare SR&ED claims, so we explain at the end how we work, but the questions on this page apply to any provider.

What does an SR&ED consultant actually do?

A good SR&ED consultant turns your team's real work into a claim the CRA can follow. The core jobs are:

• Project identification. Separating work that meets the CRA's test (a technological uncertainty, resolved through a systematic investigation, aiming at an advancement) from routine development. See the SR&ED tax credit guide for the basics.
• Technical write-ups. Drafting the Part 2 project descriptions on Form T661 from interviews and evidence such as commits, tickets and test results.
• Financial schedules. Calculating eligible salaries, contracts, materials and overhead, and preparing Schedule 31 and any provincial forms, often with your accountant.
• CRA review support. Responding to information requests, preparing your team for a technical or financial review, and helping with proposal letters. See what to expect in an SR&ED review.
• Pre-claim approval. Since April 2026, eligible companies can ask the CRA to confirm a project qualifies before claiming it, using Form T1322. A consultant can make the application submission-ready. See pre-claim approval.

The company still owns the claim. Your signing officer reviews and signs it, and it is filed with your T2 return.

What are your options for SR&ED help?

There are five common ways to prepare a claim. None is right for everyone.

As of October 2026. For how each option is typically charged, see SR&ED consultant fees.

When is hiring an SR&ED consultant worth it?

Hiring help usually pays off when the claim is complex or your team's time is scarce. Signs you would benefit:

• It's your first claim, or your first in several years. The CRA may select you for its First-Time Claimant Advisory Service, a virtual meeting that covers eligible work, allowable costs and record-keeping.
• You have several projects, contractors, or work spread across teams.
• Your documentation is scattered and nobody owns the claim.
• A past claim was reviewed and reduced, and you want the next one to hold up.

If you have one or two well-documented projects and someone who writes clearly, our step-by-step filing guide may be enough.

What are the red flags when choosing an SR&ED consultant?

Most providers are reputable. These warning signs apply to anyone you talk to:

• Guaranteed refunds. No one can promise what the CRA will allow. A guarantee usually means the claim is being sized to a target, not to the evidence.
• Pressure to claim borderline work. Routine bug fixes, standard integrations and work with no real uncertainty don't qualify. Stretching them in weakens the whole claim.
• No written fee arrangement. The fee model, what it's calculated on and what's included should all be in the engagement letter before work starts.
• No review support. If the CRA reviews the claim, you want the people who wrote it in the room, or at least on the phone.
• Vague about Part 9. Form T661 Part 9 asks for each paid preparer's name, business number, billing arrangement and fee. Missing or inaccurate preparer information can lead to a penalty, and you and the preparer are jointly liable. A provider should say plainly how they will appear there.

10 questions to ask an SR&ED consultant before you sign

Ask every provider the same questions and compare the answers in writing:

1. Who will write our project descriptions, and what is their technical background?
2. Who reviews the claim before we sign it?
3. Which sectors and technologies do you know well?
4. How many CRA reviews have you supported, and what does review support include?
5. What is the fee model, and is it in the engagement letter?
6. How do you decide which projects not to claim?
7. How much of our engineers' time will you need, and when?
8. How will you be named in Part 9 of Form T661?
9. Does the contract cover future years, and can we leave without a penalty?
10. Do we keep all descriptions and working papers if we change providers?

What credentials should an SR&ED consultant have?

No licence is required to prepare an SR&ED claim, so titles like "SR&ED specialist", "SR&ED advisor" or "SR&ED expert" are descriptions, not qualifications. That puts the due diligence on you. Look for:

• Technical depth. Someone who can follow your engineering work and ask the right questions about uncertainty and experiments.
• Sector experience. Software, manufacturing, life sciences and agri-food claims look very different.
• Review experience. People who have sat through CRA technical and financial reviews write claims that anticipate the questions.
• Financial competence. Someone who understands the proxy method, contractor rules and provincial credits, or works closely with your accountant.

If someone uses a professional designation, such as CPA or P.Eng., you can check it with the body that grants it. A designation is useful, but it is not a substitute for SR&ED-specific experience.

What should you expect from the engagement?

Expect a clear scope, a written fee arrangement, and a modest demand on your team. A typical engagement runs like this:

1. Scoping

   A short call about your R&D, year-end and past claims, followed by a written proposal.

2. Records and interviews

   You share commits, tickets, design documents and payroll data. The provider interviews the technical lead for each project.

3. Drafts and review

   Project descriptions and schedules are drafted, checked by a reviewer, then sent to you to correct and approve.

4. Signing and filing

   Your signing officer signs, and the claim goes in with your T2 return, within the filing deadline.

Your engineers' time is the real cost to watch. A provider that drafts from your existing records needs far less interview time than one starting from a blank page. If the CRA reviews the claim, your provider can act for you once you authorize them as a representative, with view-only or view-and-change access.

How does an SR&ED consultant work with your accountant?

Usually side by side. Your accountant keeps the T2 return and financial statements; the consultant prepares the T661, Schedule 31 and the provincial forms, and hands them over in the format the accountant needs. Agree early who reconciles salaries to payroll, who checks for government assistance, and who files. If your accountant already prepares SR&ED claims, a consultant can simply write or review the technical sections.

Do you need a local SR&ED consultant?

Not usually. SR&ED is a federal program, the claim is filed with your T2 return, and records review, interviews and CRA review meetings can all happen online. What matters is that the provider knows your province's credits, which differ across Canada; see provincial SR&ED tax credits. ClearSRED works remotely with companies across Canada, from Toronto, Waterloo and Ottawa to Montreal, Calgary and Vancouver.

How is ClearSRED different?

We prepare SR&ED claims and pre-claim approval applications with a few deliberate choices:

• A flat fee agreed up front, in writing, based on the scope of the work, never on the size of your refund.
• Built from your records. We draft from your commits, tickets and documents, so interviews fill gaps instead of starting from scratch.
• Specialist review. An experienced SR&ED reviewer checks every project and schedule before you see it.
• CRA review support included. If the CRA reviews the claim, we help you prepare and respond.
• Pre-claim approval. We make T1322 applications submission-ready and prepare your technical lead for the CRA meeting.

You review, sign and file. Read how it works, why we use a flat fee, or how we compare with a software-led alternative. When you're ready, contact us.

1. CRA: Guide T4088, Guide to Form T661 (Part 9, claim preparer information)
2. CRA: Budget 2013, SR&ED claim preparer information and penalty
3. CRA: First-Time Claimant Advisory Service
4. CRA: Representative authorization
5. CRA: Represent a Client, services for representatives of businesses (access levels)
6. CRA: Technical review, a guide for claimants