A problem without a known answer
A scientific or technological problem that available knowledge couldn’t resolve.
Can we keep routing stable when multiple nodes fail?
Canada’s #1 R&D Support Program
A better way to
claim SR&ED
Accessing R&D tax credits should not distract those from the work it was designed to support.
See why 50+ companies have trusted us with over $20M in tax credits.
Summary view
Your SR&ED claim
In preparationSummary
Annual time summary
Total hours by project and type of work.
Annual SR&ED %35%
SR&ED hours2,184
Non-SR&ED hours3,744
Unmapped hours312
Available hours6,240
Eligible hours by project
Hours breakdown
SR&EDNon-SR&EDUnmapped
By project
| Project | SR&ED hours | Annual share | Report |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adaptive routing | 1,040 | 16.7% | |
| Thermal control | 728 | 11.7% | |
| Sensor calibration | 416 | 6.7% | |
| Total | 2,184 | 35% | 3 projects |
By month
| Month | SR&ED | Other work | Unmapped | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 144 | 315 | 21 | 480 |
| February | 171 | 285 | 24 | 480 |
| March | 204 | 318 | 30 | 552 |
| April | 195 | 309 | 24 | 528 |
| May | 192 | 285 | 27 | 504 |
| June | 190 | 308 | 30 | 528 |
| July | 200 | 328 | 24 | 552 |
| August | 201 | 276 | 27 | 504 |
| September | 187 | 317 | 24 | 528 |
| October | 171 | 330 | 27 | 528 |
| November | 166 | 308 | 30 | 504 |
| December | 163 | 365 | 24 | 552 |
| Total | 2,184 | 3,744 | 312 | 6,240 |
Start with the records your team already keeps
Code & project historyTechnical conversationsFinancial recordsDesign & test notes
Technical interview notes
Adaptive routing experiment
“The existing approach couldn’t handle partial failures. We tested three alternatives to understand why.”
Technical uncertainty Investigation New knowledge
Project notes and supporting records
Project exampleOne point of contact
A senior preparer from start to finish.
Work directly with the person responsible for your claim. They lead the strategy, understand the technical work, and manage the preparation through filing and review.
We handle the report writing, financial reconciliation, and tax schedules. Our software keeps the records and calculations organised, so your team can focus on development.
See the preparation stepsWhat counts
R&D doesn’t always look like a lab.
A software team may be testing a new architecture. A manufacturer may be working out why a material behaves differently at production scale. We look at the technical questions behind the work.
Tests that helped you understand it
Experiments or analysis that helped you work out what was happening and why.
Which approach did we test, and what happened?
The knowledge you were seeking
Knowledge sought through the investigation, including what unsuccessful tests reveal about the problem.
What did the investigation aim to establish?
A new product alone doesn’t make a project eligible. We assess the technological uncertainty and what the investigation added to the available knowledge.
How we work
From claim strategy to filing.
Cedar takes responsibility for the full claim. You have one point of contact coordinating the technical and financial work, with full audit support included after filing.
Step 01
Plan the claim with a senior preparer.
We review your development work, prior claims, financial year, and filing deadlines. Your preparer identifies the projects to assess, plans the claim, and coordinates the information needed from your team.
Project scoping and eligibility
Claim timetable and responsibilities
Records and contributor contacts
Working with your team
What we need from your team.
Your technical team knows the development. Your finance team holds the records. We work directly with both, then take care of the writing, calculations, and filing coordination.
Explain the development.
We lead focused interviews with the people who made the technical decisions. They explain the investigation; we write the SR&ED reports and return them for an accuracy check.
- Access to the people who know the project
- Existing design notes, test results, and project history
- Technical review of the reports we prepare
Provide the financial records.
We reconcile payroll and project expenditures, calculate the credits, and prepare the tax schedules. Your finance contact supplies the source records and reviews the allocations with us.
- Payroll, invoices, and funding information
- Review of reconciled costs and credit calculations
- An introduction to your corporate tax accountant
A closer look
Good evidence tells a connected story.
See how we use project history, technical interviews, and financial records to prepare a claim.
Supporting evidence
Project history supports the technical report.
We review commits, tickets, test results, and experiment notes alongside the technical interviews. They help establish when the investigation took place and what the team tested.
Technical reports backed by records from the work.
Talk through your process Example project / experiment notes
Hypothesis: isolating the queue may prevent cascading failures. Test 03: replayed partial failures under uneven load. Result: throughput improved; starvation remained unresolved. Next: compare bounded retries with weighted scheduling.
The people behind Cedar
Meet Will and Nikita.
We bring backgrounds in engineering and software development to SR&ED. We’re based in the Sea to Sky and work with companies across Canada.
Will earned a mechanical engineering degree, taught himself to code and worked with technology startups before co-founding Cedar. Outside work, he teaches Avalanche Skills Training and spends time trail running, biking and skiing. His adventures have included cycling across Canada, completing a 100-mile ultramarathon and hiking thousands of kilometres on long-distance trails.
Nikita holds a BASc in Mechanical Engineering and worked in transport and logistics before transitioning to SR&ED. He works directly with clients through claim preparation, filing and review. He’s lived on three continents and enjoys travelling. At home in Squamish, he’s often climbing and is currently projecting 5.13 routes. He also enjoys tinkering—ask him about his latest garage project.
SR&ED calculator
What could a claim be worth?
Try the calculator with your R&D spending. It shows an estimate of federal and provincial credits and the assumptions used to work them out.
Start with your payroll and project costs.
You can enter several salary groups, contractors, and materials, then account for overhead and other funding. Choose where the work took place to see the provincial calculation.
Open the SR&ED calculator- 01Enter your costs
Separate salary groups, specified employees, and project costs.
- 02Choose your province
The calculator covers all 13 provinces and territories.
- 03See your estimate
View the estimated credits, then request the full breakdown from our team.
Based in Squamish, BC.Working with companies across Canada.
We support SR&ED claims for Canadian businesses, no matter where you're located.
Fees & Scope
We share the risk and upside.
Our fees are tied to the outcome of your claim. We take direct accountability for the work, and only prepare claims we feel confident in defending.
The whole claim,
led by Cedar.
- Claim strategy and project eligibility
- Technical interviews and report writing
- Financial reconciliation and cost allocations
- Federal and provincial tax schedules
- Client review and filing coordination
- Full CRA and provincial review support
Full audit support
is included.
If CRA or a provincial authority reviews the claim, we manage the response, prepare the supporting material, and attend technical and financial review meetings.
Your preparer stays involved and coordinates with your team and accountant throughout the review.
Get in touchCommon questions
Working with Cedar.
How much of the claim does Cedar handle?
We lead the entire claim: strategy, project scoping, technical report writing, financial reconciliation, tax schedules, and filing coordination. Your team provides the project knowledge and records, then reviews the finished claim. You have one point of contact throughout the claim.
How do your fees work?
Our fees are success-based and tied to the outcome of your claim. The senior preparer leading it is also compensated on that outcome, so we share the risk and upside. We explain the fee structure before you engage us.
We build products. Does that count as R&D?
Product development can include SR&ED when it involves resolving scientific or technological uncertainty through systematic investigation. We assess the experimental work within your development projects and identify the activities and costs to include in the claim.
Do we need to have perfect time tracking?
You don’t need to change systems before speaking with us. We review your time records, project history, calendars, and other supporting material to establish who worked on the eligible activities. We identify gaps and help your team improve the records for future claims.
Who will we work with?
A senior claim preparer leads your claim and is your direct contact. They understand the technical work, manage the preparation, and explain the reports and calculations to you. There are no layers of middle management between you and the person responsible for your claim.
How does Cedar work with our accountant?
Cedar prepares the SR&ED technical reports, reconciles the financials, and completes the federal and provincial tax schedules. We coordinate directly with your accountant to integrate the claim into your corporate tax return and meet the filing timetable.
We already have a consultant. Can we still talk?
Yes. We can review your current process, upcoming deadlines, and what you want from a new provider. If you switch, we plan the transition around your existing agreement and obtain the prior claim materials needed to continue the work.
What happens if our claim is reviewed?
Full CRA and provincial review support is included. We manage the response, prepare the supporting technical and financial material, attend review meetings, and coordinate with your team and accountant throughout the review.
How is our information handled?
Your technical and financial records are confidential. We use them to prepare and support your claim, with access limited to the people who need them for that work. We can discuss your organisation’s security requirements before exchanging sensitive files.
Talk to our teamWhat are you
What are you
working on?
Tell us about your company, your development work, and your next claim. We’ll explain how Cedar can take the preparation off your team.
Or email hello@cedar.taxTell us about your project.
Include a few lines about your company and your next SR&ED claim.