A technical conversation
Your contributors explain the development and technical decisions in focused interviews. Cedar handles project scoping and report writing.
Compare Cedar
Cedar vs other SR&ED providers.
Compare the person leading your claim, the work included, and the incentives behind the fee. Cedar combines direct senior expertise, our own software, and full audit support.
What Cedar includes.
Technical expertise, financial preparation, and software in one engagement. Compare who does the work and who stays involved if the claim is reviewed.
Part of the claim
CedarYour preparer + our platform
Traditional consultingConsultant-led preparation
AI-led claim softwareSoftware-led preparation
Who leads the claim
One point of contact
Work directly with a senior claim preparer from strategy through filing and review. No layers of middle management.
Technical and financial work may sit with different specialists. Ask who stays accountable for the complete claim.
Your team works through a software workflow. Check whether a dedicated preparer leads the claim or expert help is an add-on.
Strategy and technical reports
We scope and write the claim
We assess the projects, set the claim strategy, interview your team, and write the technical reports for your review.
Consultants assess projects and prepare reports. The amount of drafting and preparation expected from your team varies.
Software can identify activities and draft reports from your records. Confirm who checks eligibility, technical accuracy, and the final narrative.
Financial reconciliation
Technical work and costs, connected
We reconcile payroll, contractors, and materials to eligible work, account for grants, and calculate federal and provincial credits.
Financial specialists work from your cost schedules. Check whether they reconcile source records or expect your finance team to do it.
Imports and integrations can organise costs. Confirm who checks allocations, funding adjustments, and provincial calculations against the source records.
Tax schedules and filing
Prepared and coordinated for filing
We prepare the SR&ED tax schedules and coordinate directly with your accountant on the corporate return and filing timetable.
Schedule preparation and accountant coordination depend on the engagement. Confirm which federal and provincial forms are included.
Outputs may be reports, calculations, or completed forms. Check who prepares the final schedules and coordinates with your tax accountant.
Software and records
A shared claim workspace
Project records, reports, time allocations, and calculations stay together in Cedar’s platform. Review the work with the person preparing it.
Records may live across email, spreadsheets, and a document portal. Ask how you can access the complete claim and its calculations.
A central platform is the main offering. Compare record access, exports, and how clearly the software explains its calculations.
Your team’s time
Interviews, records, and final approval
Your team brings the project knowledge and existing records. We handle the writing, reconciliation, schedules, and filing coordination.
Interviews and document requests are part of the process. Ask how much report writing and cost preparation remains with your team.
Automation can reduce data entry. Your team may still need to direct the claim, correct generated content, and arrange specialist review.
Audit support
Full audit support included
We manage CRA and provincial review responses, prepare supporting material, attend meetings, and coordinate with your team and accountant.
Audit support may be included or billed separately. Check who handles technical questions, financial reviews, and meetings.
Access to generated documentation is different from representation. Confirm whether a specialist will prepare responses and attend review meetings.
Fees and incentives
We share the risk and upside
Success-based fees tied to your claim’s outcome. Direct expertise and our own software keep preparation efficient and pricing competitive.
Success-based, fixed, and hourly fees are all used. Compare the complete scope, minimums, and any additional review charges.
Pricing may combine subscriptions, a claim fee, and expert services. Compare the total cost through preparation, filing, and review.
These are engagement models, rather than ratings of individual firms. Individual providers combine these services differently; check the preparation, filing, and audit support included in each proposal.
Working with Cedar
Your team’s part in the process.
We handle the claim preparation. Your team contributes the project knowledge, source records, and final approval.
Meet the teamAccess to existing records
You provide project files, payroll, invoices, and funding information. We organise the evidence and reconcile the financials.
Your final review
We explain the prepared reports, calculations, and schedules. Your team checks the facts and approves the claim before filing.
Before you choose a provider.
A useful proposal answers these questions plainly. Ask us the same questions when we discuss your claim.
- Who leads the claim and whether you can contact them directly.
- Who writes the reports, reconciles costs, and prepares the tax schedules.
- What your team needs to provide and review.
- How fees are calculated, when they are due, and any additional charges.
- What support is included if CRA reviews the claim.
- How you access your records and final claim materials.
Your next claim
Talk to our team Talk to a senior SR&ED preparer.
Direct expertise and our own software keep the process efficient and our pricing competitive. Tell us what you need from your next SR&ED provider.