Disclaimer

The statement at the top of this page applies to everything on this site. The sections below explain how it applies to each kind of page.

Guides, questions and comparisons

These pages describe how fees and engagement letters usually work. They cannot take account of your business, your claim or your contract. Use them to prepare your questions, then take advice from someone who can look at your own documents.

Figures and worked examples

Every fee figure and worked example on this site is illustrative and is labelled that way beside the figure. Figures taken from official sources, such as time limits, are cited to that source. Comparisons between fee models use the same claim and the same assumptions for every model, and the assumptions are shown on the page. No figure is a quote, a forecast or a market rate.

Case studies

Each case study is illustrative unless the page says otherwise, and carries a label saying so at the top. A real story is published only with written consent, and with identifying details removed.

Red flags and green flags

A red flag page describes a practice in general terms and says when it is a problem and when it is not. It is a prompt to ask more questions. It is not a statement about any particular firm, and this site names no firm, person or product other than its publisher.

If you believe a page is inaccurate or unfair to you, the corrections page explains how to ask for a correction or a right of reply.

Country pages

Each country page is a summary of the position on the date shown on that page. It lists the official sources it relies on and the date it was last reviewed. Rules change, so check the official source before you act.

Contracts, scripts and templates

The clause explanations, email scripts, checklists and templates are starting points. Contract law differs between countries, and the wording that suits one engagement letter may not suit another. Read them against your own letter and take legal advice where the stakes are high.

Tools

The calculator shows illustrative figures on the assumptions beside the result. The fee test and the health check end with questions to ask. They do not score, grade or rank any adviser.

The publisher's interest

This site is published by Swanson Reed, which is itself an R&D tax advisory firm and competes with other advisers. The site recommends no adviser, including its publisher. The conflicts of interest page explains how that interest is managed, and the editorial standards page explains how pages are checked.

Links to other sites

Where this site links to an official source or to another website, the terms of use explain the basis on which the link is given.