Fee comparison calculator
Enter a claim figure and the terms from a proposal. The calculator shows what a percentage fee, a fixed fee, a capped fee and an hourly fee would cost on the same claim. The assumptions stay beside the result. Illustrative only, and not a recommendation of any fee model or adviser.
What each model costs on a $250,000 claim
On a $250,000 claim: Percentage fee $50,000, Fixed fee $35,000, Capped percentage fee $50,000, Hourly fee $30,000.
Illustrative only. Results depend on the figures and assumptions you enter. They are not a quote, a forecast or financial advice.
Assumptions used
- One claim of $250,000 for every model.
- Percentage fee: 20% of the claim, no cap.
- Fixed fee: $35,000 agreed up front, whatever the claim.
- Capped percentage fee: 20% of the claim, never more than $60,000.
- Hourly fee: 120 hours at $250 an hour.
- The same work and scope for every model; no extra charges, no interest, no tax effects.
Illustrative figures.
How to use it
Start with the figures from one proposal. Nothing you enter is stored or sent anywhere: the sums are done in your browser. Enter the claim you expect, the percentage the adviser quoted, any fixed fee, any cap, and the hourly rate and hours if part of the work is charged by time. The calculator works every model out on the same claim and shows the assumptions it used. Change the claim figure to see what happens in a smaller year, and halve it to see the bad year that the how to compare proposals guide describes.
The starting figures are the shared illustrative example used across this site. They are a claim of $250,000, a percentage fee of 20%, a fixed fee of $35,000, a cap of $60,000, and 120 hours at $250. They are there to show how the calculator works. Replace them with your own.
The lines under the bars tell you the claim at which the percentage fee and the fixed fee are equal. Below that figure the percentage fee is lower; above it the fixed fee is lower. If your figures have no such point, for example a percentage of zero, the lines say so. A second line says where a capped percentage fee reaches its cap, or that it stays below the fixed fee. The contingent versus fixed fees page explains why that crossover matters more than either headline number.
What it does not do
- It does not tell you which model to choose. A percentage fee, a fixed fee, a cap and an hourly rate each suit different claims. The fee types section sets out who each one suits and who it does not.
- It is not a forecast. The figures are whatever you enter. It does not know your claim, your country or your adviser, and it does not estimate how large your claim will be.
- It is not tax advice. It compares fees. It says nothing about whether work qualifies, how much credit a claim would produce, or what a tax authority would accept.
- It does not recommend an adviser. No firm's fees are in it. The only figures it holds are the illustrative example and the ones you type.
What to do with the result
Print it or save it, and put the same figures to every adviser you are comparing. Then read the engagement letter against the contracts section. The fee basis, what counts as the benefit and what happens if the claim is reduced decide what the calculator's figure means in practice. The proposal scorecard is where the figures from several proposals go side by side.
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KnowYourFees.org is published by Swanson Reed, an R&D tax advisory firm that competes with other advisers. This site does not recommend any adviser, including Swanson Reed.
© 2026 Swanson Reed. You may use the templates and checklists for your own business. Official material is used under the terms set by its publisher.