SR&ED DIY Software vs Hiring a Consultant: Which Is Right for You?

Every fiscal year, Canadian founders face the same question: file SR&ED yourself with software, or hire a consultant to drive the process end-to-end?

There is no universal answer — it depends on claim size, technical complexity, and how much founder time you can invest. Our full DIY vs consultant comparison breaks down the trade-offs; here is the decision framework.

DIY with SR&ED software

Best when:

• You understand your technical story and can articulate uncertainty
• Claim size is moderate and documentation is already organized
• You want predictable cost (flat fee per fiscal year vs contingency)

You handle:

• Document upload and financial categorization
• T661 narrative drafts (lines 242 / 244 / 246)
• Review before filing with your accountant

Modern platforms extract invoices and payroll, run proxy vs traditional calculations, and export CRA-ready PDFs — cutting weeks of spreadsheet work.

Full-service consultant

Best when:

• Large refund relative to team bandwidth — your time is better spent on product
• First claim and you want zero learning curve
• Complex multi-project or multi-province structures

Trade-offs:

• Often contingency pricing (percentage of refund)
• Less visibility into the claim until late in the process
• Quality varies widely by firm — see how large firms compare

Hybrid path (common for growth-stage startups)

Many companies:

1. Start with software + self-serve on smaller first claims
2. Add expert review when refund size or audit risk increases
3. Keep the same platform so historical data rolls forward

Audit defensibility either way

Whether DIY or outsourced, CRA cares about:

• Technological uncertainty documented contemporaneously
• Financial calculations matching T661 schedules
• Consistency between narrative and supporting evidence

Read preparing for a CRA audit before you file.

Try before you commit

Start with a free SR&ED readiness check — it scores your project against CRA criteria without committing to either path.