Step 3 — Reconcile the economics

Obtain the total fee and all supporting costs. Put each claimed benefit against the baseline, separate deduction from tax effect and separate deferral from permanent savings. Show the cash commitments even where they create an asset rather than an immediate expense.

Original illustration: a $40,000 retainer and $15,000 external work create a $55,000 professional-cost hurdle before fee tax effects. A $100,000 deduction at an assumed 30% tax effect would produce $30,000, not $100,000, and would not by itself clear that hurdle. These numbers are a screening example, not a calculation for your circumstances.

Checklist

• Existing benefits removed from the claimed incremental amount.
• Unpriced external work identified.
• Recurring and one-time fees separated.
• Liquidity assessed by date rather than annual total alone.
• Downside assumptions discussed.
• Non-financial value described without invented dollar savings.