R&D Tax Incentive Support
Claim back up to 43.5% of your eligible R&D spend – without the headache.
Claim the R&D Tax Incentive - Simply, Confidently
If you’re building something new, solving tough problems, or developing tech – there’s a good chance you’re doing eligible R&D. The R&D Tax Incentive can give your startup a serious cash boost. We help you access it properly, without all the paperwork pain.
At Standard Ledger, we work with startups and scaleups across Australia to make R&D claims simple, accurate, and stress-free – from checking eligibility to getting your refund in the bank.
And we’re not afraid of complex claims either. With hundreds of tech and startup claims under our belts, R&D complexity is our bread and butter.
- Refunds of up to 43.5%
- R&D tax expertise
- Simple fee structure
- R&D finance option
- No refund, no fee
scale ups
Fixed pricing based on your R&D spend.
Most R&D consultants take a cut of your refund. We don’t. We use a flat fee model, so you know exactly what you’re paying – and what you’re getting – from the start.
$4,600 for R&D spend up to $100k
$5,900 for $200k spend
$7,200 for $300k spend
$8,500 for $400k spend
$9,800 for $500k spend
$11,100 for $600k spend
$13,600 for $700k spend
$16,100 for $800k spend
$18,600 for $900k spend
$21,100 for $1M spend
POA if your R&D spend is over $1M
Extra fees might apply if your claim is complex or if we need to prepare detailed technical narratives – but we’ll always flag this first. And yes, you need to lodge a company tax return to access your R&D refund. We can handle that too.
Prices exclude GST.
Startup founders ♥ Standard Ledger
Don’t just take our word for it. Here’s what our clients have to say about working with us.
“Closing our £2.5m round with Octopus Ventures was a huge milestone for HealsGood AI. Standard Ledger were instrumental throughout the process – helping us stay investor-ready, manage due diligence and present a clear financial story. They brought real structure and focus, which made a complex raise feel controlled and achievable. Having that level of financial leadership on our side gave us the confidence to move fast and negotiate from a position of strength.”
Jack Henderson
“Standard Ledger was incredibly helpful in reviewing and modelling our finances. Thanks to their support, we reshaped our strategy and identified areas for growth. We are now ready for expansion into new sports and markets.”
Iggy Jovanovic
“John and the team have really understood our R&D story from day one, and have always had a plan for it. We’re in the third year of working together now, and it’s been really great.”
Nadun Hennayaka
“We didn’t hesitate to outsource our Company set up to Standard Ledger. Knowing that they’ll let us know what’s needed, where to sign and what to do is a huge weight off our shoulders. Our bank even commented on how well set up our documentation was!”
Gemma Clancy
“Having Standard Ledger manage bookkeeping has freed up a lot of time. It means I spend less time worrying about money and more time thinking about the bigger picture.”
Jock Lawrence
“For me, having CFO support has been vital for everything from insurance documents to financial modelling, and strategic advice and guidance. Working with Remco and Mike has transformed my knowledge personally, and also enabled us to grow safely. We wouldn’t have been able to do it without them.”
Charlie Hamer
Let our expertise maximise your claim.
You deserve it.
How the R&D claim process works.
We make the R&D Tax Incentive process smooth, accurate and founder-friendly – here’s how it works:
1. Eligibility
We’ll start by confirming whether your company and activities meet the government’s R&D eligibility criteria. This includes assessing the technical challenges you’re tackling, the type of product, process or service you’re developing, and whether your work can be shown as a series of experiments with unknown outcomes.
2. Narrative
We help you articulate what you’ve been working on in a way that fits AusIndustry’s requirements. If you need help preparing the technical descriptions, we can handle that too – and we’ll always flag any additional cost upfront.
3. Calculation
We’ll work closely with you (and your bookkeeping or finance team, if needed) to calculate the eligible R&D expenses for the previous financial year. These must total at least $20k and can include salaries, Australian contractors, equipment, rent, overheads and other claimable costs.
4. Application
We prepare and lodge your R&D application with AusIndustry, and we’ll also generate the tax schedule required by the ATO. Everything is packaged up and aligned so your company tax return reflects your R&D claim accurately.
5. Registration + payment
Once your application is registered with AusIndustry – before the 30 April deadline for the previous 30 June year – we’ll issue our invoice for the agreed fee. If we don’t move forward to lodgement for any reason, you don’t pay. Simple as that.
6. Cash injection or tax offset
If your annual turnover is under $20 million and you’re in a loss position, you’ll receive up to 43.5% of your eligible R&D spend as a cash refund. If you’re profitable, your tax bill is reduced by 18.5% of eligible R&D costs. If your turnover is over $20 million, the incentive works differently – but we can still help you navigate it.
Our promise: If we don’t move forward to lodgement, you don’t pay. No refund = no fee.
Eligibility (just quickly)
You
- Must be a company that is developing (or planning) a unique, non-trivial software, hardware, engineered or manufactured product, process or service
- Need to be able to describe these developments as a series of experiments with unknown outcomes from which you’ve learned along the way
Your costs
- Must total at least $20,000 on eligible R&D expenses in the last financial year
- That can include employees and Australian contractors
- Can also include equipment, rent and other R&D related overheads
R&D finance
What if you need cash before R&D tax time rolls around? This is where R&D finance can help.
R&D finance is a loan against your expected R&D Tax Incentive refund. You pay it back when your R&D refund comes in. It’s a strategic choice to keep building and growing, without diluting your equity.
We work with businesses like Radium Capital to access this for our clients. They lend up to 80% of your expected R&D tax refund in one payment or in quarterly instalments.
Up to $2,200 per full set of supporting documentation.
R&D lenders require documentation incl. your expected R&D expenditure and refund, a support letter, verification of your tax position and sometimes a forward cashflow. If you do multiple R&D loan draw downs throughout the year, this might be required each time but we’ll discuss this first.
Ready to see what you can claim?
Book a free eligibility call with our R&D team – no jargon, no pressure.
Frequently asked questions
How much can I actually get back from the R&D Tax Incentive?
If your startup’s annual turnover is under $20 million and you’re making a loss, you can get up to 43.5% of your eligible R&D spend back as a cash refund. If you’re profitable, you’ll get an 18.5% reduction on your tax bill.
What's the minimum R&D spend to qualify for the incentive?
You need at least $20,000 in eligible R&D expenses from the previous financial year. This can include salaries, Australian contractors, equipment, rent and other R&D-related overheads.
How much does Standard Ledger charge for R&D Tax Incentive claims?
We use a flat fee model based on your R&D spend – ranging from $4,600 for up to $100k spend to $21,100 for $1M spend. If your R&D spend is over $1M, pricing is on application. Best part? If we don’t move forward to lodgement, you don’t pay.
What happens if I need the cash before the R&D refund comes through?
You can access R&D finance – a loan against your expected refund. We work with lenders like Radium Capital to help you access this and prepare the supporting documentation. They can advance up to 80% of your expected refund, either as a lump sum or in quarterly instalments. You pay it back when your R&D refund arrives.
Does my software startup qualify for the R&D Tax Incentive?
Software R&D is eligible when you’re solving a technical problem with an unknown outcome, not just building features. Eligible work often includes system architecture, algorithms, ML/AI development, performance optimisation, new integrations or overcoming technical limitations. We can help assess your eligibility in a free consultation.