Companies seeking to claim expenditure for overseas activity incurred by an Australian company under the R&D Tax Incentive must apply separately to claim these costs by first lodging an Overseas Finding Application with AusIndustry. In addition to general eligibility criteria, there are specific and extensive rules to determine whether expenditure on overseas activities is eligible under the R&D Tax Incentive. Generally, expenditure incurred by Australian companies on R&D activities conducted overseas can only be eligible for the R&D Tax Incentive where: The […]
In the Federal Budget handed down on 12 May 2026, The Government proposed major structural changes to the R&D Tax Incentive (RDTI). These changes are proposed to commence on 1 July 2028. Proposed reforms include: Increasing the offset for experimental ‘core’ R&D by around 25 to 50 per cent and removing eligibility for expenditure that only supports R&D. The intensity threshold will reduce from 2 per cent to 1.5 per cent, providing higher offsets to firms undertaking substantial core R&D. Expenditure […]
Swanson Reed’s initial analysis of the R&D announcements in May 2026 are summarised here. After we considered these proposed changes in greater detail, we are particularly alarmed about a proposed change announced in the Budget to the R&D Tax Incentive that we feel has not been communicated well nor understood by those whom it may impact… We fear the announced proposal to limit access to the Refundable R&D Tax Offset to firms operating less than ten years will be determined based on an […]
The 2026–27 Australian Federal Budget will be delivered by Treasurer Jim Chalmers on Tuesday, 12 May 2026. The AFR has reported today that: Treasurer Jim Chalmers is expected to raise the current $150 million cap on R&D expenses that can be claimed, in a move that will immediately help tech giant Atlassian and hearing device maker Cochlear, but is also aimed at making Australia a more internationally competitive investment destination. A review of the R&D and innovation system led […]