Industry Specific Issues

StartupAUS Calls for Clearer Support for Software R&D Activities

December 6th, 2018

StartupAUS, Australia’s national startup advocacy group has released a report titled Crossroads – Fifth Anniversary edition. Data from the company has found that almost 90 percent of startups rate the R&D tax incentive as “very important” or “critical” to their business’s success. Within the report, they have called for greater assurance for software companies accessing the R&D Tax Incentive, and put forward proposals including: A moratorium on audits for software claims; A legislative amendment to the R&D Tax Incentive, or […]

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R&D Tax Incentive Crackdown For Software Claims

December 4th, 2018

Reports have emerged in the media recently of software development companies that have been subject to adverse R&D Tax Compliance proceedings. Whilst the benefits available under the R&D Tax Incentive are significant, these reports affirm the need to ensure R&D claims are completed with diligence, and in accordance with the current reporting expectations. Recent publications from ATO and AusIndustry on software development activities have highlighted current regulatory compliance focuses, which include the need to: Detail the specific hypothesis, or central […]

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Moreton Resources’ R&D Activities Affirmed As Ineligible

September 14th, 2018

On 12 September 2018, Moreton Resources Ltd announced on the ASX that the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT) recently affirmed a decision by Innovation and Science Australia (ISA) that registered R&D activities were not eligible. This was decided on the basis that underground coal gasification is a known and proven technology and is therefore not considered a research and development activity, as defined by the 1997 Income Tax Assessment Act. The AAT have issued an amended assessment for $9M. Moreton Resources […]

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R&D Intensity Requirement May Unfairly Penalise Certain Industries

May 22nd, 2018

Sixty million people are fed by Australian farming exports. With an ever-increasing global population, innovation in agriculture is essential to a sustainable future. However, the changes to the R&D tax incentive announced in the 2018 Federal Budget may be disadvantageous for industries like agribusiness. Up to 12,000 Australian companies could be affected by the R&D intensity change, which proposes that companies spend at least one percent of total business expenditure on R&D to qualify for the non-refundable tax offset. The […]

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