Tech Startup

Tax, structure & advisory for Sydney tech startups

You are building for scale. Your accounting structure should be too — not bolted on after the Series A term sheet arrives.

Where most businesses leave money on the table

These are the strategic gaps we close — the ones that cost real money when they are ignored.

R&D Tax Incentive

Up to 43.5% refundable tax offset on eligible R&D expenditure for companies under $20M turnover. But eligibility, documentation, and AusIndustry compliance are where most claims fail. We get it right.

ESOP and equity structuring

Employee share schemes have specific tax treatment under Division 83A. Taxing point, ESS interests, and startup concessions all need to be structured before you issue a single option.

Entity structure for investment

Investors want a clean cap table, a company (not a trust), and AASB-compliant financials. If your structure is wrong at seed stage, it costs ten times more to fix at Series A.

What we deliver

Every deliverable is principal-signed. Not delegated, not templated — built for your situation.

  • R&D Tax Incentive application and compliance documentation
  • Employee share scheme (ESOP) structuring and tax advice
  • Entity structure for investment readiness
  • Financial model review and investor-grade reporting
  • Cap table management and scenario modelling
  • Cross-border structuring for international expansion

The result

Your R&D claim is lodged and defensible. Your ESOP is structured. Your entity is investor-ready. And your financial model tells the truth — which is what serious investors actually want.

Our R&D claim was worth $140K. Their documentation was so thorough AusIndustry approved it without a single query.

CTO, Sydney fintech startup

Common questions from tech startups

Can my startup claim the R&D Tax Incentive?

If you are an Australian-registered company with under $20M turnover conducting eligible R&D activities, yes. The key is documentation: you need to demonstrate that the work involves technical uncertainty, systematic investigation, and produces new knowledge. We prepare the application and maintain the contemporaneous records AusIndustry requires.

Should my startup be a company or a trust?

Almost always a company (Pty Ltd). Investors cannot invest in trusts easily, R&D incentives require a company, and employee share schemes are structured at the company level. If you started as a trust, we can help restructure — but earlier is cheaper.

How do I handle overseas contractors for tax purposes?

Foreign contractors are not subject to Australian PAYG withholding if they provide a valid foreign tax residency declaration. However, you may have transfer pricing obligations if the contractor is a related party. We ensure compliance with both Australian and cross-border rules.

Need bookkeeping handled too?

Done-for-you bookkeeping so the numbers are clean before the strategy starts.

Ready to talk?

15 minutes. No obligation. We assess whether our specialisations match your situation. If they don't, we'll tell you straight.