Tax prep support
R&D tax credit preparation support
We build the project and expenditure records an R&D Tax Incentive claim needs: activities mapped against the eligibility test, costs tied back to reconciled books, and a defensible paper trail before your appointed tax agent takes the claim to AusIndustry and the ATO.
Tax working papers
Illustrative client · August 2026
AUD
- Year-end books closed and reconciledDone
- Fixed asset and depreciation scheduleDone
- Book-to-tax adjustments listedDone
- Supporting schedules for the preparerIn progress
- Handed to the signer for review and filingNext
Illustrative. An example of the document, not a client's figures.
The paperwork behind the claim
The R&D Tax Incentive rewards genuine experimentation, and the documentation has to show it: what the core activity was, why the outcome was not known in advance, and which costs the project actually generated. We build that record from your project notes and reconciled books through the year, rather than reconstructing it after the financial year has already closed.
What we prepare
We map project activities against the eligibility framework, tie labour, contractor and overhead costs back to your general ledger, and organise the supporting evidence, timesheets, technical notes, testing logs, into the format a registered agent and AusIndustry expect to see. We do not assess eligibility or lodge the claim; that judgment and the lodgment itself sit with your appointed tax agent, working from the case we build.
Why it starts in the books, not at lodgment
A claim built from a shoebox of receipts after the financial year (1 July to 30 June) has already closed is far harder to defend than one built alongside monthly reconciliation. Because we already categorise your transactions and reconcile your accounts, cost allocation to a specific R&D activity happens as the spending occurs, not months later under time pressure.
Where this fits with the rest of your tax position
R&D documentation feeds into the same company tax return workpapers we prepare elsewhere in this hub, so the credit and the underlying return stay consistent rather than being assembled by two different processes that have to be reconciled against each other afterwards.
Questions
Frequently asked questions: R&D tax credit preparation support
Do you decide whether our project qualifies for the R&D Tax Incentive?
No. We prepare the supporting documentation and cost allocation. Eligibility assessment and the claim itself go through your appointed tax agent.
How early should we start tracking R&D costs?
From the start of the project, ideally at the beginning of the financial year (1 July to 30 June). Costs tracked as they happen are easier to defend than costs reconstructed later.
What records do you actually build?
Cost workpapers tying labour, contractor and overhead spend to specific activities, plus an organised evidence set (timesheets, technical notes, testing logs) your agent can review.
How is R&D Tax Incentive prep priced?
Scoped against the number of projects and the volume of eligible expenditure being documented, confirmed once your project records and prior-year claim, if one exists, are reviewed.
What is not included in R&D Tax Incentive prep?
We do not assess technical eligibility as a specialist R&D consultant would. We organise the financial documentation; eligibility assessment sits with your registered agent or an R&D adviser.
Do we need a lab to qualify?
No. Software development, formulation work and process improvement often qualify; a technical interview is the fastest way to check.
Can the credit offset payroll tax instead of income tax?
A qualified small business can often elect to apply part of the credit against payroll tax; we flag eligibility during the interview.
What if our records for r&D tax credit preparation support are not up to date?
If your records are behind, we scope a catch-up first so r&D tax credit preparation support starts from a clean, reconciled base. That catch-up is priced and timed separately from the ongoing engagement, so you always know what each part costs.
Who reviews the work before it reaches us?
Every deliverable under r&D tax credit preparation support is reviewed by a senior reviewer before it reaches you. You keep access to the underlying file at every stage, so nothing about the work happens somewhere you cannot see it.
Related services
Industries
Next step
Talk to the team that would run your books
A short call covers your setup, your software and what a first month would look like. You get a written scope and price after it.