Free R&D Tax Incentive Eligibility Check in 60 seconds
$7.9M+ AUD secured by 55 innovating companies and growing
Get up to 43.5% Back on what you've already built, we handle the rest
No guesswork. No audit stress out. Just the refund you've earned.
What You'll Get From This Free Check:
Clear Eligibility Answer: Know for certain if you qualify—no guesswork.
Instant Benefit Estimate: See exactly how much you could get back.
Personalized Next Steps: What to do next, or free resources (grant matching) if you're not ready.
Zero Pressure Process: No sales calls. No obligations. Just honest answers.
Takes less than 60 seconds.
Indicative estimate only. Not tax or legal advice.
“Debora and her team are awesome. I literally trust her to do the best for myself and my company. I would not look anywhere else for R&D.”
Stewart Briggs
Founder • Acceleration Australia
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R&DTI Eligibility & Cashback Estimate
Next Step: Check Your R&D Tax Incentive Eligibility
What is the R&D Tax Incentive?
Get up to 43.5% Back
The Program is an initiative implemented by the Australian government to encourage and support research and development activities within the country.
If you have been developing your own products/solutions/processes, you could be eligible to get up to 43.5% back on your spending.
For example, you spent $100k developing your unique algorithm that is going to blow people away, you could get up to $43.5k back! Ask us how!
For eligible small to medium-sized companies with an annual aggregated turnover of less than $20 million, they may receive a refundable R&D offset rate equal to their corporate tax rate plus an 18.5% premium.
For larger companies with an annual aggregated turnover of $20 million or more, they may receive a non-refundable R&D tax offset rate equal to their corporate tax rate plus an incremental premium. This offset can be used to reduce the company’s income tax liability.
Get Clarity in 3 Simple Steps
How the R&D Eligibility Check Works
STEP 1
Eligibility Check
Answer 7 quick yes/no questions about your company and what you're building. We'll instantly tell you if you qualify.
STEP 2
Estimate Your Benefit
Enter your R&D spend (salaries, contractors, cloud costs). We'll calculate your potential cashback —up to 43.5% back.
STEP 3
Book Your Strategy Call
If you're eligible, book a free 30-minute call with our team. We'll confirm your eligibility, answer your questions, and outline next steps — zero pressure.
Instant estimate in ~2 minutes
"Great experience and really helpful! Happy we found them and looking forward to working with Granton again!"
Mitch Hammer
Founder • Pocketseed
Why the R&D Tax Incentive feels confusing (even when you’re doing real R&D)
Most teams are genuinely innovating — but the definitions, cost rules, and evidence expectations can make it feel unclear (or risky) to estimate.
CHALLENGE 1
Eligibility isn’t obvious
On the surface it can look like “normal dev” — even when you’re solving genuine technical uncertainty and running structured experiments.
CHALLENGE 2
Expenses get misclassified
Teams often mix eligible R&D activities with non-eligible work, which muddies the numbers and creates avoidable risk later.
CHALLENGE 3
Documentation gets left too late
The incentive rewards structured experimentation. If it isn’t tracked as you go, it becomes much harder to support later.
Got a Question?
Here are the most common questions about the R&DTI or the eligibility check and how to interpret the estimate.
Eligibility
Am I actually eligible for the R&D Tax Incentive?
To be eligible, you need to:
— Be an Australian company.
— Spend at least $20,000 on eligible R&D activities in the year.
Be developing your own products/IP (not just implementing off‑the‑shelf tools) and facing real technical uncertainty.
You don’t need to be profitable or have revenue to qualify.
What actually counts as R&D?
Work where the outcome wasn't known upfront and required real experiments or trial-and-error to resolve a technical problem.
It's not about "innovation" — it's about uncertainty.
Typical eligible activities include designing and testing new algorithms, building new products where the outcome wasn't certain, and systematic experiments to overcome technical limits. Routine bug-fixing, basic website builds and standard implementations generally don't qualify.
We’re pre‑revenue / early‑stage. Can we still claim?
Yes. Many R&D Tax Incentive claimants are pre-revenue or loss-making, and the refundable offset is designed exactly for that situation. If you're building a product with genuine experimentation and spending more than $20k, you can often claim even before your first sale.
What industries do you work best with?
We focus on innovation-heavy sectors: SaaS and AI/machine learning, fintech, regtech and blockchain, healthtech and med-device, consumer product formulation, cybersecurity, deep tech, climate tech, advanced manufacturing and defence.
If you're in a more traditional or services-only business, we'll tell you quickly if R&D Tax Incentive isn't a good fit.
How much could we get back?
For companies under $20M turnover, the refundable offset can be worth up to 43.5% of eligible R&D spend. For example, $150k of eligible costs might translate to roughly $65k back, depending on your exact circumstances.
Use our free eligibility check at on this page for an indicative estimate.
Process & Timeline
What's the process like with Granton?
We keep it simple. First, a quick eligibility call (15 mins) to confirm your project qualifies. Then a discovery meeting or short form to understand your activities. You send through your financials, and from there we do the heavy lifting — preparing the full claim, activities, evidence, calculations and write-up.
We handle lodgement and send you the tax schedule to pass on to your accountant.
How long does it take?
Typically 2–4 weeks from when you provide the information we need. We factor in statutory deadlines so you don't miss cut-off dates.
How much of my team's time is needed?
Very little. We handle the write-ups and structure. You'll need to be available for a discovery conversation and to provide your financials. We don't send you blank templates and ask you to fill them in.
Do I need timesheets?
The ATO expects you to justify time allocations. Timesheets are ideal — if you don't have them, we can help you reconstruct a defensible time allocation based on what was actually built.
We already have an accountant. Do we still need you?
Often yes. Most generalist accountants focus on tax lodgement and don't specialise in the technical, documentation-heavy side of R&D. We handle the AusIndustry registration and technical write-ups while your accountant handles the company tax return.
Cost & Fees
How does your pricing work?
We work on a success fee basis — you only pay if your claim is successful. No upfront costs, no surprises.
Refunds under $20k: $4,500 + GST (fixed). $20k–$54,999: $5,500 + GST (fixed). $55k and above: 10% of refund.
Why are other firms charging 20–30%? What's the catch with 10%?
Many R&D consultancies take a large chunk of your refund. Our model is built for startups that can't afford to lose that much runway. We rely on efficient processes and sector focus to keep fees down while still doing audit-level work. There's no catch — we just think founders should keep more of what they've earned.
Do I pay anything if my claim isn't successful?
No. Our fees are success-based. If your claim isn't successful, you don't pay. That's why we're careful about who we take on — if we don't think you'll have a strong claim, we'll tell you upfront.
Software & Tech
Is software development eligible?
Sometimes — but software is scrutinised heavily. Routine development isn't R&D. AusIndustry's guidance is strict about what counts as experimental versus routine, and whole-of-project claims are a red flag. We specialise in positioning software and AI work correctly under the latest guidance.
Is software R&D really still eligible? We've heard it's "crackdown city."
Yes — software can absolutely be eligible. The scrutiny has increased, but that just means the claim needs to be built properly. We know exactly where the lines are and how to frame technical work under current guidance.
Can I use AI to write my R&D application?
You can, but it's risky. AI tends to generate generic language, invent experiments, and miss the technical logic AusIndustry expects. They're getting better at identifying AI-written content. A properly prepared claim requires someone who actually understands your work.
Audits & Risk
How "audit-safe" is a claim prepared by Granton?
We build every claim as if AusIndustry or the ATO may review it. That means framing work as hypotheses, experiments and results; matching language to sector guides; and capturing evidence contemporaneously where possible.
To date, Granton reports a 100% success rate and zero audits on client claims.
What happens if the ATO or AusIndustry reviews our claim?
If your claim is selected for review, we can assist with the full response — drafting, evidence, and mapping experiments to the logic the regulator expects.
What are the biggest red flags in an R&D claim?
Vague technical descriptions with no experiments, inflated labour percentages, AI-generated content, whole-of-project claims, and claims written by people not involved in the technical work. We check for all of these before lodgement.
What if you think we shouldn't claim?
We'll tell you clearly and explain why. Protecting you from a bad or unsustainable claim is part of the service. We'd rather lose a fee than put a client at risk.
Already Claiming?
Can you review our previous R&D applications?
Yes. We'll flag weak explanations, missing evidence, inflated costs or things likely to attract review attention. If you've claimed before and want a second opinion, that's exactly what our strategy call is designed for.
How do I know if my last consultant did it properly?
If they never spoke to your technical team, sent you a blank template to fill in, or made you write everything yourself — that's a red flag. We can review your previous claim and tell you where the risks are.
We already claimed once. Can we claim again for the same project?
Yes, as long as you continued to do eligible R&D activities in the subsequent financial year. Each year is assessed on its own activities and expenditure.
Can you help us set up better processes for next year's claim?
Absolutely — especially around timesheets, evidence capture, and documentation. We can help you set up a simple system that makes the next claim much easier.
The smarter way: estimate first, then validate it properly
Granton is a Gold Coast–based innovation funding consultancy. We help Australian startups and innovative businesses navigate R&D Tax Incentives and funding support — fast, clearly, and without corporate fluff.
Enter Granton
We are a dynamic team of consultants and startup enthusiasts committed to empowering startups by helping them level up their grant game. With 7+ years helping Australian product founders navigate the R&D Tax Incentive, here’s how we do things differently.
We specialise in helping companies of all sizes apply for the R&D tax Incentive, startup grants, and accelerator programs.
Clear separation of eligible vs non-eligible work (so you’re not guessing)
Practical guidance on what evidence matters (and what doesn’t)
Support for planning, documentation, and defensible cost allocation
A clarity-first approach that reduces confusion and avoids hype
Reclaimed for Founders
R&DTI Success Rate
Clients Served
Years Experience
"We have been through the R&D incentive program with Granton twice now and both times we have been really impressed - not only by the quality of their work and their ability to understand our activities, but also how much they have worked to reduce the workload for us, especially by comparison with other organisations we have worked with previously in this area.
I would highly recommend Granton.
It has been a pleasure to work with Deb in partiular - friendly, responsive, capable & professional. Thanks Granton, great work!"
– RB Brown
What You'll Get From This Free Check
A practical estimate for planning — plus clarity on what to validate before you rely on it.
ESTIMATE
Indicative benefit estimate
A ballpark view of what your R&D benefit could look like, based on your inputs.
ESTIMATE
Quick eligibility sense-check
A high-level check on a few key factors (entity type, turnover, tax rate) to route you correctly.
EXPENDITURE
Simple eligible spend inputs
Add common R&D cost categories like internal salaries, contractors, and direct project costs.
BREAKDOWN
Clear calculation breakdown
See the components behind the estimate so you can sanity-check assumptions and discuss internally.
NEXT STEPS
What to validate next
A reminder that outcomes depend on facts + substantiation — eligibility and documentation come before decisions.
"Granton helped my business draft and submit an application for the Research and development tax incentive offered by the Australian Taxation Office. I cannot recommend them high enough. They took time to have proper introductory and scoping meetings, meticulously planned the report with details that I hadn't even considered (kudos to the team for digging into that) and even accommodated various financial requests in terms of payment. They were super responsive, super helpful and I cannot thank them enough for their work and understanding of our needs as a small and upcoming business.
If you need any assistance in this field, please reach out to them!"
Madhav Nath
Founder • Stratwell Labs
What happens after you get your estimate?
If the estimate is meaningful, your next step is validation — confirming eligibility, documenting the experimentation, and allocating costs correctly before you rely on the number.
What to validate after the calculation:
Your validation checklist
Confirm eligible activities vs business-as-usual work
Define core R&D activities and supporting activities clearly
Capture evidence of technical uncertainty + experiments
Allocate staff/contractor time defensibly
Separate eligible vs non-eligible expenditure cleanly
Prepare for registration/lodgement with confidence (not guesswork)
“Deb has provided us insights and expert advice for years now. She is without doubt a key consultant.”
Nathan W
Founder • Vasana Digital
Important: this is an indicative estimate only
This calculator provides an estimate only and should not be relied on without an expert opinion.
The potential net benefit and the final amount you might receive can vary based on factors such as your tax position, the applicable company tax rate, and possible adjustments made to your financial statements within your Income Tax Return (ITR).
Eligibility depends on your activities meeting the R&D Tax Incentive eligibility criteria.
Calculator clarity vs the old way
Most product founders do one of two things:
guess the number, or
wait for a traditional accounting process to tell them weeks later.
This tool is built for a faster first step; a clear,
indicative estimate you can use for planning.
THE GRANTON CALCULATOR
A fast, founder-friendly estimate (built for planning)
Get an indicative estimate in minutes: without booking calls or sending emails
Plain-English inputs aligned to how product teams actually build
See a simple breakdown so you can sanity-check assumptions
Helps you decide if it’s worth investing time in validation and documentation
Keeps it grounded: estimate first, then confirm eligibility and substantiation properly
THE OLD WAY
Guessing — or waiting for a slow, expensive process
Back-of-napkin estimates with no logic trail
“Talk to your accountant” becomes a weeks-long back-and-forth
Big-firm process and billable hours before you even know if it’s worth it
Jargon-heavy explanations that don’t map to how your team builds
Decisions delayed (or made blindly) because you never had a clear starting number
Indicative estimate only. Not tax advice. Outcomes depend on your circumstances and evidence.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Nathan Frost, Founder • Golden Wallaby
Ready to See If You Qualify?
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"We were struggling to navigate the complexities of R&D tax incentives until we found Granton. Their team's expertise and personalized approach made all the difference. Thanks to them, we secured the funding we needed to fuel our growth. Highly recommended. Great experience and really helpful! Happy we found them and looking forward to working with Granton again!"
C. DeVoy
Founder • Contraco
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