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If you are engaged in research and development you might be eligible to claim a tax offset under the research and development tax incentive. The program is jointly administered by AusIndustry (on behalf of Innovation Australia) and the ATO and replaces the research and development tax concession.
About the program
The research and development tax incentive offers tax offsets to encourage more companies to engage in research and development.
Adjustments
You may need to make adjustments to your income tax return if you have received a government recoupment (clawback adjustment), your eligible activities have produced either marketable products or products that have been applied to your own use (feedstock adjustment), or you are registered for GST.
Claiming the tax offset
If you are eligible for the tax incentive, you claim a tax offset in your income tax return. However, you must register your eligible activities and obtain your unique registration number from AusIndustry (who act on behalf of Innovation Australia) before you can lodge a claim with us.
Compliance and monitoring
The ATO and AusIndustry use complementary risk and compliance frameworks to help people to understand their rights, comply with their obligations and obtain their benefits in relation to the research and development tax incentive.
Contact us
Depending on the nature of your query, you can contact either us or AusIndustry for more information about the research and development tax incentive.
Correcting mistakes and disputing decisions
In most cases, you will be able to amend your claim or dispute a decision made.
Eligibility
Before you can lodge a claim for amounts under the research and development tax incentive you need to find out if you and the activities you perform meet the various eligibility criteria.
Getting help
You can ask AusIndustry (who act on behalf of Innovation Australia) for advice in relation to whether or not your activities are eligible and you can get advice from us about whether or not the expenditure you are claiming is eligible for the research and development tax incentive.
Guide to the Research and development tax incentive
If your company is performing research and development activities, you could be eligible for a tax offset. Find out what the tax incentive is about, whether or not you're eligible for a tax offset, how to register and how much you may be able to claim.
Registering
If you are an eligible research and development entity and you want to claim the tax incentive, you will need to register your research and development activities every year.
Research and development tax incentive - advance finding
Information about the advance findings, including who can apply and what an advance finding will apply to, also links to further information on the AusIndustry website.
Research and development tax incentive - eligibility of activities (core and supporting activities)
Provides a definition for core and supporting R and D activities, including the meaning of 'dominant purpose' and links to further information on the AusIndustry website.
Research and development tax incentive - overseas R and D
Information about how you can receive the research and development tax incentive for activities conducted overseas, conditions for an overseas finding, and links to further information on the AusIndustry website.
Research and development tax incentive - registration
Information about who can apply for registration, what information is required with your application, when you need to register, and links to further information on the AusIndustry website.
Research and development tax incentive - amounts you can claim
This guide provides information about amounts that can be claimed under the research and development tax incentive.
Research and development tax incentive - who can claim
Information about who is eligible to claim the research and development (R&D) tax incentive including the definition of an R&D entity, how to work out who receives the major benefit from the R&D activities and the rules that apply to partnerships and consolidated groups.
Research and development tax incentive overview
Provides an overview of the research and development (R and D) tax incentive, including what R and D activities are eligible, the amounts you may be able to claim and where to go to get more information from us or AusIndustry.
Research and development tax incentive: keeping records and calculating your notional deductions
This guide explains what records you need to keep and includes information to help you to apportion your expenditure between R&D activities and non-R&D activities.
Research and development tax incentive - clawback adjustment
Information about how the receipt of a grant may impact on you if you have claimed the research and development tax offset. NAT 73941.
Research and development tax incentive - expenditure incurred to an associate
How the research and development tax incentive applies to expenditure you incur to an associate.
Research and development tax incentive - feedstock adjustments
Information about when feedstock adjustments are required under the research and development tax incentive.
Research and development tax incentive - for whom are the R and D activities conducted?
Information about determining who is the major benefactor from the activities on which you have incurred expenditure under the research and development tax incentive. NAT 73998.
Research and development tax incentive - grouping for aggregated turnover purposes
Information about how the grouping rules work to determine which tax offset you may be entitled to under the research and development tax incentive. NAT 73999-10.2011.
Research and development tax incentive - refundable and non-refundable tax offsets
Information about how to work out which tax offset you may be entitled to under the research and development tax incentive.
Research and development tax incentive - fact sheet
Information about the research and development tax incentive including the type of R and D tax offsets you may be able to claim, how to apply, what R and D activities and amounts are eligible, and where you can go to find more information.
Research and development tax incentive - key differences to R and D tax concession
Information about the key differences between the research and development tax incentive and the R and D tax concession.
Research and development tax incentive - record keeping and R and D planning
Information about what records you should keep to support your research and development activities and the amounts you claim under the tax incentive.
About the program
The research and development tax incentive offers tax offsets to encourage more companies to engage in research and development.
Adjustments
You may need to make adjustments to your income tax return if you have received a government recoupment (clawback adjustment), your eligible activities have produced either marketable products or products that have been applied to your own use (feedstock adjustment), or you are registered for GST.
Claiming the tax offset
If you are eligible for the tax incentive, you claim a tax offset in your income tax return. However, you must register your eligible activities and obtain your unique registration number from AusIndustry (who act on behalf of Innovation Australia) before you can lodge a claim with us.
Compliance and monitoring
The ATO and AusIndustry use complementary risk and compliance frameworks to help people to understand their rights, comply with their obligations and obtain their benefits in relation to the research and development tax incentive.
Contact us
Depending on the nature of your query, you can contact either us or AusIndustry for more information about the research and development tax incentive.
Correcting mistakes and disputing decisions
In most cases, you will be able to amend your claim or dispute a decision made.
Eligibility
Before you can lodge a claim for amounts under the research and development tax incentive you need to find out if you and the activities you perform meet the various eligibility criteria.
Getting help
You can ask AusIndustry (who act on behalf of Innovation Australia) for advice in relation to whether or not your activities are eligible and you can get advice from us about whether or not the expenditure you are claiming is eligible for the research and development tax incentive.
Guide to the Research and development tax incentive
If your company is performing research and development activities, you could be eligible for a tax offset. Find out what the tax incentive is about, whether or not you're eligible for a tax offset, how to register and how much you may be able to claim.
Registering
If you are an eligible research and development entity and you want to claim the tax incentive, you will need to register your research and development activities every year.
Research and development tax incentive - advance finding
Information about the advance findings, including who can apply and what an advance finding will apply to, also links to further information on the AusIndustry website.
Research and development tax incentive - amounts you can claim
This guide provides information about amounts that can be claimed under the research and development tax incentive.
Research and development tax incentive - clawback adjustment
Information about how the receipt of a grant may impact on you if you have claimed the research and development tax offset. NAT 73941.
Research and development tax incentive - eligibility of activities (core and supporting activities)
Provides a definition for core and supporting R and D activities, including the meaning of 'dominant purpose' and links to further information on the AusIndustry website.
Research and development tax incentive - expenditure incurred to an associate
How the research and development tax incentive applies to expenditure you incur to an associate.
Research and development tax incentive - fact sheet
Information about the research and development tax incentive including the type of R and D tax offsets you may be able to claim, how to apply, what R and D activities and amounts are eligible, and where you can go to find more information.
Research and development tax incentive - feedstock adjustments
Information about when feedstock adjustments are required under the research and development tax incentive.
Research and development tax incentive - for whom are the R and D activities conducted?
Information about determining who is the major benefactor from the activities on which you have incurred expenditure under the research and development tax incentive. NAT 73998.
Research and development tax incentive - grouping for aggregated turnover purposes
Information about how the grouping rules work to determine which tax offset you may be entitled to under the research and development tax incentive. NAT 73999-10.2011.
Research and development tax incentive - key differences to R and D tax concession
Information about the key differences between the research and development tax incentive and the R and D tax concession.
Research and development tax incentive - legislation
Information about the legislation that applies to the research and development tax incentive.
Research and development tax incentive - overseas R and D
Information about how you can receive the research and development tax incentive for activities conducted overseas, conditions for an overseas finding, and links to further information on the AusIndustry website.
Research and development tax incentive - record keeping and R and D planning
Information about what records you should keep to support your research and development activities and the amounts you claim under the tax incentive.
Research and development tax incentive - refundable and non-refundable tax offsets
Information about how to work out which tax offset you may be entitled to under the research and development tax incentive.
Research and development tax incentive - registration
Information about who can apply for registration, what information is required with your application, when you need to register, and links to further information on the AusIndustry website.
Research and development tax incentive - who can claim
Information about who is eligible to claim the research and development (R&D) tax incentive including the definition of an R&D entity, how to work out who receives the major benefit from the R&D activities and the rules that apply to partnerships and consolidated groups.
Research and development tax incentive calculator 2012
This calculator assists you to calculate your R&D tax offset claim for the 2011-12 tax year.
Research and development tax incentive overview
Provides an overview of the research and development (R and D) tax incentive, including what R and D activities are eligible, the amounts you may be able to claim and where to go to get more information from us or AusIndustry.
Research and development tax incentive: 2012 schedule and instructions
To help you claim a research and development (R&D) tax offset in your 2012 company tax returns.
Research and development tax incentive: frequently asked questions
The effect of substituted accounting periods on claiming the research and development (R&D) tax incentive, how to determine when an amount has been paid to an associate and the deductibility of R&D expenditure under other provisions.
Research and development tax incentive: keeping records and calculating your notional deductions
This guide explains what records you need to keep and includes information to help you to apportion your expenditure between R&D activities and non-R&D activities.
Research and development tax incentive - legislation
Information about the legislation that applies to the research and development tax incentive.
Research and development tax incentive calculator 2012
This calculator assists you to calculate your R&D tax offset claim for the 2011-12 tax year.
Research and development tax incentive: 2012 schedule and instructions
To help you claim a research and development (R&D) tax offset in your 2012 company tax returns.
Research and development tax incentive: frequently asked questions
The effect of substituted accounting periods on claiming the research and development (R&D) tax incentive, how to determine when an amount has been paid to an associate and the deductibility of R&D expenditure under other provisions.
 
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