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Free tool · Australia

R&D Tax Incentive calculator

Estimate your R&D Tax Incentive offset, refundable or non-refundable, and the net benefit over an ordinary deduction, using current ATO rates.

Free, no sign-upAustralian rates & rulesRuns in your browser
The short answer

For companies with aggregated turnover under A$20M, the R&D Tax Incentive is a refundable tax offset of the company tax rate plus 18.5%, or 43.5% for a 25% base-rate entity, with a minimum of A$20,000 of eligible spend. Larger companies receive a non-refundable offset with a premium of 8.5% or 16.5% depending on R&D intensity.

Interactive

R&D Tax Incentive Calculator

R&D Tax Incentive estimatorcurrent ATO rates

Activities must be registered with AusIndustry (DISR) within 10 months of year-end. Keep contemporaneous records of hypotheses and experiments.

Method

How it works and how to use the result

The estimate multiplies eligible spend by the relevant offset rate and compares it with the value of an ordinary tax deduction. Eligibility depends on registered core and supporting R&D activities, so work with an R&D adviser or tax agent on registration and lodgement. Your CFO plans the cash.

FAQs

Frequently asked questions

What R&D activities are eligible?

Core activities are experimental activities to generate new knowledge where the outcome can't be known in advance. Supporting activities must be directly related. Routine software development usually isn't eligible.

What's the registration deadline?

Within 10 months of the end of your income year, through AusIndustry.

Are the 2026–27 Budget changes included?

No. The calculator uses current law. The Budget proposed changes from 1 July 2028, which were not legislated when this page was reviewed.

Last updated 15 October 2026 · Uses Australian rates and rules published at that date. Estimates only; not financial or tax advice.

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