- agency
- Department of Industry, Science and Resources (AusIndustry, registers R&D activities) and the Australian Taxation Office (processes expenditure claims)
- amount
- Refundable R&D tax offset (turnover < AUD 20m) equals the corporate tax rate plus an 18.5% premium (i.e. 43.5% at the 25% corporate rate), available as a cash refund even if the company is not yet profitable. Non-refundable offset (turnover >= AUD 20m): corporate tax rate + 8.5% (R&D intensity up to 2% of total expenditure) or + 16.5% (above 2%).
- country
- Australia
- deadline or recurrence
- Ongoing/annual. Activities must be registered with AusIndustry within 10 months of the end of the income year (typically 30 April for a 30 June year-end). Current rules continue until changes announced in the 2026-27 Budget take effect from 1 July 2028.
- eligibility
- Open to any company that meets the definition of an R&D entity, across all sectors and company sizes. Refundable offset applies to companies with aggregated turnover under AUD 20 million; non-refundable offset for companies at/above AUD 20 million.