Research & Development lawyers, Melbourne & Geelong
Whether you are an established R&D company, or just starting out, it pays to get things right from the outset. The experienced Research and Development lawyers at Lancaster Legal support Geelong and Melbourne businesses throughout the R&D process.
Whatever stage you are at, our R&D lawyers can advise you on the most appropriate structure for going forward in any research and development enterprise including:
- Research collaboration agreements
- Joint ventures
- Commercialisation agreements
- Consultancy agreements
- Start-up and spin off company formation.
R&D tax incentive applications
In a bid to increase innovation in Australia, the Australian Government introduced a Research and Development tax incentive program, jointly administered by the Australia Taxation Office (ATO) and AusIndustry.
The R&D Tax Incentive Program provides a tax offset for eligible Research and Development activities by reducing a company’s income tax liability via:
- a refundable tax offset for eligible entities with an aggregated turnover of less than $20 million
- a non-refundable tax offset for all other eligible entities.
There are certain criteria that businesses must meet in order to be eligible for the R&D Tax Incentive Program. At Lancaster Legal, our experienced R&D lawyers will thoroughly assess your business, ensuring you meet all eligibility and compliance requirements before lodging your R&D tax incentive application with AusIndustry and working with your accountants to obtain your benefit from the ATO.
With a rise in R&D tax incentive applications in recent years, the ATO and AusIndustry have increased review activity – Lancaster Legal clients need not worry. Our R&D tax incentive work will stand up to ATO and AusIndustry audits, providing a no-risk proposition for our clients across Geelong and Melbourne through our “no result – no fee” engagement for this service. There are plenty of other R&D tax incentive consultants offering services in the market – but ask whether they are licensed (which is a legal requirement), hold professional indemnity insurance and whether they can act on your behalf in a legal capacity.
If you have received a request for further information or been notified by AusIndustry or the ATO that an audit is being conducted in relation to the R&D tax incentive application that another accountant or consultant has filed for you, we can provide you with assistance in navigating this space. As a legal practice, we provide confidential and legally privileged advice to you and ensure that your interests are protected – AusIndustry and the ATO don’t play games with the R&D tax incentive, so you want to make sure you have experienced lawyers acting for you.
We are also specialist trademark lawyers and data protection lawyers, travelling to our clients in Melbourne and Geelong to provide onsite advice.