The following SMART 100 profile and the information it contains is a duplication of content submitted by the applicant during the entry process. As a function of entry, applicants were required to declare that all details are factually correct, do not infringe on another’s intellectual property and are not unlawful, threatening, defamatory, invasive of privacy, obscene, or otherwise objectionable. Some profiles have been edited for reasons of space and clarity. More about the SMART 100.
This innovation initially came to life when…
Frustration as to the few Australian companies claiming R&D tax breaks led an R&D tax specialist (myself) with over a decade’s experience to create a series of simple online tools to make the R&D tax claim process much easier and more worthwhile than is currently available. The goal is to get all the smart SMEs in Australia claiming what they are entitled to, without the need for hours reading tax legislation or expensive consulting fees. Currently only around 7000 companies in Australia claim R&D versus the 30% that claim to be innovative.
WHAT & HOW
The purpose of this innovation is to…
The R&D Eligibility Wizard lets users self-assess eligibility for their companies and projects. R&D Application Wizard lets SMEs both self-assess eligibility and complete questions that feed into the R&D application that is emailed to the user for lodgement.
It does this by…
Using a secure online database requiring unique access codes linked to ABNs of users. Detailed questions with a large amount of additional information based on real consulting experience solicit responses from users where “yes” responses indicate eligibility. Responses are stored in the database and a series of automated scripts creates the R&D Application that is emailed for edit, review, and lodgement.
PURPOSE & BENEFITS
This innovation improves on what came before because…
Companies will now have the knowledge, empowerment, and tools to easily make R&D claims. Currently R&D claims rely heavily on R&D consultant expertise, but this innovation takes this expertise to make it widely accessible at a much lower cost.
Its various benefits to the customer/end-user include…
Customers will gain confidence about eligibility before investing in R&D, there will be a reduction in down-time to prepare R&D tax claims and the whole R&D tax claim process can now be completed in days, not months.
COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE
In the past, this problem was solved by…
A whole industry of R&D tax specialist consultants has developed in Australia to assist companies to make R&D tax claims. Although the R&D Application Wizard will compete against the consultants, the R&D Eligibility Wizard has been designed as a tool that the consultants, large businesses, and even AusIndustry can use on a day-to-day basis.
Its predecessors/competitors include…
There are currently no online R&D tax claim tools in Australia other than what we are offering. R&D tax specialist consultants can complete R&D tax claims using traditional consulting methods. The AusIndustry/ATO Guidebook has little useful detail for claimants.
TARGET MARKET
It is made for…
All Australian SME companies that are primary creators of goods or services. ASIC advises there are 1.7m registered Australian companies as at end Feb 2010. If 30% consider themselves innovative, then approximately 500,000 companies should be making R&D Tax Claims and using R&D SmartTax tools. Our goal is 1% of these or 5000 companies.
DISTRIBUTION STRATEGY
It is available for sale through…
The R&D SmartTax website ,www.smarttax.com.au. Sales and distribution are automated via emails and the website and tools are kept up to date through daily management. Current tools are available for 2010 and a new version will be created for 2011.
Our marketing strategy is to…
Traditional marketing methods are being used, being networking (Australian Innovation Festival), trade shows (National Manufacturing Week) and direct approach (New Inventor’s TV Show, Inventor’s Societies). Also online advertising with ManufactureLink, Google Adwords. Future marketing will include print media once sales increas;, i.e., Manufacturing Monthly, SmartCompany.
SUPPORTING IMAGES AND/OR VIDEO
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To check out the Anthill SMART 100 Readers’ Choice winner for 2010, click here.
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