George Walch is an Australian accountant and the founder of Rand Advisory. He works with software and health-tech companies on their R&D Tax Incentive claims, and reviews every claim Rand prepares as its Expert Reviewer: Division 355 eligibility, contemporaneous evidence, and claims that hold up when AusIndustry or the ATO looks at them.
Articles by George Walch
R&D Tax Incentive deadlines: every date that matters
Miss the registration deadline and the claim is gone, no matter how eligible the work was. Here is every date in the R&D Tax Incentive calendar: registration, findings, lodgement, and record retention, plus what to do if a deadline is at risk.
Read articleThe R&D Tax Incentive, explained end to end: 2026 guide
The complete path through an R&D Tax Incentive claim: who is eligible, what the offset is worth, how activities are defined, what evidence you need, and the registration and lodgement steps that turn eligible work into money in the bank.
Read articleR&D tax consultant vs software: a cost comparison for startups
Most R&D Tax Incentive consultants charge a percentage of your benefit. Software charges differently. Here is an honest breakdown of the fee models, the trade-offs, and which one suits an early-stage software company.
Read articleCore vs supporting R&D activities, and why it now matters more
The distinction between core and supporting R&D activities has always mattered. From 1 July 2028 it becomes decisive, because supporting activities lose eligibility. Here is how to tell them apart and classify your work correctly.
Read articleATO R&D Tax Incentive reviews: what triggers them, how to be ready
A review is not a disaster if your claim is well-evidenced. Here is what tends to trigger an ATO or AusIndustry review of an R&D Tax Incentive claim, what they ask for, and how to be ready before one lands.
Read articleIs AI and machine learning development eligible for the R&DTI?
AI and machine learning work is a rich source of genuine R&D, and a fast-growing target for ATO scrutiny. Here is how the eligibility test actually applies to AI development, with examples of what qualifies and what does not.
Read articleThe 2026-27 Budget R&D Tax Incentive overhaul explained
The 2026-27 Federal Budget announced the biggest redesign of the R&D Tax Incentive in years, including the end of supporting activity claims from 1 July 2028. Here is what changes, and the moves software founders should make before it lands.
Read articleR&D Tax Incentive for software development: 2026 guide
Software is one of the most-claimed and most-scrutinised areas of the R&D Tax Incentive. This guide maps the four eligibility criteria to real software work, with examples of what qualifies, what does not, and the traps that sink claims.
Read articleContemporaneous evidence for a defensible R&D claim
Eligibility gets you in the door. Evidence keeps you there. This guide covers what contemporaneous records the ATO and AusIndustry expect, the evidence hierarchy that holds up in a review, and the documentation habits that make a claim defensible.
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