Accounting & Tax
R&D Consulting
Maximising the R&D Tax Incentive with technical rigour and defensible documentation.
Accounting & Tax
Technically precise, commercially grounded tax and accounting advisory.
Overview
How we help.
The R&D Tax Incentive remains one of the most valuable innovation supports available to Australian businesses. But AusIndustry reviews and ATO scrutiny have intensified in recent years, and claims that cannot be defended are being reviewed, reduced or denied. Building defensible claims requires precise activity categorisation, proper technical documentation and a methodology that can withstand review.
Corson Fiske works with R&D claimants from project inception through to lodgement and review response. We advise on activity identification, documentation frameworks, expenditure calculation and interaction with the ATO and AusIndustry.
Our approach balances commercial optimisation with technical defensibility — because a large claim that cannot be sustained is not actually a claim at all.
Capabilities
- Eligibility assessment for new claimants
- Core and supporting activity identification and documentation
- Technical narrative drafting and review
- Expenditure analysis and apportionment
- Advance finding and overseas finding applications
- AusIndustry review response
- ATO review and audit response
- Claim methodology for complex or recurring programs
Client Situations
When clients engage us.
The issues that bring clients through our door tend to fall into familiar patterns.
A first R&D claim is being prepared
A new claimant needs to understand eligibility, documentation and methodology from the outset.
AusIndustry has commenced a review
A review of prior-year activities is underway and technical response is needed.
The ATO has raised expenditure questions
An audit or review of expenditure calculations requires defence.
A large or complex program needs assessment
A multi-year, multi-project R&D program needs a defensible framework.
The business is preparing for investment or sale
A transaction is approaching and the finance function, reporting and tax positions all need to be in order before diligence commences.
The finance team needs senior capability it does not have
The in-house team is competent at compliance but lacks the senior advisory capability the board expects on commercial matters.
Outcomes
What you can expect.
- Claims that are both optimal and defensible
- Technical documentation that supports activity categorisation
- Resolved reviews with minimised adjustment
- Methodologies that work across multiple claim years
Industries we focus on
Our practice has particular depth in technology and SaaS, software and AI, NDIS providers, manufacturing, professional services, transport and logistics, wholesale and distribution, and industrial businesses.
Client Success
Outcomes from recent engagements.
Indicative results from engagements within this practice area. Client details have been anonymised; outcomes reflect actual matters completed by the firm.
$8.2M
R&D Claim Sustained
AusIndustry review defence
Defended an $8.2M R&D Tax Incentive claim through an AusIndustry review, sustaining the full amount with no adjustment.
SaaS business
$1.4M
DPN Exposure Resolved
ATO negotiation
Negotiated a structured payment arrangement with the ATO that preserved company trading and eliminated director personal exposure under Director Penalty Notices.
Construction group
3× growth
Through CFO Advisory
CFO advisory engagement
Delivered partner-level CFO advisory through a three-year growth phase, supporting the business from $6M to $18M revenue.
Professional services
Why Corson Fiske
Experience where it counts.
Clients engage Corson Fiske because they need advice they can act on — delivered by senior practitioners who understand both the technical detail and the commercial consequences. Every engagement is led by a partner with direct experience in accounting, tax and compliance matters.
Our integrated structure means tax, legal, accounting and advisory questions are resolved within a single firm. For clients operating across Australia, Asia, New Zealand or Asia, our office network in Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Singapore and Auckland provides consistent advice across jurisdictions.
Our Approach
A refined four-phase method for every engagement.
Corson Fiske applies the same disciplined framework to every matter, regardless of scale. The phases below are not a marketing device — they are the actual structure our partners use to move clients from uncertainty to resolution.
Phase One
01
Understand
A confidential partner-led briefing to establish the facts, commercial drivers, timing pressures and stakeholder dynamics.
- Confidential scoping conversation
- Document and data review
- Stakeholder mapping
- Initial risk identification
Phase Two
02
Analyse
Structured technical and commercial analysis of every realistic option, with a clear view of risks, costs and likely outcomes.
- Technical legal and tax analysis
- Commercial modelling
- Risk-weighted options assessment
- Precedent and market benchmarking
Phase Three
03
Recommend
A written partner recommendation in plain English — not a list of caveats. We stand behind our advice and explain our reasoning.
- Clear written recommendation
- Implementation sequencing
- Stakeholder communication plan
- Contingency and fallback positions
Phase Four
04
Execute
Hands-on delivery of the agreed plan with partner oversight, regular milestone reporting and clear handback at completion.
- Implementation leadership
- Stakeholder engagement
- Milestone tracking and reporting
- Completion review and handback
Key Considerations
What clients need to know.
Engaging external advisors on any significant matter raises practical questions about scope, timing, cost and outcomes. We believe in being straightforward about each of these from the first conversation.
How engagements typically begin
Every engagement starts with a confidential initial conversation — usually 30 to 60 minutes — in which we listen to the situation, ask the questions needed to understand it properly, and share a view on whether and how we can help. There is no charge for this conversation and no obligation to proceed.
How we scope and price work
We prefer fixed-fee or capped-fee arrangements wherever the scope allows. Where the scope is genuinely uncertain — as in contested matters — we agree hourly rates upfront and provide regular fee updates against defined phases. We do not bill for internal discussions, file opening or routine administration.
Who you will work with
Every engagement is led by a partner with direct experience in the matter type. That partner remains your primary point of contact throughout. Specialist colleagues join the team where their expertise is required, but you will never be passed from person to person or find the partner you hired is no longer on the file.
How we handle confidentiality and privilege
All engagements are subject to strict confidentiality. Where legal advice is being delivered, it is provided through our incorporated legal practice and attracts legal professional privilege. We take document security, information handling and communications discipline seriously on every matter.
Get the right advice from Corson Fiske.
Confidential, no-obligation initial consultations with a partner who specialises in accounting, tax and compliance matters.