Section 15 · 16 entries · Updated 11 June 2026

Legal, Accounting & Tax

An overview of legal, accounting and tax resources for Sydney startups. This page provides general information only and is not legal or tax advice — consult a qualified lawyer or accountant for your specific situation.

01 Company setup basics

  • Register a company (ASIC) Register a Pty Ltd via the Business Registration Service at register.business.gov.au. Fee is $597 for a proprietary company (from 1 July 2025). Company receives an ACN on registration.
  • Apply for an ABN ABN (Australian Business Number) is free to register via the Australian Business Register. Apply at register.business.gov.au alongside company or business name registration.
  • Employee Share Schemes — startup (ESS) concession (ATO) Startup ESS concession: tax deferred on discounted shares/options; company must be unlisted AU resident, <$50M aggregated turnover, incorporated <10 yrs. Options priced at or above market value; min 3-year hold. Gains taxed as CGT. source ↗
  • ESS standard documents — startup concession (ATO) ATO-published template ESS documents for the startup concession. Valuation method updated via LI 2025/16 (effective 1 Oct 2025), replacing the previous instrument. Two safe-harbour valuation methods available.

02 Tax incentives

  • R&D Tax Incentive Refundable offset for companies with aggregated turnover <$20M: company tax rate + 18.5% (e.g. 43.5% for a 25% tax rate company). Non-refundable offset for larger companies: rate + 8.5% or +16.5% above 2% R&D intensity. Jointly administered by ATO and Dept of Industry. Claims capped at $150M eligible expenditure. source ↗
  • ESIC — Tax incentives for early stage investors (ATO) Investors in a qualifying ESIC receive a 20% non-refundable carry-forward tax offset (capped at $200,000/yr per investor and affiliates) plus CGT exemption on gains from shares held 1–10 yrs. Non-sophisticated investors limited to $50,000 invested/yr. source ↗
  • Qualifying as an ESIC (ATO) To qualify: total expenses ≤$1M and assessable income ≤$200,000 in prior income year; meet the principles-based or 100-point innovation test. Unlisted AU-incorporated company required.
  • Export Market Development Grant (EMDG) Austrade-administered matched-funding grant for AU SMEs promoting goods/services globally. Three tiers for 2025–26: Tier 1 up to $30K, Tier 2 up to $50K, Tier 3 up to $80K. Applicant ABN must be ≥2 yrs old. Turnover <$20M for SME eligibility. source ↗
  • NSW MVP Ventures Program NSW Government competitive grant helping startups bring innovative products to market. Up to $3M allocated for 2025–26 across priority sectors (housing, energy, health, digital). Multiple rounds per year; check NSW.gov.au for open dates.
  • LegalVision Fixed-fee AU law firm with a dedicated startup and technology practice. Services cover capital raising, commercial contracts, IP/trademarks, employment and business structuring. Offices across AU.
  • Sprintlaw Online-only fixed-fee law firm focused on AU startups and small business. Registered with NSW Law Society. Has assisted 8,000+ startups including Linktree and Antler. Offers a Startup Launch Legal Pack.
  • Biztech Lawyers Sydney-based (George St) international tech and startup law firm. Focus on corporate, commercial, IP, data privacy for tech startups and scale-ups. Partner of UNSW Founders program.
  • Hamilton Locke AU Law Firm of the Year 2025 (Lawyers Weekly). Technology practice focuses on scale-up and growth companies, VC/PE investors in tech, and IP-based businesses. Offices in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Auckland.
  • Herbert Smith Freehills — Startup School HSF runs a Startup School program for established startups preparing to scale or fundraise — covering key legal risks, investment readiness and mentorship. A global firm with a Sydney-based startup education initiative.

04 Startup accounting

  • Standard Ledger Startup-specialist accounting firm: bookkeeping, BAS/GST, R&D tax claims, valuations and virtual CFO (from $1,950/mo). Supports pre-seed through Series A and beyond. AU, UK, Canada, US and NZ. source ↗
  • Fullstack Advisory Chartered accountants exclusively serving AU startups and innovative businesses. Services: tax, bookkeeping, R&D Tax Incentive (up to 43.5% cash back), virtual CFO and management reporting. Offices in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane. source ↗

Every entry above is source-linked and reviewed before publish. Spotted something out of date? It will be picked up in the next weekly agent run — each section is re-researched on a rolling cadence.