SmartyPants Capital
Your ATO refund. Months early.
The R&D Tax Incentive is brilliant, except for one thing: the wait. You spend all year, lodge after EOFY, then watch the calendar while the ATO processes. That gap can cost you hires, momentum and runway. We close it.
SmartyPants Capital advances up to 80% of your verified R&DTI refund. We can even do that during the year based on your historical refunds and business outlook. When the ATO pays, the refund repays the advance directly. Short, clean and self-liquidating. You get to keep your equity, your board seats and your weekends.
Start the Simple DiagnosticTwo products. One purpose.
Refund Advance
For claims lodged or ready to lodge. You get up to 80% of the verified refund now, typically over 1 to 3 months, and the ATO refund repays it when it lands. If it takes a bit longer you let us know and we just keep on trucking.
Forward Advance
For R&D you're spending on right now. We advance against your current-year spend in tranches through the year, so this year's R&D is funded by this year's claim. Terms typically run 3 to 12 months, repaid when your refund arrives after your EOFY lodgement.
Is this for you?
You're a good fit if you can say yes to most of these:
- You're an Australian incorporated company with aggregated turnover under $20M (that's what makes your offset refundable).
- You're spending $100k or more a year on eligible R&D.
- You're registered with AusIndustry, and have or need an advisor who will get you there. We can help.
- Your refund estimate is verified by a qualified R&DTI advisor or accountant.
Not sure? That's literally what the SmartyPants Simple Diagnostic is for.
Pricing, in plain sight
All pricing is indicative and confirmed in your term sheet based on your claim and profile. Interest accrues monthly and is repaid with the principal when your refund lands.
How it works
Simple Diagnostic or enquiry.
Five minutes. We respond within one business day. Always.
Verification.
Your R&DTI advisor or accountant signs off the claim estimate. Our AI reviews the file and tells you immediately if anything is missing.
Assessment and terms.
We assess, set your advance rate and issue a term sheet. Transparent numbers, no surprises.
Documents and drawdown.
Sign, settle, funds advanced. For clean files this moves fast.
The ATO does its thing.
The refund is paid, the advance repays itself, and any surplus goes straight to you.
About speed (an honest word)
Some lenders promise 24 hours. Ask around: it rarely survives contact with reality, because the delays live in the paperwork, not the provider. Here's our promise instead. Our team reads your file the moment it arrives and tells you exactly what's needed, so nothing dies in an inbox. We give you real dates and we hit them. If something outside our control slows things down, you hear it from us first, with a fix. Fast is good. Reliable and fast is better.
Our team reads your file the moment it arrives
It reviews the claim, spots what's missing, and tells you exactly what we need. Clean files move very fast, and you see every number as it moves.
Questions people actually ask
What if the ATO takes longer than expected?
Facilities are structured with buffer for ATO timing, and we monitor processing actively. Delays don't trigger panic, they trigger a conversation.
What if my refund comes in lower than the estimate?
That's why we advance up to 80%, not 100%. The buffer absorbs adjustments in most cases. If a shortfall remains, we agree a repayment plan like adults.
Do you take personal guarantees?
Security is a first-ranking assignment of the R&DTI receivable itself.
Can I keep my own R&D advisor?
Please do. We work with your advisor, and we pay referral fees to partners. If you don't have one, we can introduce you to a good one.
Do you need my whole banking relationship?
No. This sits alongside your existing facilities. We only need what secures the advance.
Is this a loan or something weirder?
It's a commercial loan secured against your refund. No equity, no warrants, no convertible anything.
What does it cost if I repay early?
The refund arriving early is a good day. Interest accrues for the time the advance is outstanding, so earlier is cheaper. No early repayment penalty.
What's the minimum?
Around $100k of eligible annual R&D spend, which means a refund of roughly $43,500 or more.
What's the maximum?
Single facilities up to $950k in our first year, growing with our book. Bigger claim? Talk to us anyway.
Who actually funds this?
Advances are funded from a dedicated wholesale facility, with your refund paid into a trust account that repays the advance. Boring by design. Boring is safe.
We're mid-year and haven't lodged. Too early?
No, that's exactly what the Forward Advance is for.
Will you tell my investors?
Confidentiality is standard. Though in our experience investors love non-dilutive capital almost as much as founders do.
SmartyPants Capital provides commercial finance to eligible Australian companies. All figures are indicative and subject to assessment, verification and documentation. Nothing on this page is an offer of finance or a guarantee of any ATO outcome.