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Industries · Technology & Software

Accountants who understand a business that invests before it earns.

A technology business spends on development and people long before the revenue catches up, and often raises capital to bridge the gap. The R&D incentive, the share scheme, the way revenue is recognised and the structure behind a raise all shape how far the business can go. We work with established and growing technology and software companies, on the numbers behind R&D, equity and investment that decide what the business becomes.

Talk to us→How we work→
In short

Prime Partners advises established and growing technology and software businesses on the financial decisions that come with investing ahead of revenue. That covers the R&D tax incentive, employee share schemes, SaaS revenue recognition, structuring for capital raising, and the tax that comes with scale. We bring the technical depth of a specialist practice and the accessibility of a team that knows your business by name.

We work with SaaS and software companies, fintech and health tech businesses, app and platform developers, IT services and managed service providers, hardware and IoT businesses, and venture and investor-backed technology startups.

The pressures you carryWhat we doHow we workMoments that matterCommon questions
The pressures you carry

The financial questions that sit underneath every technology business.

A technology business runs on investment in development and people, funded by revenue that arrives later or by capital raised ahead of it. The decisions that matter most are about funding that gap and rewarding the people who build the product. These are the recurring pressures we help technology companies hold.

The R&D tax incentive
For most software businesses the R&D incentive is a material source of funding for development. Scoping it correctly against genuine technical uncertainty, and documenting it properly, is the difference between a claim that holds and one that does not.
Equity and employee share schemes
Attracting talent often means offering equity, and the tax treatment of a share scheme can make or break its value to employees. Designed well and early, it rewards the team without creating a tax problem later.
Revenue recognition and reporting
Subscription revenue earned over time looks nothing like the cash received upfront. Getting recognition right gives a true picture of the business, which matters for your own decisions and for the investors reading the numbers.
Structuring for capital
Raising capital rewards a clean structure and a tidy cap table set up before the round, not scrambled together during it. The structure you raise into shapes the tax and the options for everyone involved.
Cash runway and the path to profit
Knowing how long the cash lasts, and what the numbers need to do to reach profitability, is the discipline that keeps a growing technology business in control of its own future rather than the next raise.
What we do

The same journey we take every client on, told for a technology business.

Most technology businesses come to us for one thing and stay for the rest. The work tends to follow a natural order, from getting the foundations and R&D right through to planning an eventual exit. Each step below is a service in its own right, and each one links through to the full detail.

Accounting clean-up→
Where the books have fallen behind fast growth or need to be investor-ready, we bring them to a standard that holds up to due diligence, so the numbers tell the truth before a raise or a sale.
Business accounting and tax→
Year-end accounts, tax and revenue recognition, prepared with the way a technology business invests and earns properly understood. The foundation everything else sits on.
External finance team→
The reporting a technology business actually needs, including runway, burn, recurring revenue and the metrics investors watch, run by a team alongside the business rather than a once-a-year file.
Business structure review→
The structure and cap table that a raise depends on. We make sure the business is set up cleanly for investment and employee equity before the round rather than during it.
R&D tax incentive→
A core source of funding for most software businesses, not an afterthought. We assess what qualifies against genuine technical uncertainty and prepare the claim so it stands up to review.
Business growth→
The decisions that come with scaling, from capital raising and employee share schemes to the financial discipline that turns growth into a sustainable business rather than a longer runway.
Business succession→
Planning the exit, whether a trade sale, an acquisition or bringing in new ownership, handled so the value you have built is realised and the tax is managed when the time comes.
Private client advisory and SMSF→
The personal side of building a technology business, including your individual tax position, the equity you hold, self managed super and the planning that comes with a successful exit.
How we work

A senior-led relationship, not a once-a-year file.

Every engagement is led by a senior practitioner who knows the business and stays close to it. The way we work follows the same shape, whatever the company.

1
Understand the business
We start with what you are building, how it is funded, where the development spend goes, and what you are trying to reach over the next stage of growth.
2
Get the foundations right
Compliance, reporting, revenue recognition and the R&D position brought to a standard you and your investors can rely on, so the numbers tell the truth as the business scales.
3
Advise on the decisions that count
R&D claims, share schemes, capital raising and the structure behind them addressed as they arise, with the analysis to support a real decision rather than a hunch.
4
Stay alongside the business
A continuing relationship where you can pick up the phone before a raise or a hire, rather than explain it after the fact.
5
Plan the exit
When the time comes for a sale or a change of ownership, we plan it well ahead, getting the business investor-ready and managing the tax, so the value you have built is realised on your terms.
Moments that matter

The decisions that shape a technology business deserve more than a once-a-year accountant.

Scoping the R&D claim that funds another year of development. Setting up the share scheme that brings the right people in. Structuring cleanly before the raise that takes the business to the next stage. Selling the company you built and realising the value well. These are the moments where good advice is worth far more than the work that surrounds it, and they are the moments Prime Partners exists for.

Common questions

Questions technology businesses ask us.

What does an accountant for a technology or software company do?
An accountant for a technology or software company handles the financial work that comes with a business that invests in development before it earns, and often raises capital to do it. That means claiming the R&D tax incentive, setting up employee share schemes, getting SaaS revenue recognition right, structuring for investment and managing the tax that comes with growth. At Prime Partners we cover the routine accounting as a matter of course and focus the relationship on the R&D, equity and structuring decisions that decide how far a technology business can go.
Can a software company claim the R&D tax incentive?
Yes, software and technology companies are among the most common claimants of the R&D tax incentive, where they undertake development to resolve a genuine technical uncertainty rather than routine coding. New algorithms, novel architectures and genuine experimentation can qualify, while standard configuration and known solutions generally do not. The claim has to be scoped and documented carefully against the eligibility rules, and we assess what qualifies and prepare the claim so it stands up to review.
How are employee share schemes taxed in Australia?
Employee share schemes, or ESOPs, let a company give employees equity or options, with the tax treatment depending on the type of scheme and when the benefit is taxed. Startups that meet the concession rules can offer shares or options with tax deferred until a later sale, which is a major advantage in attracting talent. The design has to fit the company's stage and structure, and getting it right early avoids tax problems for employees later. We set up and advise on schemes that work for both the company and its people.
How is SaaS revenue recognised for accounting?
SaaS revenue is generally recognised over the period the customer has access to the software rather than when payment is received, so an annual subscription paid upfront is recognised across the year of service. This means cash received and revenue earned can look very different, which matters for reporting, for investors and for tax. Getting the treatment right gives a true picture of the business, and we set up the reporting so cash and revenue are both clear.
Do you work with startups raising capital?
Yes, we work with technology businesses through capital raising, from getting the structure and cap table right before a round to handling the tax and reporting that investors expect. We advise on the structure that suits investment, the due diligence that comes with a raise, and the ongoing reporting once new investors are on board. Our focus is on established and growing businesses rather than the earliest idea stage.
Where is Prime Partners located?
Prime Partners has offices in North Sydney and Orange, NSW. We work with technology and software businesses across both metropolitan and regional New South Wales, and nationally where the relationship calls for it.
Talk to us

Start a conversation about your business.

If you are scoping an R&D claim, setting up a share scheme, preparing for a raise, or planning an exit, we would be glad to talk it through.

Get in touch→
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