A clearer first step for R&D referrals
We’re preparing a controlled pilot of Proforma's preliminary Australian R&DTI intake. An adviser can complete an account for a client, invite the client to contribute, or combine both. It gives referral partners a practical first step when a client's work is…
TL;DR
We’re preparing a controlled pilot of Proforma's preliminary Australian R&DTI intake. An adviser can complete an account for a client, invite the client to contribute, or combine both. It gives referral partners a practical first step when a client's work is worth exploring but the full picture is still coming together.
Why this matters
A referral often arrives before anyone has a complete picture. The adviser may know the entity and broad financial position. The client may be better placed to explain what they tried to develop, what they tested and what happened. Neither may have every date, amount or supporting record ready.
That is still enough to begin a useful conversation. The preliminary intake gives those contributions a shared place, with unanswered questions visible. It keeps the first account separate from the later work of collecting evidence, reconciling costs and making professional judgments.
What changed
The questionnaire covers the company, income years and financial outline, proposed work, available records and relevant sector follow-ups. You can supply what you know, mark a figure as an estimate, choose Not sure or Not applicable, and leave other answers unanswered.
Save draft saves your current answers. Save and continue saves before opening the next section. You can return to the same intake and resume the saved account. Records do not need to be uploaded to submit this questionnaire; the available-records section describes what exists and what might be supplied later.
How it works
For each referred client, the adviser starts a separate intake using the client or company name. A trading name is enough to begin while legal details are confirmed. A dental practice and an orthodontic practice referred together still have separate answers and access.
The adviser can complete the account on the client's behalf or create an invitation for a named client email address. Creating or copying that link sends no email. The adviser shares it through their usual channel. The client signs in or creates an account, verifies the invited email where required, and accepts access to that preliminary intake only. Forwarding the link to a different person does not grant access to private answers.
Saved answers show whether they were provided by an adviser or a client. Opening an intake does not turn an adviser answer into client confirmation. When a client corrects an answer, the correction carries their attribution; unchanged answers keep the original contributor's attribution.
Before submission, the contributor reviews the saved account and acknowledges that they are authorised to provide the information. Submission preserves that exact version, identifies the actual submitter and records the time. An adviser submission is labelled as made on the client's behalf. A later correction creates a new draft while the previous submitted account remains available to inspect.
What's next
Submission requests preliminary assessment. It does not establish eligibility, register activities, start detailed evidence preparation or produce an approved claim. Reviewer decisions, follow-up and any detailed engagement remain separate steps.
Before opening the controlled pilot, we are checking the release and access arrangements and agreeing how a named reviewer will receive each account and return questions. If you bring R&D referrals and would like to discuss a first client, visit Proforma for advisers and choose Talk to an advisor. That opens an editable email draft for you to review and send.