Private ruling: Early Stage Investment Company
Date of advice: 12 September 2018
Published: November 2018
Ruling period: Year ending 30 June 20XX
Date scheme commenced: 1 July 20XX

Ruling: Q1: Does Company A satisfy the criteria of an Early Stage Innovation Company (ESIC) pursuant to subsection 360-40(1) of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 (ITAA 1997)? | A1: Yes.

Relevant facts and circumstances: 1. Company A was incorporated in Australia on Date X. Its equity interests are not listed for quotation in the official list of any stock exchange. 2. Company A has one wholly-owned 100% owned subsidiary, Company B which was incorporated on Date X. Company B has been dormant since incorporation. 3. In the previous year i.e. the year ended 30 June 20XX Company A has expenses of less than $XXX. 4. In the previous income year, i.e. the year ended 30 June 20XX Company A has assessable income of less than $XX. 5. On Date X Company A received a private ruling for the year ended 30 June 20XX (authorisation number for that ruling was XXXXXXXXXXXXX) that they were an ESIC on the basis that they passed the principles based test in respect of its innovation being developed. 6. Since the ruling issued, Company A has continued to develop their innovation. They predict that there is still development to be done before the innovation can be marketed. Information provided 7. You have provided information in a number of documents and phone conversations in relation to the innovation, including: n your original private ruling application. n our meeting and conversation with you in respect of the original ruling application. n supplementary information provided in respect of original ruling application. n your new private ruling application. n supplementary information provided in respect of new private ruling application. 8. We have referred to the relevant information within these documents and conversations in applying the relevant tests to your circumstances.

Relevant legislative provisions: Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 Subdivision 360-A | Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 section 360-40

Reasons for decision: Summary: All legislative references are to the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 (ITAA 1997) unless otherwise stated. Company A meets the eligibility requirements of an ESIC under subsection 360-40(1). | Detailed Reasoning - Qualifying Early Stage Innovation Company: 1. Subsection 360-40(1) outlines the criteria required for a company to qualify as an Early Stage Innovation Company (ESIC) at a particular time in an income year. This time is referred to as the test time. The criteria are based on a series of tests to identify if the company is at an early stage of its development and it is developing new or significantly improved innovations to generate an economic return. | Detailed Reasoning - ‘The early stage test’: 2. The early stage test requirements are outlined in detail within paragraphs 360-40(1)(a) to (d). | Detailed Reasoning - Incorporation or Registration – paragraph 360-40(1)(a): 3. To meet the requirement in paragraph 360-40(1)(a), at a particular time (the test time) in an income year (the current year) the company must have been either: i. incorporated in Australia within the last three income years (the latest being the current year); or ii. incorporated in Australia within the last six income years (the latest being the current year), and across the last three of those income years the company and its 100% subsidiaries incurred total expenses of $1 million or less; or iii. registered in the Australian Business Register (ABR) within the last three income years (the latest being the current year). 4. The term ‘current year’ is defined in subsection 360-40(1) with reference to the ‘test time’; the ‘current year’ being the income year in which the company issues shares to the investor. 5. A company that does not meet any of these conditions will not qualify as an ESIC. | Detailed Reasoning - Total expenses - paragraph 360-40(1)(b): 6. To meet the requirement in paragraph 360-40(1)(b), the company and its 100% subsidiaries must have incurred total expenses of $1 million or less in the income year before the current year. | Detailed Reasoning - Assessable income - paragraph 360-40(1)(c): 7. To meet the requirement in paragraph 360-40(1)(c), the company and its 100% subsidiaries must have derived total assessable income of $200,000 or less in the income year before the current year. | Detailed Reasoning - No stock exchange listing - paragraph 360-40(1)(d): 8. To meet the requirement in paragraph 360-40(1)(d), the company must not be listed on any stock exchange in Australia or a foreign country. | Detailed Reasoning - Innovation tests: 9. If the company satisfies the early stage test, the company must also satisfy one of two innovation tests: the objective (100 point) test or the principles-based test. | Detailed Reasoning - ‘Principles-based test’ – subparagraphs 360-40(1)(e)(i) to (v): 10. To satisfy the principles-based test, the company must meet five requirements in paragraph 360-40(1)(e). This is tested at a time immediately after the relevant new shares are issued to the investor. 11. The company can demonstrate that it meets each requirement through existing documentation such as a business plan, commercialisation strategy, competition analysis or other company documents. The company must be able to show that tangible steps have been or will be taken in relation to each of the requirements. 12. The five requirements of the principles-based test, as outlined in paragraph 360-40(1)(e) are: i. the company must be genuinely focused on developing one or more new or significantly improved innovations for commercialisation ii. the business relating to that innovation must have a high growth potential iii. the company must demonstrate that it has the potential to be able to successfully scale up the business relating to the innovation iv. the company must demonstrate that it has the potential to be able to address a broader than local market, including global markets, through that business, and v. the company must demonstrate that it has the potential to be able to have competitive advantages for that business. | Detailed Reasoning - Test time: 13. For the purposes of this ruling, the test time for determining if Company A is a qualifying ESIC will be a particular date during the income year ending 30 June 20XX. | Detailed Reasoning - Current year: 14. For the purposes of subsection 360-40(1), the current year will be the year ending 30 June 20XX (the 20XX income year). For clarity, in relation to particular requirements within subsection 360-40(1), the last three income years will include the years ending 30 June 20XX, 20XX and 20XX, and the income year before the current year will be the year ending 30 June 20XX (the 20XX income year). | Detailed Reasoning - Incorporation or Registration – paragraph 360-40(1)(a): 15. As Company A was incorporated on XX/XX/XXX, which is within the last 3 income years, subparagraph 360-40(1)(a)(i) is satisfied. | Detailed Reasoning - Total expenses – paragraph 360-40(1)(b): 16. As Company A had expenses of $XXX or less in the prior income year, paragraph 360-40(1)(b) is satisfied. | Detailed Reasoning - Assessable income – paragraph 360-40(1)(c): 17. As Company A’s assessable income for the prior income year is $XX or less, paragraph 360-40(1)(c) is satisfied. | Detailed Reasoning - No stock exchange listing – paragraph 360-40(1)(d): 18. As Company A is privately owned and is not listed on any stock exchange in Australia or a foreign country, subparagraph 360-40(1)(d) is satisfied. | Detailed Reasoning - Conclusion on early stage test: 19. Company A will satisfy the early stage test for the entire 20XX income year, as each of the requirements within paragraphs 360-40(1)(a) to (d) have been satisfied. | Detailed Reasoning - Principles based test: 20. In the ruling dated Date X we concluded that Company A passed the principles based test in respect of the innovation they are developing. While the innovation is still being ‘developed’ they will continue to satisfy the principle bases test. 21. In the email dated Date X, you provided an outline of the progress made since the ruling for the year ended 30 June 20XX issued. You also confirmed that you were on track to deliver the project as originally described to us. 22. Therefore Company A meets the eligibility criteria of an ESIC under section 360-40 for the period commencing 1 July 20XX until the earlier of 30 June 20XX or the date when the innovation has been fully developed whichever occurs earlier.