The founders across the table have advisers. Now you do too. We analyse your offer, coach you through the negotiation, and if we don't improve it by at least AUD $10,000 — you don't pay.
Under Australia's default tax rules (Division 83A), startup options are taxed as ordinary income — at your marginal rate, up to 47% — at the point of exercise. Most candidates assume their gain will be taxed as a capital gain at disposal. It won't be. Not unless the company qualifies for the ATO Start-Up Tax Concession.
The ATO Start-Up Tax Concession (STSC) changes everything: no tax at grant, and a 50% CGT discount when you eventually sell. But your company must meet strict eligibility criteria — aggregated turnover under $50M, incorporated less than 10 years ago, unlisted. The offer letter will not tell you whether your company qualifies.
The employer structured this deal and knows exactly what tax treatment applies. You don't. That information asymmetry is the most expensive part of signing without a proper analysis.
Find out whether your offer has an ATO tax structure problem, an STSC eligibility issue, or a dilution problem that makes the equity mathematically worthless — before you sign.
Send your ESS documents. Receive a written blueprint that maps your Division 83A tax position, checks STSC eligibility, models your real equity value after dilution, and gives you word-for-word negotiation scripts.
Everything in the Blueprint, plus live coaching and hands-on negotiation support until your offer is signed. We're in your corner for the whole process — typically 1–2 weeks.
Share your ESS agreement, cap table summary, and offer letter via email. Everything stays private. We don't share your information with anyone.
We model the tax scenarios specific to your situation — Division 83A treatment, ATO Start-Up Concession eligibility, real equity value after dilution — against the ATO framework and your specific circumstances.
Within 72 hours you have your written blueprint and a Zoom debrief. On the negotiation tier, we then stay in your corner — coaching every conversation and drafting every ask — until the improved offer is signed, typically within 1–2 weeks.
You're exploring the move from corporate to startup. The equity component looks attractive — but you're not sure what questions to ask or what to watch out for.
You're in active negotiation. You've seen a term sheet or a draft offer. You need to understand exactly what's in front of you — and what to push back on.
You have an offer, a deadline, and money on the table. This is exactly when having someone in your corner pays for itself — guaranteed.
SJIK is an educational coaching service. We work for you — the candidate — not the startup. We don't place candidates, take commissions, or have any incentive to push you toward signing.
"I'm an Australian who has sat across the table from the same offer Sarah and John received — in Australia and in Singapore. I searched for a tool that could tell me whether my equity was structured safely and what the ATO would actually do with it. It didn't exist. Every resource I found assumed I was American. So I built the thing I needed."