App444
Money, structure and tax

At some point you stop planning and start a real business. That is where we hand you over.

App444 gets you from an idea to an agreement with the right people. What happens next — company structure, ownership, contracts, tax — belongs with an accountant and a lawyer you choose yourself.

App444 does not give legal, financial, tax or accounting advice. Nothing on this page is advice, and nothing here should be relied on for your situation. It is a list of questions to take to a professional, written so you know what to ask.

Where App444 stops

App444 is deliberately narrow. It helps you describe an idea properly, find the people to build it, and agree who is doing what. That is a genuinely hard problem and it is the one we solve.

The moment money, ownership or employment enters the picture, you need someone qualified, licensed and insured — and someone who is accountable to you personally. That is not a platform. That is an accountant and a lawyer.

We are not going to pretend otherwise, and we are not going to guess on your behalf.

The handover, in order

01
Agree it here

Roles, hours, what each person gets. Written down while everyone still agrees.

02
Take it to an accountant

Structure and tax first — it decides how the paperwork is written.

03
Take it to a lawyer

Company documents, shareholders agreement, IP assignment, contracts.

04
Then build

With the boring parts settled, nobody is arguing about them in year two.

Take these questions with you

Walking in with the right questions turns a confusing meeting into a short one. Print this, or send it ahead.

01

Should this be a company at all?

A sole trader, a partnership and a company are taxed differently and carry different personal risk. Once two or more people share ownership, "we will sort it out later" stops being viable.

Ask: Accountant, then a lawyer for the paperwork
02

Who owns what, and when does it vest?

Equity handed over on day one to someone who leaves in month two is a problem you cannot undo. Vesting over time is standard for a reason.

Ask: Lawyer
03

Is this person a contractor or an employee?

In Australia this is decided by the substance of the arrangement, not by what you call it. Getting it wrong can mean back-paid superannuation, leave and penalties — for the founder.

Ask: Accountant or employment lawyer
04

What happens tax-wise when someone is paid in equity?

Shares given for work can be taxable to the person receiving them, sometimes before they have any cash to pay the tax with. Australia has specific Employee Share Scheme rules, and they are not simple.

Ask: Accountant — this one especially
05

What about revenue share?

Paying a percentage of revenue is income to the person receiving it and may have GST consequences. It is also not the same thing as ownership, which people frequently confuse.

Ask: Accountant
06

Do we need to register for GST?

There are turnover thresholds and registration obligations. This changes what you charge customers and what you can claim back.

Ask: Accountant
07

Who owns the intellectual property?

Without a written agreement, the person who wrote the code may own it — not the founder who had the idea. This surprises people at the worst possible moment.

Ask: Lawyer
08

What happens if someone wants out?

Decide the exit terms while everyone still likes each other. It is the single clause people most regret not having.

Ask: Lawyer

Finding an accountant or lawyer

You choose your own. It is your business and your money, and the relationship needs to be directly between you and them.

App444 has a directory of accountants, lawyers and other professionals who have listed themselves on the platform, organised by country and specialty. It is a starting point, not a recommendation.

Being straight about how the directory works. Professionals pay to be listed on App444. That means a listing tells you someone is open for business — it is not a judgement that they are good, and it is not a recommendation from us. Check their registration, ask for references, and talk to more than one before you commit.

Firms listed with App444

Structure, contracts and tax belong with a qualified person you choose yourself.

Browse the directory →

If you are outside Australia

App444 is run from Australia and the examples here reflect Australian rules. Every country answers these questions differently — company types, employment tests, share scheme treatment and sales tax all vary.

The questions above are worth asking anywhere. The answers are not. Use a professional in your own country.

The short version

  • Agree it in writing before work starts. This is the one thing that prevents most disputes.
  • See an accountant before you promise equity. Equity for work has tax consequences for the person receiving it.
  • Sort out IP ownership on day one. Not after the product works.
  • Write the exit terms while everyone is friends. You will never write them fairly later.
  • Do not take structuring advice from a website. Including this one.

See also the disclaimer and the points and credits terms.