The tax admin of being a sole trader, in plain English

A plain-English explanation of the Business Activity Statement for Australian sole traders: who has to lodge, what the labels mean, when it is due and how to prepare the figures.

Step-by-step instructions for lodging a quarterly BAS through myGov and ATO online services as an Australian sole trader, including which labels to complete, how to pay and what to do if you cannot pay on time.

All the quarterly BAS due dates for the 2026-27 financial year, what happens when a date falls on a weekend, agent extensions, and the other ATO deadlines sole traders need in the same year.

How the $75,000 GST turnover threshold works for Australian sole traders: what counts as turnover, the rolling 12-month test, the 21-day rule, exceptions for rideshare and non-profits, and what changes once you register.

A practical decision guide for Australian sole traders: when GST registration is compulsory, when voluntary registration makes sense, the rideshare rule, and how to register.

The two GST formulas every Australian sole trader needs (multiply by 1.1, divide by 11), worked examples, GST-free and input-taxed items, and how the figures flow into 1A and 1B on your BAS.

What an Australian tax invoice must include under $1,000 and over $1,000, how to show GST, what changes if you are not registered, and the 47% withholding trap for invoices without an ABN.

How Pay As You Go instalments work for Australian sole traders: how the ATO enters you, the instalment amount vs instalment rate options, where they appear on your BAS, due dates, varying, and the first-year trap.

Can an Australian sole trader claim GST on Adobe, Google, Microsoft, Notion or other overseas software? How to read the invoice, why giving your ABN matters, the simplified-registration trap, and where it goes on the BAS.

Every label on the Australian Business Activity Statement explained for sole traders: G1, 1A and 1B on the simpler BAS, G10 and G11 on the full form, the PAYG instalment labels T7, T1 and T2, and the summary labels 8A, 8B and 9.

The difference between cash and accruals (non-cash) GST accounting for Australian sole traders, who is eligible for the cash basis, how each affects your BAS and cash flow, and how to change.

What happens when an Australian sole trader misses a BAS deadline: the failure-to-lodge penalty, general interest charge, how to lodge late, how to set up a payment plan, and how to catch up on several missed statements.

A step-by-step checklist for lodging your first Business Activity Statement as an Australian sole trader: confirming your period, gathering the statement, categorising, GST on purchases and assets, pre-registration purchases, lodging and paying.

Quarterly, monthly or annual GST reporting for Australian sole traders: who must report monthly, when choosing monthly helps (refund positions, big purchases), the annual option for voluntary registrants, due dates for each, and how to change.

GST and BAS for Australian Uber, DiDi and Ola drivers: why you must register from the first dollar, reporting gross fares, claiming GST on the platform service fee, car expenses at your business percentage, quarterly BAS dates and what the ATO already knows.

Step-by-step instructions for registering for GST in Australia as a sole trader: getting an ABN first, registering through the ABR or ATO online services, choosing a start date, reporting cycle and accounting basis, and what to change on day one.

When an Australian sole trader can cancel GST registration, the 12-month rule for voluntary registrants, how to cancel through ATO online services or the ABR, what goes on the final BAS including assets you keep, and what changes afterwards.

What a valid Australian tax invoice must contain for sales under and over $1,000, when you must issue one, the $82.50 rule for claiming GST, what to do with a supplier invoice that is missing something, adjustment notes and recipient-created tax invoices.

When Australian sole traders report GST on deposits, part payments, progress claims and retentions: the difference between a security deposit and a part payment, cash vs accruals timing, refunded and forfeited deposits, and what to show on the invoice.

What Australian sole traders can do about GST on unpaid invoices: why cash-basis businesses have nothing to adjust, the bad-debt adjustment for accruals-basis businesses, the 12-month overdue rule, the buyer’s side, and the income tax deduction.

Found an error on a BAS you have already lodged? When you can correct it on your next BAS, when you have to revise the original, the ATO time and value limits, what counts as an adjustment rather than a mistake, and how to keep interest and penalties down.

Bank fees, interest, wages, residential rent, insurance stamp duty, government charges, overseas software and purchases from unregistered suppliers: the common Australian business expenses that carry no GST, why, and how to keep them out of label 1B on your BAS.

When work you do for a client outside Australia is a GST-free export of services, the traps that make it taxable after all, what goes on the BAS, whether it counts toward the $75,000 threshold, invoicing in foreign currency, and the records the ATO expects. For Australian freelancers, developers and consultants with clients abroad.

How to treat Square, Stripe, PayPal, Afterpay and bank merchant fees in your books: which fees carry GST you can claim, where to find the tax invoice, why the net payout in your bank account is not your sales figure, and how to report gross sales and fees correctly at G1, 1A and 1B.

The BAS errors that most often catch Australian sole traders: wrong GST method, claiming credits without a tax invoice, double counting, mixing up labels, missing transfers and private use, plus how to correct a mistake and a pre-lodgment checklist.

How Australian sole traders are taxed in 2026-27: individual marginal rates on business profit, the $18,200 tax-free threshold, Medicare levy, PAYG instalments and how to estimate what you will owe.

The deductions Australian sole traders can claim, the three rules the ATO applies, common expenses by category, what is never deductible, and how to apportion mixed-use costs.

How Australian sole traders claim home office costs: the ATO fixed rate per hour method, the actual cost method, what records you need, and when occupancy costs like rent can be claimed.

How Australian sole traders claim car expenses: the cents-per-kilometre method (88 cents for 2025-26, capped at 5,000 km), the 12-week logbook method, what counts as business travel, utes over one tonne, and the GST side.

How the instant asset write-off works for Australian sole traders: the per-asset threshold, the small business test, business-use percentage, the car limit, timing before 30 June, and what happens above the threshold.

How super works when you are self-employed in Australia: no compulsory super for yourself, the 12% super guarantee if you have employees, personal deductible contributions, the concessional cap, the notice of intent form and the 30 June deadline.

How Australian sole traders split expenses with both business and private use: cars, phones, laptops, internet, home costs and subscriptions. Reasonable methods, the records the ATO expects, how the percentage flows into GST credits, and the traps.

How Australian sole traders claim mobile, landline and internet costs: the four-week usage record, bundled plans, handsets, a phone used only for business, the interaction with the working-from-home fixed rate, and GST credits.

How Australian tradies claim tools and equipment: the instant asset write-off, depreciation for items over the threshold, repairs and consumables, tool insurance, stolen and sold tools, private use, GST credits on the BAS, and the records to keep.

Which clothing Australian sole traders can deduct: protective clothing and footwear, occupation-specific clothing, branded uniforms, sun protection, laundry and dry cleaning, and why conventional clothing is not deductible even if you only wear it for work.

When Australian sole traders can deduct courses, certifications, conferences and training: the connection test to your current business, what is included (fees, books, travel, equipment), what is excluded, HELP loans, the removed $250 threshold and the records to keep.

What Australian sole traders can claim for business travel: flights, accommodation, meals and incidentals when away overnight, local travel between clients, the travel diary rule for six or more nights, mixed business and holiday trips, family members, and GST on travel.

How the ATO fixed rate method works for Australian sole traders: 70 cents per hour for 2024-25 and 2025-26, what the rate covers, what you can still claim on top, the hours record you must keep, a worked example, and when the actual cost method is better.

How Australian sole traders use the logbook method for car expenses: the 12-week logbook, what to record, the five-year validity, which costs are claimed at the business percentage (fuel, rego, insurance, servicing, depreciation, interest), the car limit, and logbook vs cents per kilometre.

What Australian sole traders need to know before buying a business vehicle: car vs ute rules, the ATO car limit for depreciation and GST, the instant asset write-off, luxury car tax, chattel mortgage vs lease, second-hand cars and GST, trade-ins, and the logbook you will need.

What counts as personal services income, how the results test and the 80% rule work, when you are a personal services business, and which deductions the PSI rules switch off. For Australian contractors and consultants who mostly sell their own time.

If your sole trader business made a loss, whether you can offset it against your salary depends on the non-commercial loss rules: the $250,000 income requirement and four tests. What each test means, what happens to a deferred loss, the exceptions, and how to report it.

Which client gifts are deductible, why lunch with a client is entertainment with no deduction and no GST credit, the difference between a hamper and a ticket, meals when travelling, staff parties and gifts if you have employees, and how to stop the meals category quietly over-claiming GST on your BAS.

How the 12-month prepayment rule lets a small business claim an annual insurance premium, subscription or rent paid in advance in the year it is paid, when it does not apply, how GST works on prepayments, and the records to keep. For Australian sole traders around 30 June.

How a HELP debt is repaid when you are a sole trader: what repayment income includes, why deductions reduce it, how PAYG instalments can include a HELP component, what to set aside, and when voluntary repayments make sense. For Australian freelancers and contractors.

Which insurance premiums a sole trader can generally deduct: public liability, professional indemnity, equipment and income protection, which are private and not deductible, how GST credits work on premiums, and the records to keep. For Australian sole traders.

What to put on a sole trader invoice, the difference between an invoice and a tax invoice, payment terms that get you paid, the 47% no-ABN rule, numbering, deposits and recurring invoices.

A step-by-step plan for Australian sole traders to chase overdue invoices: prevention, the reminder ladder from day one to day 30, late fees, letters of demand, small claims tribunals, debt collectors and bad debts.

The difference between an Australian Business Number and an Australian Company Number, who issues each, how they relate, what a sole trader needs, and how to check either online.

A plain comparison of operating as a sole trader or a company in Australia: how each is taxed, personal liability, setup and running costs, admin, super and the signs that it is time to consider switching.

How sole traders take money out of the business: drawings not wages, why tax is on profit rather than what you draw, setting a regular amount, separating accounts and putting tax aside first.

A simple system for Australian sole traders to put money aside for GST and income tax: the one-eleventh rule, a percentage of profit, separate accounts, a worked example and what to do if you are already behind.

Tax for Australian food and parcel delivery drivers on DoorDash, Uber Eats, Menulog, Amazon Flex and similar platforms: ABN, whether you need GST, what income to declare, car, bike and scooter deductions, what the platforms report to the ATO, and how much to set aside.

Tax for Australians earning through Airtasker, hipages, Oneflare and similar job platforms: ABN, declaring gross task income, platform fees and lead subscriptions as deductions, GST at $75,000, platform reporting to the ATO, insurance, tools and travel.

How tax works on a side hustle alongside a job in Australia: why all income is assessable, how it is taxed at your marginal rate, ABN and GST rules, deductions, the non-commercial loss rules, PAYG instalments and how much to set aside.

How the ATO distinguishes a hobby from a business in Australia: the indicators it uses, what changes for tax, ABN and GST when a hobby becomes a business, the statement by a supplier form, and worked examples for makers, sellers, creators and weekend workers.

Who needs an Australian Business Number, who is entitled to one, what happens if you invoice without one (47% withholding), how to apply for free through the ABR, what an ABN lets you do, and the difference between an ABN, a TFN and a business name.

Hnry and Xero compared for Australian sole traders: a pay-as-you-earn tax service that lodges for you versus full accounting software, on price, how your money flows, invoicing, expenses, GST and BAS, tax returns, and who each suits.

Hnry and MYOB compared for Australian sole traders: a pay-as-you-earn tax service versus MYOB Solo and MYOB Business accounting software, on price, money flow, invoicing, expenses, GST and BAS, tax returns and who each suits.

Xero and MYOB compared for Australian sole traders: entry-level plans and pricing, bank feeds and categorisation, invoicing, GST and BAS lodgement, reporting, accountant support, ease of use, and which suits a one-person business.

Hnry and Rounded compared for Australian freelancers and sole traders: a pay-as-you-earn tax service that lodges for you versus Australian invoicing-and-expenses software, on price, money flow, invoicing, expenses, GST and BAS, tax returns and who each suits.

A sole trader can employ staff. What you need before the first payday: PAYG withholding registration, a tax file number declaration, Single Touch Payroll, superannuation guarantee and Payday Super, workers compensation, award pay rates and records, and what changes on your BAS afterwards.

How the ATO and Fair Work decide whether a worker is an employee or a contractor, why an ABN settles nothing, when a sole trader contractor is still owed super, the sham contracting rules, and what to check whether you are the one on the ABN or the one paying a subbie.

When a sole trader must register a business name with ASIC, how to check availability and register, how it relates to your ABN and domain name, why it does not give you exclusive rights, and when a trade mark is the better protection. For Australian sole traders.

What records Australian sole traders must keep, for how long, in what format, the $82.50 tax invoice rule, records for assets and vehicles, and how to keep it all without a filing cabinet.

Step-by-step instructions for downloading your transactions as a CSV or PDF from the major Australian banks, so you can upload them to bookkeeping software without sharing your bank login.

What the Taxable Payments Annual Report is, which industries must lodge (building and construction, cleaning, courier and road freight, IT, security), the 10% test, what to report for each contractor, the 28 August deadline and how to lodge.

What to do before and after 30 June as an Australian sole trader: reconcile, chase invoices, time purchases, super contributions, stocktake, bad debts, home office and vehicle records, and the lodgement dates that follow.

How Australian sole traders should number invoices, what to keep for each one, how long to keep it, how to handle cancelled and credited invoices, quotes vs invoices, and a filing system that makes every invoice findable in seconds.

The minimum bookkeeping an Australian sole trader needs: a separate bank account, categorising every transaction, keeping receipts, tracking GST if registered, reconciling to the statement, and setting money aside. What to do, how often, and what software changes.

A realistic bookkeeping schedule for Australian sole traders: what to do weekly, monthly, quarterly and at year end, how long each takes, why monthly is the minimum, and how to catch up if you are behind.

The complete list of what an Australian sole trader should hand to their accountant for the annual tax return: income and expense summaries, bank statements, asset purchases, vehicle and home office records, super, PAYG instalments, BAS copies, other income and personal details.

What to do when a BAS or income tax bill is more than you have: lodge anyway, set up an ATO payment plan online, what the general interest charge costs now that it is not deductible, how business tax debts can reach credit bureaus, and how to stop it happening next quarter.

What to do when a receipt is missing: how to get a copy from the supplier, when a bank or card statement is enough for the income tax deduction, why the GST credit needs a tax invoice above $82.50, how to reconstruct records after a fire, flood or theft, and the habits that stop it happening again.

Every ATO deadline an Australian sole trader meets in 2026-27 in date order: quarterly BAS and PAYG instalments, the tax return and payment dates, TPAR, Payday Super and STP finalisation if you employ anyone, super contributions for yourself, and what to do in the weeks before each one.

What bank reconciliation means for a sole trader, why the bank statement is the record that matters, a monthly routine to match every line, how to handle mixed accounts, missing receipts and transfers, and what to do when numbers do not match. For Australian small businesses.