The business activity statement, commonly referred to as the BAS, helps you report and pay taxes like:
- goods and services tax (GST)
- pay as you go (PAYG) withholding
- PAYG instalments
- fringe benefits tax instalments
- fuel tax credits
- luxury car tax
- wine equalisation tax.
If you run a business, it’s likely you will need to complete a BAS. After you register for an Australian business number (ABN) and GST, the ATO will automatically send you a BAS when it’s time to lodge.
Your BAS will only contain the fields you need to complete. If you have nothing to report in any of the fields, enter zero.
Lodging and paying your BAS on time is important to running a successful business. The easiest way to get your BAS right is to lodge online and on time.
Now let’s focus on some of the top questions on BAS.
Do I need to register for GST?
You must register for GST within 21 days if you’re carrying on a business and your GST turnover is $75,000 or more. GST Turnover is generally the gross income from your business minus GST. Different rules apply to taxi or ride-sharing arrangements.
You should check each month to see if you're reaching this threshold or you’re likely to exceed it. You only need to register once, even if you run multiple businesses.
Once registered, you need to include GST in the selling price of your goods and services sold in Australia – unless they’re GST-free or input taxed. The GST rate is 10%. This means GST is 1/11th of the amount you charge for your good or services.
You report your sales and purchases and pay GST collected to the ATO by lodging your BAS. You can also claim credits for the GST included in the price of goods and services you buy for your business.
Find out more about GST and how to register at ato.gov.au/gst
You may need register for other taxes such as pay as you go withholding or fuel tax credits, depending on the type of business you're running. You can find more information about registering for these and reporting them on your BAS on the ATO website.
When do I lodge my BAS?
Unless the ATO has told you otherwise, if your business has a GST turnover of less than $20 million you’ll need to lodge your BAS quarterly. You can see the quarterly due dates below.
|
Quarter |
Due Date |
|
July, August and September |
28 October |
|
October, November and December |
28 February |
|
January, February and March |
28 April |
|
April, May and June |
28 July |
If you lodge your quarterly BAS online, you may receive an extra two weeks to lodge and pay.
If you have a business with a GST turnover greater than $20 million, you will need to lodge your BAS monthly. The due date to lodge and pay your monthly BAS is the 21st day of the month following the end of the taxable period. For example, a July monthly BAS is due on 21 August.
If the due date is on a weekend or public holiday, you have until the next business day to lodge and pay. The due date for lodging and paying is displayed on your BAS.
Find out more about the due date for lodging and paying your BAS at ato.gov.au/ASduedates
How do I lodge my BAS?
You have several options for lodging your BAS. Most businesses that lodge their own BAS, prepare and lodge online. Lodging your BAS online is a quick, easy and secure.
You can lodge online via:
- Online services for individuals and sole traders (accessed through myGov)
- Online services for business
- Standard Business Reporting (SBR)-enabled software.
Registered tax and BAS agents can also lodge your BAS on your behalf.
For more information, visit ato.gov.au/lodgeBAS
What if I can’t lodge or pay on time?
It’s important to keep your lodgments up to date, even if you can’t pay immediately. Lodging on time means you can understand your tax position and the ATO can offer help such as payment plans, or deferrals.
If you have fallen behind on your lodgment and payments, the ATO will work with you or your registered tax or BAS agent to help you manage your obligations.
If you're unable to lodge or pay on time, contact the ATO early to discuss your options. For more information, visit ato.gov.au/cantlodgeorpay
What if I made a mistake?
If you’ve made a mistake it’s easy to fix. You can revise or fix most mistakes on your next BAS. You can use your next BAS to:
- correct GST mistakes
- correct fuel tax credit mistakes
- make claims for previous periods
- vary instalment amounts.
If you can’t fix the mistake in your next BAS, you’ll need to complete a revised BAS. You can lodge a revision online, or your registered tax or BAS agent can help you. For more information on correcting your mistakes, visit ato.gov.au/BASmistake
Do you still need help after reading our top BAS questions?
- For tips to help you prepare and lodge your BAS and get your GST information right, visit ato.gov.au/BAStips
- Find answers to questions people have asked on ATO Community. For information you can rely on, look for answers marked 'ATO certified response'.
- You can also speak with your registered tax or BAS agent.
Chris Gyetvay is an Assistant Commissioner in the Client Account Services area of the ATO. He and his team look after the Income tax, Indirect tax and superannuation products from an operational perspective. He is focused on providing our customers with the best possible experience through efficient, tailored processes.
