Thrivelance Tools
Work out your quarterly Business Activity Statement: the GST you've collected on sales, the GST credits on your expenses, the net amount payable or refundable, and an optional PAYG instalment. GST is 1/11 of a GST-inclusive amount.
Use GST-inclusive totals for the quarter.
Net GST
$0
Total to pay the ATO
$0
Net GST plus any PAYG instalment.
| GST collected on sales (1/11) | |
| GST credits on expenses (1/11) | |
| PAYG income tax instalment |
You collect 10% GST on your sales and claim back the GST you paid on business purchases. The BAS reports both: you pay the ATO the difference, or get a refund if your credits exceed what you collected. The 1/11 rule extracts the GST from a GST-inclusive total.
If you earn business or investment income, the ATO may ask you to pre-pay income tax through PAYG instalments on the same BAS. Enter the rate from your instalment notice to include it; leave it at 0 if you don't pay PAYG.
GST registration is compulsory once your annual turnover reaches $75,000 (or $150,000 for non-profits). Below that it's optional — registering lets you claim GST credits but means charging GST and lodging a BAS.
Working out a contractor rate? Use the Australia Salary Calculator. Boosting super? Try the Salary Sacrifice Calculator.
Common questions about this calculator.
GST is 1/11 of a GST-inclusive amount. You add up the GST collected on your sales, subtract the GST credits on your business purchases, and the difference is what you pay the ATO — or get refunded if your credits are larger.
Because GST is 10% added to a price, the GST portion of a GST-inclusive total is one eleventh of it. For example, a $1,100 invoice includes $100 of GST ($1,100 ÷ 11).
Registration is compulsory once your annual turnover reaches $75,000 ($150,000 for non-profits). Below that it's optional. Once registered you charge GST, claim GST credits, and lodge a BAS, usually each quarter.
PAYG instalments are pre-payments of your income tax on business and investment income, often collected on the same BAS. If the ATO has given you an instalment rate, enter it to include the amount; otherwise leave it at zero.
Yes. The GST you collect isn't your income — it's held for the ATO. Putting your net GST into a separate account as you invoice avoids a cash-flow shock when the BAS is due.
