We often get asked about the BAS requirements for small business and in particular which businesses are eligible for Simpler BAS reporting. If you are a small business owner and you are registered for GST, you will be aware that you are required to lodge a Business Activity Statement (BAS) every month or quarter. As part of the Federal Government’s initiatives to reduce red tape for SME’s, they introduced simpler BAS reporting in 2017. If you’ve only recently started your business you may not have realised that prior to July 2017 the reporting requirements for businesses with a turnover of less than $10 million, was a whole lot more complicated than it currently is. So just what are the BAS requirements for small business and what information do you have to report? Let’s start with the basics…
What Is A BAS?
BAS stands Business Activity Statement and is a statement you submit to the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) to summarise how much revenue your business has generated along with some key expenditure figures. It is used to report on and pay several different types of taxes including Goods and Services Tax (GST), Pay As You Go (PAYG) instalments, PAYG withholding tax and any other tax obligations or credits that you have as a business. The ATO uses the information you submit in your BAS to work out your GST bill or refund. So effectively your BAS determines how your tax liability is assessed.
Who Has To Lodge A Business Activity Statement?
If you’re registered for GST then you will have to complete a Business Activity Statement. GST registration is required if your business has a projected annual turnover of more than $75,000. So while you may not need to be registered for GST as soon as you start up your business, if you are likely to reach this threshold, it’s probably wise to register for GST. You have 21 days to register once your business’ gross income (excluding GST of 10%) exceeds the $75,000 limit.
BAS Requirements For Small Business
If you are registered for GST and your turnover is less than $10 million per year, you’re now eligible to report your BAS using the Simpler BAS reporting format. However, if your turnover is more than $10 million you will have to complete the more detailed BAS statement.
Simpler BAS
With the Simpler BAS, you are only required to report:
- G1 Total Sales
- 1A GST on sales
- 1B GST on purchases
The following information is not required:
- G2 – Export sales
- G3 – GST-free sales
- G10 – Capital purchases
- G11 – Non-capital purchases
Your BAS must be lodged by the 21 st of each month if you pay monthly, or the 28th of October, February, April, and July if you pay quarterly. Most GST-registered businesses complete a Business Activity Statement every quarter but you will need to ask your bookkeeper to check with the ATO whether you need to do it more frequently.
It’s important to remember that you need to submit a BAS even if you did no business during that reporting period and if you are late lodging you might be charged a penalty by the ATO. You can lodge your BAS online, by post, by phone, or through your bookkeeper or accountant.
The simpler BAS requirements certainly help small businesses in terms of reducing the paperwork. However, it doesn’t change the requirement for good bookkeeping and record-keeping. Despite not having to report on as much data, you will still need this information for other reporting. Maintaining accurate, detailed records will help your accountant support you to grow your business, reduce your tax obligations and increase profitability.
As a registered BAS Agent, the team at Numera Bookkeeping help businesses to maintain detailed records and develop efficient processes to give your business the best chance of minimising their tax obligations and growing your profits. Our Brisbane bookkeepers help you to put in place back-end processes and monthly reporting that put you in the best possible position for an accountant or business advisor to get an accurate view of the business and be able to advise you without having to second guess your figures. Using a bookkeeper also means that you stay up to date with any changes in ATO reporting rules and expectations.
If your business needs support with BAS preparation and lodgement, don’t hesitate to give us a call on 07 3002 4880. The team at Numera has experience with all the major accounting software packages, including Xero BAS, MYOB, Quickbooks and Reckon. With significant experience across a wide range of industry sectors, we are able to support you with all the standard bookkeeping services as well as advising on the most appropriate accounting method for your business.