Tax & GST for sole traders – everything you need to know.

If you’ve seen any of my social media posts this week you’ll notice there’s a been a focus on Goods and Services Tax (GST),  lodgement dates for Business Activity Statements (BAS) and general tax reminders.

I know, I know, they’re not the most exciting of social media themes, but I’m trying to keep sole traders on top of their tax obligations with the Australian Taxation Office (ATO), and October is a busy month for all things taxation in Australia.

DISCLAIMER 

Before I dive in I should declare:

• I’m not an accountant.
• I’m not a registered BAS agent.
• I’m not a qualified bookkeeper.

WHAT DO I KNOW & WHY DO I CARE?

I have supported myself as a sole trader for the majority of my working life.

I have fine tuned the systems I use to manage my bookkeeping and keep up to date with my tax obligations because it is part and parcel of running a business.

It also means I know where I stand financially at all times.

Having a handle on this stuff might not seem sexy, but it is empowering.

It means I can make informed decisions about continuing to grow a sustainable and profitable business, which in turn contributes directly to the goals I have for my life.

THE PEOPLE I MEET 

A lot of the work I do is helping sole traders with their business systems.

In particular, bookkeeping systems because it’s something a lot of sole traders fail to prioritise and it’s something that can easily trip them up.

At some point in their life a sole trader made a decision to back themselves and take control of generating their own income.

They left a job.

The stopped being an employee.

They took a punt on themselves.

That deserves a round of applause in my book, and I want those people to succeed.

THAT’S WHY I CARE ABOUT MAKING SURE SOLE TRADERS GET THIS STUFF RIGHT 

Also, if you let your bookkeeping get the better of you, there’s a risk of becoming overwhelmed by it.

In turn you lose touch with your financial position and perhaps finds yourself entertaining the idea of going back and getting a job.

No sole trader wants that, right?

COMMON ISSUES 

I regularly meet sole traders who don’t have a handle on their tax obligations.

Some haven’t lodged a tax return for years.

Many are confused about whether they are registered for GST, or not.

Some are actually charging GST without being registered to do so.

Others should be charging GST but they’re not.

It’s all pretty messy, and can be time consuming to sort out.

BACK TO BASICS 

So, this week I thought it would be timely to write a few words about tax and GST for all the sole traders out there who are still a little confused.

Anyone reading this who already has their heads around this enthralling topic, well done!

For those who are still a little rattled, read on.

AUSTRALIAN FINANCIAL YEAR 

The Australian ‘financial year’ is a 12 month period used for tax purposes.

It begins on the 1st of July every year, and ends on the 30th June the following year.

The ‘financial year’ is obviously different to the ‘calendar year’ (which runs from 1st January to 31st December).

At the end of the financial year (EOFY) most folks around the country wrap up their bookkeeping for the preceding 12 months in order to finalise their financial records so it can all be submitted to the ATO.

In turn, the ATO will determine if they owe you money or you owe them money.

QUARTERLY TAX DATES

The financial year is further divided into quarterly periods: Q1, Q2, Q3 and Q4.

• Q1: JUL-AUG-SEP        I.e. from 1st July up to and including 30th September.
• Q2: OCT-NOV-DEC.   I.e. from 1st October up to and including 31st December.
• Q3: JAN-FEB-MAR.      I.e. from 1st January up to and including 31st March.
• Q4: APR-MAY-JUN.      I.e. from 1st April up to and including 30th June.

If you’re in business in Australia, these dates are kinda important because they are the generally accepted reporting periods throughout the financial year.

If you want a quick reference summary of important quarterly tax dates in Australia you can download my cheat sheet here. 

WHAT IS A SOLE TRADER ?

A ‘sole trader’ is the simplest business structure for someone who works for themselves in Australia.

The term sole trader usually describes an individual or self-employed freelancer who sells products and services.

As a sole trader the individual and the business are one entity, and that one entity is legally responsible for all aspects of the business, including taxes.

As a sole trader you:

• must have an Australian Business Number (ABN) to conduct business.
• use your individual Tax File Number (TFN) to lodge your income tax return.
• don’t need to generate a group certificate for yourself.
• all of your income is reported on your individual tax return.
• are taxed at the same income tax rate as individual taxpayers (more on that below).
• are responsible for paying any income tax directly to the ATO.
• you must register for GST if your annual turnover is $75,000 or more (more on that below too).

TAX OBLIGATIONS FOR SOLE TRADERS

There are basically two taxes that apply to sole traders in Australia: 

1. income tax, and 
2. GST.

INCOME TAX

As a general rule, income tax is the amount of tax you pay to the government on all of the ‘taxable income’ you receive during a financial year.

For sole traders (not registered for GST) your taxable income equation is:

[The money you make selling your goods and services] minus [tax deductible business expenses].

For sole traders (registered for GST) your ‘taxable income’ equation is:

[The money you make selling your goods and services (not including any GST)] minus [tax deductible business expenses].

It’s important to note that when you are registered for GST as a sole trader you do not include GST in your taxable income calculations because you pay that tax separately when you lodge your BAS.

Here’s an example calculation that’s applicable to both scenarios:

If a sole trader earns $70,000 in a financial year, with business expenses totalling $15,750, then their taxable income is  $70,000 – $15,750 = $54,250.

Because sole traders are taxed at the same rate as people in a traditional job the ATO’s current individual income tax table will always indicate what tax bracket a sole trader falls into.

Accordingly, an income of $54,250 falls into the tax bracket of: $45,001 – $120,000. See table below.

This means there is a minimum of $5,092 in income tax that is owed to the ATO.

In addition, the sole trader will need to pay 32.5-cents-in-tax for every $1 of their taxable income over $45,000. 

I.e. $54,250 – $45,000 = $9,250.

Thus $9,250 x 32.5 cents = $3,006.25.

Total income tax owing on a taxable income of $54,250 is $5,092 + $3,006.25 = $8,098.25.

Obviously, everyone’s financial circumstances are different and there are other income streams and expense claims that may need to be factored into these equations, which is why it is always imperative to always seek advice from a professional tax accountant regarding these calculations.