BAS (Business Activity Statement): What Sellers Report

What is BAS (Business Activity Statement)?

A BAS is the activity statement a business completes to report taxes such as GST and PAYG withholding to the ATO and make any payment due. It is completed monthly or quarterly depending on your registrations.

A BAS, or business activity statement, is how your business reports taxes and makes payments to the ATO. It helps you report on taxes such as GST, PAYG withholding, PAYG instalments, FBT instalments, luxury car tax and wine equalisation tax. For most online sellers, GST is the main line. General information, not tax advice; confirm with the ATO or a registered tax agent.

When do you have to lodge one?

Your registrations decide. You complete a BAS monthly or quarterly depending on them, and the business.gov.au page does not say which applies to whom. The ATO sends the statement about two weeks before the period ends, and the due date is printed on it. Read the due date from your own statement rather than from a blog post.

A seller registered for GST must include activity statements in the routine. Below the A$75,000 threshold, registering is optional but brings the same obligations, including lodging activity statements.

How do you lodge it?

You can use a registered tax or BAS agent, or lodge yourself through ATO Online services, Standard Business Reporting software, myGov (sole traders only), phone (nil statements only) or mail. Make sure anyone doing your BAS is registered with the Tax Practitioners Board. Return the statement and any payment by the due date.

What do Amazon sellers need ready?

The GST figures come from your sales and purchases, so keep records. Most business records must be kept for five years from when obtained or the transaction completed, whichever is later. Required records include income and sales, expenses, stock, bank records and GST records.

A practical routine:

Export your Amazon sales and fee reports for the period.
Add direct sales from any other channel.
Total GST collected on sales and GST paid on business purchases, including stock.
Check any import GST paid at the border against your records.

Amazon fees are quoted excluding GST, so match each fee invoice against what you actually paid. The deeper walk-through is in BAS for Amazon sellers in Australia.

How it differs from your tax return

A BAS is a periodic report during the year. Your annual return is separate: sole traders, partnerships and trusts lodge by 31 October unless using a registered tax agent. See EOFY for the year-end checklist, and ABN for the registration that sits behind both.

Next step

Blooprint can manage your Amazon seller account so your reports are clean; your registered tax agent handles the lodging.

Frequently asked questions

Do I lodge a BAS if I am not registered for GST?

You complete a BAS if your registrations require one, for example GST or PAYG withholding. Below the GST threshold you only lodge activity statements if you choose to register for GST. Confirm with the ATO or a registered tax agent.

How often is a BAS due?

It is completed monthly or quarterly depending on your registrations. The ATO sends the statement about two weeks before the period ends and prints the due date on it.

Who can lodge my BAS?

A registered tax or BAS agent, or you yourself through ATO Online services, Standard Business Reporting software, myGov (sole traders only), phone (nil statements only) or mail.

Does a BAS replace my income tax return?

No. A BAS reports activity taxes during the year. Income tax is reported in your annual tax return, which a sole trader lodges as an individual return.