Suitable for: Sole traders who are registered for GST
Tax Difficulty: Easy
Time to Read: 2-3 minutes
Last updated: 26 March 2020
As a GST-registered sole trader, there are some key dates to keep in mind through the year to ensure that you are up-to-date with your BAS obligations. This article outlines what these deadlines are, and how you can take advantage of extensions by lodging your BAS through a registered Tax Agent, such as Airtax.
To learn more about your GST obligations as a sole trader, please read this article. If you are not registered for GST, or you are an employee only, then your primary tax obligation will likely be income tax returns, and those deadlines are listed here.
Business Activity Statements (BAS) can be completed quarterly or monthly, and the deadlines below are focused on quarterly lodgements. There are two deadlines provided in the table, which are:
- The normal ATO deadline - this is relevant for sole traders who do not use a BAS tax agent to lodge their BAS.
- BAS tax agent deadline - this is an extension which is granted to people who lodge through a registered tax agent, such as Airtax
Deadlines for 2019-2020 (FY20)
The dates for completing the BAS returns during 2020-2021 (FY21) haven’t been released yet, but the easiest way to keep up-to-date with the deadlines is by signing up to Airtax. We send reminder emails throughout the financial year to help ensure you never miss a date.
Completing a BAS can be a complicated process, particularly if you are lodging for the first time. This article takes you through it step by step, but we also have a phone support service called Business Assist where you can get more detailed guidance from a tax specialist as you complete your BAS. If you have any questions or get stuck along the way, feel free to drop us an email or book one of our free 10 minute, introductory tax chats.