Tradie Toolbox · Drawer 3
GST and BAS set-aside planner
Put in a typical quarter. See your estimated BAS, the share of every invoice to park in a separate account, and a weekly figure to move across.
What to park
Estimated BAS for the quarter
$0
- GST collected$0
- GST credits on purchases$0
- Net GST to pay (or refund)$0
- PAYG withholding$0
- PAYG instalment$0
- Super and income tax to park as well$0
- Total cash to park for the quarter$0
Park this share of every invoice you're paid
0%
Already behind on a tax bill?
If the ATO balance has already grown past what the account can cover, talk to us about options. No credit check when you first enquire, and a real person reads every enquiry.
Why a set-aside account beats good intentions
The GST on your invoices isn't your money. Neither is the tax you withheld from wages. The trouble is that it lands in the same account as everything else, looks like profit for ten weeks, then leaves in one hit when the BAS is due. Plenty of good trade businesses end up with an ATO debt without ever having a bad quarter, simply because the money was spent on materials and wages first.
A separate account solves most of it. Each time a client pays, move a fixed share across the same day. This planner shows you what share. Then the BAS is paid from money that was never in the day-to-day account.
How the estimate is worked out
- GST collected is one eleventh of your sales including GST.
- GST credits are one eleventh of the purchases that included GST: materials, fuel, tools, subbies who charge GST.
- Net GST is the first minus the second. If your purchases are heavy, it can be a refund.
- PAYG withholding is the tax you took out of wages, which you enter from payroll.
- PAYG instalment is your sales excluding GST times the rate on your ATO notice.
- Super and income tax aren't part of the BAS, but they come from the same cash, so they're added to the parking amount.
Using the percentage
The share-of-invoice figure is the useful bit. If it says 18%, then every time a $1,000 invoice is paid, $180 goes to the tax account before you pay anyone else. Do the same with weekly wages: the weekly figure is the total divided by thirteen weeks, a good fallback if payments arrive in irregular lumps. Check it each quarter, because a change in your purchases, your payroll or your ATO rate shifts the number.
If you're already behind
Falling behind doesn't mean you're finished. The sensible order is: lodge on time even if you can't pay, talk to the ATO early about a payment plan, and get your accountant involved. Our tax debt hub explains how GST and BAS debt works and the practical side of setting money aside. The ATO's own guidance on activity statements and due dates is at ato.gov.au.
Sometimes the debt is already bigger than the account can cover, or a lender is asking about it. In that case, a 60-second enquiry will tell you what's realistic. There's no credit check when you first enquire, and we'd rather you were accurate about the balance than optimistic.
Questions about this tool
How much of each invoice should a tradie set aside for GST?
If you're registered and your invoice includes GST, one eleventh of the total is the GST you collected. A $1,100 invoice contains $100 of GST. You may claim credits back for the GST in your own business purchases, so the real amount to park is usually lower than the full one eleventh.
What's the difference between PAYG withholding and a PAYG instalment?
PAYG withholding is tax you take out of wages (or from suppliers who don't quote an ABN) and pay to the ATO on the employee's behalf. A PAYG instalment is a prepayment of your own business income tax, worked out on your sales using a rate the ATO notifies you of.
Why is the planner asking for my instalment rate?
Because it's set by the ATO for your business, not by us. Find it on your activity statement or your ATO notice, and enter it as shown. If you don't have one, leave it at zero and ask your accountant or BAS agent what applies.
Is super included in the BAS?
No. Super is paid separately to your employees' funds. It's included here as an extra amount to park, because it comes out of the same cash and catches people out just as hard.
Is this tax advice?
No. It's a planning aid built on the numbers you enter. Your accountant or BAS agent confirms what you actually owe and when it's due.
Our promises
No credit check to enquire
Ask what's possible without leaving a mark on your credit file. A credit check only comes up once you've decided to go ahead.
No spray and pray
Your details don't get blasted around a pile of lenders. One real person looks at your situation and matches it properly.
A real person on your job
Someone who reads enquiries for a living calls you back. Fill the form in accurately and we'll point you the right way first time.
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Open the tool →Done the sums? Let's talk about the money.
One short enquiry. No credit check when you first enquire, a real person reading it, and your details staying with us rather than going out to a pile of lenders.
No credit check to enquire
No spray and pray
A real person on your job