Do I Need to Register for GST as a Sole Trader? (Australia)

Threshold — $75,000 of GST turnover, measured on the last 12 months or the next 12.
Deadline — 21 days to register once you cross it.
Turnover is gross income, before expenses. It is not your profit.
Not registered? Charge no GST, and head the document "Invoice", not "Tax invoice".

The $75,000 rule

You're required to register for GST when your GST turnover reaches $75,000 or more. That's measured two ways and either one counts:

Current turnover — your turnover for the current month plus the previous 11 months is $75,000+, or
Projected turnover — you reasonably expect your turnover for the current month plus the next 11 months to be $75,000+.

"Turnover" here means your gross business income (before expenses), not your profit. Once you hit the threshold you have 21 days to register. Threshold and deadline confirmed at the ATO's registering for GST page, read 22 September 2026.

GST registration checker

Two separate questions, answered separately: what the public register records, and what your own numbers say.

Your turnover for the last 12 months — gross income, before expenses

What you reasonably expect over the next 12 months

The register says

Search a business above

This is a fact about a public record — nothing more.

Source: Australian Business Register.

Your numbers suggest

Enter your turnover

Worked out from the figures you type, against the $75,000 threshold.

Threshold source: ATO. An estimate from your own figures — not advice, and not a determination.

These two can disagree, and that's exactly when it's worth a phone call to your accountant, for instance if the register doesn't show you as registered but your turnover has passed the threshold.

Should I register before I have to?

Under $75k it's your choice, and there are real arguments both ways.

Reasons to register early

You can claim GST back on your business purchases — tools, a ute, materials, fuel, software. For a tradie kitting out, that adds up fast.
It looks established — some commercial and builder clients prefer dealing with a GST-registered business.
You avoid a back-bill — if you sail past $75k and haven't registered, the ATO can make you pay GST on sales going back to the date you should have registered, even though you never charged it, plus penalties and interest (ATO, registering for GST, read 22 September 2026). Register early and that risk is gone.

Reasons to hold off

You're not adding 10% GST — so against a registered competitor you can come in about 9% cheaper to a homeowner (who can't claim it back), or keep that margin yourself. It's a choice you get, not an automatic discount. (A registered rival charging $1,100 inc GST does the same job you'd bill at $1,000 — the homeowner pays $100 less with you.)
Less paperwork — no BAS to lodge.

💡 Under $75k with mostly homeowner customers, not charging GST is a genuine edge — you can undercut a registered competitor by roughly 9% or bank the difference, your call. But the moment you're buying serious gear or working for businesses that claim GST back, registering early usually wins. Cross $75k and it stops being a choice. When it's close, ask your accountant.

What changes once you're registered?

You add 10% GST on top of your prices (use the GST calculator if you're new to it).
Your invoices become tax invoices — they must show "Tax Invoice", your ABN and the GST.
You lodge a BAS (usually quarterly), paying the GST you collected minus the GST you paid on purchases.
You should set the GST aside as you go — it's not your money, it's the ATO's.

⚠️ If you're NOT registered, you must not charge GST, and your invoices should say "Invoice", not "Tax Invoice". Charging GST without being registered is taken seriously by the ATO.

Went over $75,000 and didn't notice?

This is the expensive version of the question, and the ATO answers it bluntly: "you may have to pay GST on sales made since the date you were required to register. This could happen even if you didn't include GST in the price of those sales. You may also have to pay penalties and interest."

Read that again with a calculator. If you crossed the line eight months ago and kept invoicing without GST, one eleventh of everything you billed since can be owed out of your own pocket, because you cannot go back to customers and add it. That is why the ATO's advice for anyone near the line is to check each month, and why the 21 days runs from when turnover crosses, not from when you get around to it. A registration can be backdated, the ATO caps backdating at 4 years.

Source: ATO, Registering for GST ("If you don't register"), read 3 October 2026. General information, not tax advice — the tax set-aside calculator and your accountant handle your own numbers.

Yamate adds GST to every invoice automatically once you're registered →

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FAQ

What's the GST threshold for a sole trader in Australia?

$75,000 of GST turnover in a 12-month period (current or expected). At or above that you must register; below it, registering is optional.

Is turnover the same as profit?

No — turnover is your gross business income before expenses. You can hit the $75k GST threshold on turnover even if your profit is much lower.

Do I charge GST if I'm not registered?

No. If you're not registered for GST you must not add it, and your invoices should say "Invoice" rather than "Tax Invoice".

How do I register for GST?

You can register online through the ATO / Business Registration Service, by phone, or through your registered tax agent. You'll need an ABN first.

How to get an ABN · How much tax to put aside · Tax set-aside calculator

Invoicing for sole traders GST calculator Free invoice generator Your first BAS Cash vs accrual GST

General information for Australian sole traders, not tax advice. GST rules and thresholds can change — check the ATO or your accountant for your situation. Last updated September 2026.

Do I need to register for GST as a sole trader?