Estimate only: it ignores adjustments, PAYG labels and anything unusual. Credits over $82.50 need valid tax invoices.
Preparing a real BAS? The BAS workspace does this line by line (sales, expenses and wages) and remembers your past periods.
What this estimates.
The GST core of a business activity statement is three numbers: 1A (GST you collected: one-eleventh of your taxable, GST-inclusive sales), 1B (GST credits on business purchases that had GST in the price), and the difference between them. Positive means a payment to the ATO; negative means a refund to you. Refund quarters are completely normal: any period where you invested more than you sold, or where your sales are GST-free but your costs aren't.
What to put in each box.
- Taxable sales: the GST-inclusive totals your customers paid, excluding any GST-free sales, those belong on the BAS (label G1) but generate no GST.
- Purchases with GST: only costs that actually had GST in them. Bank fees, most insurances (the stamp duty part), wages, and many overseas subscriptions don't, including them overstates your refund.
What it deliberately leaves out.
Adjustments from previous periods, PAYG withholding and instalments, fuel tax credits, wine equalisation and luxury car tax, the long tail of BAS labels most small businesses never touch. If your BAS has more than the GST section, treat this as the GST subtotal, not the bottom line. Due dates for the real thing are here.
Quick answers.
How accurate is this BAS calculator?
It's exact for the GST arithmetic (both labels are one-eleventh of what you enter) and an estimate overall: it doesn't know about adjustments, PAYG labels or unusual transactions. A registered agent checks the real thing before lodgement.
What does it mean if my result is a refund?
You paid more GST on purchases than you collected on sales that period, common for new businesses buying equipment and for GST-free sellers. The ATO pays the difference after your BAS is lodged.
Do GST-free sales go in the sales box?
Not in this calculator. It only wants taxable sales, because GST-free sales generate no 1A. On the actual BAS they're still reported in your total sales at G1.
Where do wages fit in?
Nowhere in the GST section: wages have no GST, so they're neither a taxable sale nor a creditable purchase. If you withhold tax from wages, that's reported separately at W1 and W2.
Related: What is a BAS? · BAS due dates · All business calculators
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