ABN and GST Basics for Tradies Going Out on Their Own
This is general information, not tax advice — check with a registered tax agent or accountant for anything specific to your situation.
When you need an ABN
Generally, as soon as you're carrying on a business — including subcontracting under an ABN rather than being paid as an employee. An ABN is different from a business name registration; you can trade under your own name with just an ABN, or register a separate business name if you want to trade under something else.
GST registration
GST registration becomes compulsory once your turnover crosses a threshold set by the ATO — check the current figure directly on ato.gov.au rather than relying on a number that may be out of date.
Once registered for GST
You'll generally need to lodge a Business Activity Statement (BAS), usually quarterly, reporting GST collected and paid.
Get this right from the start
A registered tax agent or accountant is worth the cost for a new sole trader — getting your BAS and record-keeping set up correctly from day one avoids a much bigger headache later.