Business Activity Statements (BAS) are a core tax obligation for Australian businesses registered for GST. Every quarter (or monthly for larger businesses), you must report your GST collected, GST paid, PAYG withholding and PAYG instalments to the ATO. Getting your BAS right means accurate bookkeeping throughout the quarter - not a last-minute scramble.
Ensure all bank transactions are categorised in Xero with correct GST codes
Reconcile all bank accounts for the BAS period
Review the GST summary report in Xero to verify GST collected vs GST paid
Check PAYG withholding amounts match your payroll records
Review PAYG income tax instalment amount
Generate the BAS report in Xero or your accounting software
Lodge via the ATO Business Portal, myGov or through your tax agent
Pay any amount owing by the due date to avoid penalties
Businesses in Australia operating under the GST + BAS system must meet these compliance requirements set by ATO:
Lodging late - the ATO charges penalties starting at $313 per 28-day period
Incorrect GST codes on transactions leading to wrong GST amounts
Forgetting to include all bank accounts in the reconciliation
Not reconciling before generating the BAS report
Claiming GST on items that are GST-free (like basic food or exports)
Missing the payment deadline even when the lodgement is on time
SortBooks connects to your Xero account and handles GST + BAS compliance automatically. Every transaction is categorised with the correct tax treatment, bank feeds are reconciled in real-time and your ATO-ready reports are always up to date. No more last-minute scrambles or manual data entry.
Every transaction gets the correct GST + BAS code automatically - 97%+ accuracy from day one.
Generate compliant reports for ATO at any time - no reconciliation needed.
Never miss a filing deadline. SortBooks tracks your obligations and reminds you in advance.
Quarterly BAS is due 28 days after the end of each quarter. Q1 (Jul-Sep) is due 28 October, Q2 (Oct-Dec) is due 28 February, Q3 (Jan-Mar) is due 28 April, and Q4 (Apr-Jun) is due 28 July. Monthly BAS is due on the 21st of the following month.
Yes. If you are registered for GST, you must lodge a BAS even if you had no sales or purchases during the period. You can lodge a nil BAS.
Yes. SortBooks categorises every transaction with the correct GST code throughout the quarter. When BAS time comes, your GST summary is already accurate - just review and lodge. Many users report cutting BAS preparation from hours to minutes.
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