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GST and BAS tracker spreadsheet for Australian sole traders
If you're a sole trader registered for GST, most of the BAS stress comes from scrambling for numbers at the end of the quarter. A tracker you update as you go fixes that. Here's how to set one up, whether you build it yourself or use ours.
Do you need to track GST at all?
You must register for GST once your GST turnover reaches the threshold, which the ATO lists as $75,000 for most businesses ($150,000 for non-profits). Some businesses, such as ride-sourcing drivers, must register regardless of turnover. Check the current rules on the ATO's Registering for GST page. Even if you're under the threshold, tracking income by month lets you see the threshold coming.
The columns that matter
A workable GST and BAS tracker needs two logs, one for sales and one for purchases. For each row:
| Sales log | Purchases log |
|---|---|
| Date, invoice number, customer | Date, supplier, what you bought |
| Total received (including GST) | Total paid (including GST) |
| Is it taxable? (Y/N) | Does it include GST? Do you have a tax invoice? |
| GST amount | GST credit amount (business share only) |
For a taxable sale where the price includes 10% GST, the GST part is one-eleventh of the total. A $110 sale contains $10 of GST. In a spreadsheet that's =ROUND(B2/11,2) when the row is taxable, and zero when it isn't.
How the BAS labels add up
On a simpler BAS, the three numbers most sole traders copy across are:
- G1 Total sales: all your sales for the period, including GST.
- 1A GST on sales: the GST you collected.
- 1B GST on purchases: the GST credits you can claim.
1A minus 1B is roughly what you owe (or get back) for GST. In a spreadsheet, a SUMIFS on each log by quarter gives you all three. Remember the Australian financial year runs 1 July to 30 June, so "Q1" is July to September.
Know your due dates
The ATO publishes quarterly and monthly BAS due dates on its due dates for lodging and paying your BAS page. Put them in a "Start here" tab so the tracker tells you which quarter you're in and when it's due. If you use a registered tax or BAS agent, your dates may differ.
Claiming GST credits
You generally need a valid tax invoice to claim a GST credit (there are exceptions for some small purchases), and you can only claim the business share of a mixed-use purchase. The details are on the ATO's Claiming GST credits page. Add a "Tax invoice? Y/N" column so you can spot gaps before lodging.
General information only, not tax advice. Rules and rates change, so check the linked ato.gov.au page for the current version, or ask a registered tax agent about your situation.
- GST calculator: add or remove 10% GST — runs in your browser, nothing is sent anywhere.
Want it done for you? Australian Sole Trader GST & BAS Tracker (.xlsx)
Our tracker is the spreadsheet described above, already built and tested. Log sales and purchases as you go and G1, 1A, 1B and net GST add up by quarter and month.
- 7 tabs including Income, Expenses, BAS Summary, GST Threshold Check and Dashboard
- 500 rows each for income and expenses
- No macros; example rows marked for deletion
- Tested in LibreOffice Calc; opens in Excel-compatible apps
US$9.99 one-time on Whop. Instant download.
See it on Whop →Related guides
- Side hustle income tracker for Australians
- Tradie invoice template for Australia: what a tax invoice must show
- Small business templates for Australian sole traders
General information only, not financial, tax or legal advice. Check the official pages linked above, or ask a registered tax agent, before you rely on anything here. Last checked 16 Nov 2026.