BAS Preparation (Australia)

Complete data for your Business Activity Statement. Prepare and validate your BAS figures before lodgment.

Overview

The BAS Preparation report aggregates all data needed for your Australian Business Activity Statement (BAS). It provides the figures for each BAS field to help you complete your BAS accurately.

Who needs this

All Australian businesses registered for GST must lodge BAS:

• Quarterly — Most businesses (4 times per year)
• Monthly — Businesses with GST turnover ≥ $20 million

BAS fields covered

The report provides data for key BAS fields:

Generating the report

Step 1: Select BAS period

Choose your reporting period:

• Q1: July 1 — September 30
• Q2: October 1 — December 31
• Q3: January 1 — March 31
• Q4: April 1 — June 30

Or select a custom month for monthly lodgers.

Step 2: Choose reporting basis

Default: Your business setting (usually accrual)

Step 3: Click Generate Report

Understanding the layout

Summary stat cards

Top cards show at a glance:

• Total Sales (G1) — All sales for the period
• GST on Sales (1A) — GST collected from customers
• GST on Purchases (1B) — GST paid to suppliers
• Net GST Position (G9) — What you owe or are owed

Report sections

Sales Section (G1):

G1 — Total Sales (excluding GST)
────────────────────────────────────────
GST taxable sales              $22,000
GST-free sales                  $3,000
Input-taxed sales                   $0
Other sales                      $1,500
────────────────────────────────────────
Total Sales (G1)               $26,500

GST Collected Section (1A):

1A — GST on Sales
────────────────────────────────────────
GST on taxable sales            $2,200
GST adjustments                    $50
────────────────────────────────────────
Total GST on Sales (1A)         $2,250

GST Paid Section (1B):

1B — GST on Purchases
────────────────────────────────────────
GST on business purchases       $1,800
GST on capital purchases          $400
GST adjustments                     $0
────────────────────────────────────────
Total GST on Purchases (1B)     $2,200

Net GST Position (G9):

════════════════════════════════════════
Net GST Position (G9)
  GST on Sales (1A)              $2,250
  Less: GST on Purchases (1B)   -$2,200
────────────────────────────────────────
  GST Payable/(Refundable)        $50

Using the report

Before preparing BAS

1. Reconcile bank accounts — Ensure all transactions captured
2. Post all draft invoices/bills — Drafts don’t appear in BAS
3. Generate BAS Preparation report — Get your figures
4. Cross-check to Tax Summary — Verify consistency
5. Use the Prepare BAS workflow — Finalise, lodge, and pay via the Tax module

Validating figures

G1 Total Sales:

• Should match P&L revenue (approximately)
• Excludes GST
• Includes all sales types (taxable, GST-free, input-taxed)

1A GST on Sales:

• Should equal GST Collected in Tax Summary
• Only GST on taxable sales
• Check adjustments are valid

1B GST on Purchases:

• Should equal GST Paid in Tax Summary
• Includes GST on all business purchases
• Capital purchases included here

BAS Clearing Account

The report may also show your BAS Clearing Account:

• Tracks GST collected vs remitted
• Shows if you’ve overpaid or underpaid
• Helps reconcile across multiple BAS periods

Lodging your BAS

Use the Prepare BAS workflow in the Tax module for a guided 3-step process (Prepare, Lodge, Pay). The workflow provides ATO-aligned figures with copy buttons for easy entry into the ATO portal.

Online lodgement

1. Log in to ATO Business Portal (or myGov)
2. Select “Business Activity Statements”
3. Choose the period
4. Enter figures — use the copy buttons in Rebased’s Lodge step
5. Submit and pay (or receive refund)

Due dates

Example quarterly dates:

• Q1 (Jul-Sep): Due October 28
• Q2 (Oct-Dec): Due February 28
• Q3 (Jan-Mar): Due April 28
• Q4 (Apr-Jun): Due July 28

Payment options

• Direct debit — Automatic from bank account
• BPAY — Use reference from BAS
• Credit card — Via Business Portal (fees apply)
• Mail — Cheque to ATO (allow time)

Exporting

CSV export

1. Generate the report
2. Click Export → CSV
3. File downloads as BAS_Preparation_YYYY-MM-DD.csv

Use for:

• BAS preparation worksheet
• Accountant review
• Record keeping
• Reconciliation with lodged BAS

Best practices

Quarterly checklist

Before quarter end:

• Clear unreconciled bank transactions
• Chase overdue invoices
• Enter all bills received
• Post any draft transactions

After quarter end:

• Generate BAS Preparation report
• Review all figures
• Reconcile to GL and Tax Summary
• Complete BAS lodgment within 28 days

Record keeping

Keep for 5 years:

• BAS Preparation reports
• Lodged BAS copies
• Supporting invoices and bills
• Bank statements
• GST adjustment records

Error correction

If you discover an error after lodging:

• Small errors (< $1,000 GST) — adjust next BAS
• Large errors — lodge revised BAS
• Keep documentation of corrections

Common adjustments

Bad debts

If you included GST on a sale but customer never paid:

• Claim bad debt adjustment in later BAS
• Reduces GST on sales (1A)
• Must have tried to recover debt

Credit notes

Credit notes automatically adjust:

• AR credits reduce GST on sales
• AP credits reduce GST on purchases
• Report reflects net position

Private use

If business assets used privately:

• Calculate private use percentage
• Make GST adjustment for private portion
• Common for vehicles and home office

AU-specific notes

GST registration threshold

• $75,000 — Must register for GST
• $150,000 — Must report monthly
• Below $75,000 — Voluntary registration

GST-free sales

Included in G1 but not 1A:

• Exports
• Basic food
• Health and education services
• Certain childcare

Input-taxed sales

Included in G1 but no GST:

• Financial supplies
• Residential rent
• No GST charged, limited credits claimed

Troubleshooting

G1 doesn’t match P&L

Normal differences:

• P&L includes GST (G1 excludes it)
• P&L net of credit notes (G1 shows gross)
• Timing of invoice posting

Investigate if:

• Difference is > 5%
• Missing invoices from system
• Wrong tax codes applied

1A/1B don’t match Tax Summary

• Check same date range
• Verify same reporting basis
• Look for adjustments in one not the other
• Rounding differences are normal

Negative net GST

• Refund position (more credits than debits)
• Common for capital purchase quarters
• ATO will refund within 14 days typically

Large GST payable

• High sales quarter
• Low purchases quarter
• Plan cash flow for payment
• Consider voluntary early payment

BAS Clearing Account out of balance

• Prior period errors
• Over/under payments
• Adjustment entries needed
• Review with accountant

Related pages

• Tax Summary — Overall GST position
• Tax Code Summary — GST breakdown by code
• General Ledger — Detailed transaction review
• Tax — Tax module and BAS workflow

Last updated: April 3, 2026