Prepare BAS

The Prepare BAS tab guides you through completing your next Business Activity Statement in three steps. Rebased automatically detects the next quarter that needs attention based on your lock date.

The Prepare BAS Interface

When you open the Tax module, you’ll see:

1. Workflow Stepper — Shows your progress through the BAS process (Prepare, Lodge, Pay)
2. Period Card — The quarter being prepared, with due date
3. Summary Cards — GST Collected, GST Paid, and Amount Payable/Refundable
4. Detailed Breakdown — Transaction-level GST and PAYG data

BAS Workflow Steps

Step 1: Prepare

Review your GST and PAYG totals for the period before finalising.

GST on Sales & Purchases

Expand each section to see individual invoices and bills. Click a transaction to view details or navigate to the source document.

PAYG Withholding (if running payroll)

If you have processed pay runs in the period, you’ll also see:

The PAYG section shows a per-employee breakdown with pay run counts.

Finalise & Lock Period

Once you’ve reviewed the figures:

1. Click Finalise & Lock Period
2. Confirm the amounts in the modal
3. A clearing journal is created, moving GST and PAYG balances to the BAS Clearing Account
4. The lock date advances to the end of the period, protecting it from accidental changes

This creates an audit trail and prepares the amounts for lodgement and payment.

Step 2: Lodge

After finalising, lodge your BAS with the ATO:

1. Use the quick links to open the ATO Business Portal or myGov
2. Your BAS figures are displayed using ATO label codes (G1, 1A, 1B, W1, W2) — use the copy button next to each field to paste into the ATO form
3. Once lodged with the ATO, tick “I have lodged this BAS with the ATO” to continue

Rebased does not submit directly to the ATO. You lodge via the ATO’s online services and then record the lodgement in Rebased.

Step 3: Pay

After lodging, record your payment to the ATO:

1. Select your Bank Account for the payment
2. Enter the Payment Date
3. Add an optional Reference (e.g. your EFT reference number)
4. Click Record Payment

This creates a payment journal that clears the BAS Clearing Account.

If you’re due a refund from the ATO, record it as a refund when the money arrives.

Once the clearing balance reaches zero, a completion summary confirms the BAS is fully processed and you can start the next period.

No GST Activity

If the period has no GST transactions, you’ll see a message indicating no activity.

You can either:

• Lodge Nil BAS — Submit a nil return to the ATO
• Skip Period — If you’re not required to lodge (check with your accountant)

Period Detection

Rebased automatically determines your next BAS period:

1. Lock Date — Periods ending on or before your lock date are considered complete
2. Current Date — Future periods show as “in progress”

If all quarters are up to date, you’ll see “All BAS Periods Up to Date” with a link to BAS History.

Overview Tab

The Overview tab on the Tax page shows your current ATO position at a glance:

• GST Position — Current net GST owed or refundable
• PAYG Withheld — Total PAYG withholding outstanding
• Total ATO Position — Combined amount
• Outstanding Periods — Quarters that have ended and are ready to prepare, or are past their due date
• Current Quarter — Estimated figures for the quarter in progress

Periods that have ended but whose due date hasn’t passed yet are shown as “Ready to prepare”. Periods past their due date are shown as overdue.

Best Practices

• Reconcile bank accounts first — Ensure all transactions are recorded before preparing BAS
• Review before finalising — Check the transaction breakdown for any missing or incorrect GST codes
• Lodge on time — Due dates are shown on the period card
• Pay promptly — Record payments as soon as you’ve paid the ATO via your bank

Related Pages

• Tax Overview — Understanding BAS in Rebased
• BAS History — View past submissions
• Lock Dates — Protect reconciled periods
• Bank Reconciliation — Ensure transactions are complete