GST for Tradies: When to Charge It and How to Invoice

Do you even need to charge GST?

Not always. You generally must register for GST once your turnover hits $75,000 in a 12-month period (or you expect it to). Under that threshold, registering is optional. So a part-time or newer sole trader often doesn't charge GST yet — and their invoices are titled "Invoice", not "Tax Invoice".

Once you're registered

• You add 10% GST on top of your price.
• Your invoices become tax invoices and must show your ABN and the GST amount separately.
• You report and pay the GST you've collected (minus GST on your business purchases) on your BAS.

That last point is why tracking the GST on your expenses matters too — it offsets what you owe. Snapping receipts (with the GST captured automatically) keeps those credits from slipping away.

What a valid tax invoice must show

1. The words "Tax Invoice"
2. Your business name and ABN
3. The date
4. A description of what you sold
5. The GST amount (or a statement that the total includes GST)
6. The total — and, for sales of $1,000+, the buyer's identity or ABN

The easy way to stay on top of GST

Doing GST by hand — 10% here, separated there, matched against receipts at BAS time — is where mistakes happen. SortedMate handles it both ways: toggle 10% GST on an invoice and it does the maths and formats a valid tax invoice with your ABN; snap a receipt and it captures the GST on your expense automatically. Come BAS or tax time, it's all in one tidy report.