Quick answer
A BAS, or business activity statement, is the form Australian businesses lodge with the ATO, monthly or quarterly, to report and pay GST, PAYG withholding, PAYG instalments and some other taxes. For lenders it doubles as independent proof of turnover: the total sales figure at label G1 is used to verify income for many low doc loans, and unpaid BAS amounts are a common source of ATO debt.
Key points
- Lodged monthly or quarterly; quarterly BAS for July to September 2026 is due 28 October 2026
- Reports GST, PAYG withholding, PAYG instalments and, for some businesses, FBT instalments and other taxes
- Label G1 total sales includes GST, so lenders usually strip the GST out before annualising
- Overdue BAS lodgements and unpaid BAS debts are two of the first things lenders ask about
As this page goes up, thousands of owners are three days out from 28 October 2026, the due date for the July to September quarterly BAS. If you lodge yourself, that’s the deadline. If a registered agent lodges for you, the ATO’s agent lodgment program pushes this quarter out to 25 November 2026.
What a BAS actually reports
The business activity statement is a single form that bundles several tax obligations together. Depending on your registrations, it can include:
- GST: the GST you collected on sales minus the GST credits on your business purchases.
- PAYG withholding: tax taken out of employees’ wages.
- PAYG instalments: prepayments towards the business’s or owner’s income tax.
- FBT instalments, luxury car tax and wine equalisation tax for the businesses they apply to.
Businesses with GST turnover of $20m or more must lodge monthly. Smaller businesses usually lodge quarterly, and some very small ones can report GST annually. The net amount is either paid to the ATO or, if credits exceed GST collected, refunded.
Why lenders care about your BAS
A BAS is lodged with the ATO under penalty, so lenders see it as a credible, recent record of sales. That makes it central to low doc lending. Where a full doc lender reads two years of tax returns, a low doc lender may take your last few BAS and a set of bank statements and treat those as the evidence of income.
There’s a detail many owners miss: label G1 (total sales) includes GST. A lender comparing your BAS with your bank deposits, or annualising your turnover, will usually remove the GST portion first. If you quote a GST-inclusive figure on an application and the lender works ex-GST, your turnover can look about 9% lower than you said, which is an awkward mismatch to explain.
The other thing lenders look for is whether BAS amounts are being paid. A growing balance on the ATO account, or a payment plan that’s been defaulted on, shows up quickly when they review your ATO portal summary or bank statements. Need funds to clear a BAS bill before it snowballs? Send a quick enquiry and we’ll look at the options.
A worked example
A Hobart joinery business lodges quarterly. Its last four BAS show G1 totals of $132k, $151k, $118k and $159k: $560k for the year including GST. Taking out one-eleventh for GST leaves roughly $509k. A low doc lender assessing a property-secured loan uses that ex-GST figure, cross-checks it against the bank deposits over the same period, and is comfortable because the two line up within a few per cent.
The same business has $26k of unpaid BAS from the June quarter. The lender doesn’t decline, but makes paying the ATO out of the loan proceeds a condition of settlement.
Related terms
GST, tax invoice, annual turnover, financial year and payment plan. Use the GST calculator to split GST out of any sales figure.
BAS due and cash running thin?
A quarterly BAS lands on top of wages, rent and suppliers, and it’s easy to come up short even in a good quarter. We help owners fund BAS bills and clear ATO balances regularly, and banks are worth asking first if your file is clean. If they’ve passed, the form is brief: around a minute, and making an enquiry doesn’t put a mark on your credit history. Your information isn’t sprayed around a lender panel, and an actual person reviews it and rings you. Use your real BAS figures in the form so the options we bring back are ones you’ll qualify for.
Frequently asked questions
Who has to lodge a BAS?
Any business registered for GST, which is compulsory once GST turnover reaches $75k a year, plus businesses with PAYG withholding or PAYG instalment obligations. The ATO issues the statement and the fields shown depend on your registrations.
When is the BAS due?
Quarterly statements are generally due on the 28th of the month after the quarter ends, except the October to December quarter, which is due on 28 February. Monthly statements are generally due on the 21st of the following month. Lodging through a registered tax or BAS agent can give extra time on some quarters.
Can I use my BAS instead of tax returns to get a loan?
Often, yes. Many low doc lenders accept the last two to four quarterly BAS plus recent bank statements in place of full financials, particularly for property-secured loans. Some also want an accountant's letter confirming the figures.
What if my BAS lodgements are behind?
Lenders will usually ask you to bring them up to date, or at least show the ATO has an arrangement in place. Some specialist lenders will fund the catch-up, especially with property security. Getting a registered agent to lodge outstanding statements is usually the first step.
Does unpaid BAS debt affect my credit file?
It can. The ATO may report business tax debts of $100k or more that are over 90 days overdue to credit reporting bureaus if the business isn't engaging with it, for example by having a payment plan.