If you have a ride-sourcing business it’s important to understand your GST obligations.

The goods and services tax (GST) is a 10% tax on most goods, services and other items sold or consumed in Australia. 

When you’re running a business, sometimes it can be tricky to work out whether you need to register for GST. However, for ride-sourcing it’s very straightforward. You only need to ask yourself one question:

Am I providing a taxi or ride-sourcing service? 

If your answer is ‘yes’, then you must register for GST. 

You must register regardless of the amount of income you earn. There is no minimum threshold if you are running a ride-sourcing business. 

You are required to be registered for ride-sourcing under a sole trader Australian Business Number (ABN). Any other sole trader business you have will be registered under that same ABN and therefore will have to be registered for GST regardless of whether it is earning under the $75,000 GST registration turnover threshold.

If you have another business, that is not a taxi or ride-sourcing business, and it is registered under a partnership, trust or company ABN, this ABN will be different to your sole trader ABN, and therefore normal GST rules apply and it will have the $75,000 GST registration turnover threshold. 

There are various ways of registering for GST; you can: 

• register online through ATO Online services for individuals or ATO Online services for business
• register through your registered tax agent
• order a form from ato.gov.au to fill in
• call the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) to register.

If you want to register through ATO Online services for individuals or ATO Online services for business, you will be provided with details to set up your myGovID. You use your myGovID to log in to selected government online services including these ones.