Lodge GST

Lodging of GST is a three part procedure. First, prepare your BAS return in QuickBooks. Second, submit your return to ATO. Finally, close your lodging period in QuickBooks.

Step 1 - Complete your BAS

  1. In the navigation bar, click GST.
  2. Click Complete BAS.
  3. Check the dates that QuickBooks shows in the From Date and To Date fields. More...Closed QuickBooks automatically inserts the dates of your last GST period, based on the payment schedule for ATO. If necessary, you can change them, but remember that your payment schedule is set by ATO. You cannot change the dates just for your own requirements.
  4. Review the detail section. It shows all the lines in the BAS, with the balance owing or receivable at the bottom.

    To see individual transactions, hover over the number in the Amount column and then click View transactions.

  5. To make an adjustment to a line on the BAS, click Record.
  6. Enter any missing information in the grey box provided on the row.

  7. How to adjust your tax liability

The amounts in your BAS are rounded down. For example, if your company owes $140.92, the total owing will be rounded to $140.00. The rounded amounts will be posted to the BAS Roundoff Gain or Loss account.

Step 2 - Submit your BAS online

Before you can submit your BAS to ATO online, you must register and enroll for the GST online service. For more information, go to the ATO website.

  1. In a different window showing the ATO website, enter your User ID and password.
  2. Select Submit a return.
  3. Choose the period that you want to lodge.
  4. Copy the amounts from your QuickBooks return and paste them into your BAS in the ATO window.
  5. After you fill in the online return, close the ATO window and return to QuickBooks.

Step 3 - Close your BAS period in QuickBooks

This step closes your books in QuickBooks for this filing period. Once completed, you cannot add or edit transactions in this period.

  1. On the Complete BAS screen, click Mark as Lodged.

    QuickBooks creates a bill for the amount owing to ATO. (The bill is created as a payable in your chart of accounts, so it won't appear in the Enter Bills window.)

  2. (Optional) Print a copy of the QuickBooks BAS for your own records.