How to prepare BAS for your clients

Learn how to prepare your client's first BAS using QuickBooks Online Accountant.

Step 1: Review the last reconciled dates for your client's bank accounts

1. From the client's QuickBooks Online company, select Accountant tools on the top bar, then select Report Options.
2. Check the last reconciled date for the client's bank account(s) and ensure the dates for the BAS period you want to lodge have already been reconciled.

Step 2: Lodge the client's BAS

1. Select the GST section from the left menu, then select Run Reports on the top-right corner to review the BAS reports.
2. Once you have reviewed the reports, select Get Started.
   
3. Select the beginning and ending month of the period you want to lodge, then select Continue.
   • Note: If you get errors when trying to continue, make sure your GST settings are set to the correct lodgement frequency (quarterly, monthly, or annually).
4. Check the GST due amount, then select Next.
5. If you've been lodging pay runs via the Employees section in your client's company, the PAYG Withholding amounts will automatically populate with the figures for the lodgement period. Check that these are correct, then select Next.
   • If you haven't been using the Employees section, enter the Total salaries paid and Total tax withheld in their respective fields, then select Next.
6. Enter the Income tax instalment amount, if applicable. If there is none to report, enter a "0" in the field and select Next.
7. You will be presented with a summary of the BAS to be lodged. Confirm the lodgement date is correct (it defaults to today's date). Select the Print Icon on the top-right of the summary to save a copy of the BAS summary.
8. Once everything looks correct, select Mark as lodged.
9. Proceed to lodge your client's BAS with the ATO, either via the ATO Portal or your usual tax lodging software.

Step 3: Record the BAS payment

1. In the GST section, select the To do tab and find the BAS you want to make a payment for in the To Pay section. Select Record Payment.
2. Enter a full or part Payment amount, then select the bank account the payment was taken out of in the From account dropdown menu.
3. Record the BAS Payment date, and a note if preferred.
4. Select Save. The BAS payment record will now show up in the Payments tab of the GST section.

Note: If you have connected your client's bank feed to QuickBooks, the bank feed will now show a match with the GST payment, and you can proceed to match the records in the Banking/Transactions section.

View BAS journal entries

1. From the top-right of the client's QuickBooks company, select the Magnifying glass icon.
2. Identify a journal entry that corresponds to the end of the BAS period date, then select it.

Note: To make any changes to the lodged amounts, you will have to unlodge the BAS.

Unlodge a client's BAS to fix lodgement errors

1. Select the GST section. If you have recorded a payment for that BAS already, you will need to delete the payment first, by navigating to the Payments tab and selecting Delete next to the BAS period you want to unlodge.
2. In the To do tab, select the dropdown arrow on the right side of the BAS period you want to unlodge, then select Unlodge this BAS.
3. Acknowledge the warning message and select Unlodge.