Tax for businesses in Springfield Central

A town centre with few residents

The census counts people where they live, so it says little about the shops and offices here. What it does show is a suburb of apartments, many of them empty in August 2021. Nearly every occupied home (93.8%) was a flat or apartment, 57.1% of private dwellings were empty on census night, and 62.5% of occupied homes were rented. Median household income was $1,089 a week; the Queensland figure was $1,675. Ages were split: a third of residents were 15 to 24, and about one in six was 75 or older.

The New Zealand-born share was 3.8%, close to the Queensland figure of 4.0% and well under Redbank's 11.4%. With so few residents, most of what follows is about trading here or letting a unit here.

Opening a business here

GST is the first registration question for most new businesses. You must register once your GST turnover reaches $75,000, and the ATO tests it two ways: the current month plus the previous 11, and the current month plus the next 11. The second test catches a new business that expects to pass the threshold in its first year. Once you are required to register, you have 21 days.

After registration comes the BAS. The July to September quarter is due on 28 October, or 11 November if you lodge it online yourself and qualify for the two-week concession. Lodged online through a registered agent, it is due 25 November. The key dates page lists the rest of 2026–27, and the GST calculator is handy for checking an invoice.

Company or sole trader

A shop or studio in the town centre can open as a sole trader and incorporate later. A company that is a base rate entity pays 25% instead of 30%: its aggregated turnover must be under $50 million and no more than 80% of its assessable income can be passive income such as rent and interest. The rate is only part of the decision. A loan, payment or written-off debt from a private company to a shareholder or their associate can be taxed as a dividend under Division 7A, and a company has its own return and records. Talk to us before you change structure. Our structures page sets out the options.

Your first employee, under payday super

Since 1 July 2026, super guarantee of 12% is worked out on each payday's qualifying earnings, and it must reach the employee's fund within seven business days of that payday. A new employee's first contribution gets 20 business days. Each pay run is also reported to the ATO through Single Touch Payroll, straight from your payroll software.

If you are a director paid wages by your own company, you count as an employee for super guarantee too. Payday super in 2026 explains what changed on 1 July.

Owning one of the apartments

Rent from a unit goes in the owner's tax return each year, wherever the owner lives. One rule matters for anyone who bought an established unit. Carpet, blinds or appliances the previous owner had installed ready for use, or used, are second-hand depreciating assets, and in most cases you can't claim their decline in value. Check this before you count on depreciation in your figures. The property investors guide covers the records to keep.

How we work with you

Meetings are in person by arrangement in the Brisbane and Ipswich area, or by video, whichever fits around trading hours. Invoices, statements and payroll reports travel by email, across the table at a meeting, or attached to a website form. Your books can stay in Xero, MYOB or QuickBooks, and bookkeeping, BAS and payroll are quoted as a fixed fee that you agree to first; how our fees work sets out what goes into that quote. Your first step is the new client form. Tell us what the business does and when its next lodgement falls due, or ask a question first through Get in touch.