The ATO has been working on ways to deliver a simpler business activity statement (BAS) to simplify account set-up, record keeping, BAS preparation and lodgment for agents and their clients, and make it less costly.

To achieve this, several GST labels will be removed from the BAS, with small businesses only required to report:

•       GST on sales (1A);
  

•       GST on purchases (1B); and
  

•       Total sales (G1).
  

They will begin user testing from 1 July 2016 and a simpler BAS should be the standard option for all small business from 1 July 2017.