Business yet to lodged their quarterly business activity statement (BAS) are being urged to switch to online to extend time.

“Businesses preparing their quarterly BAS should consider switching to online if they haven’t already,” said Deputy Commissioner of Small Business and Individual Tax Payers, Steve Vesperman.

“Not only is there easy access to a range of features, but you may also get more time to lodge,” Vesperman said.

Vesperman highlighted some of the benefits which include an additional two weeks to lodge for qualifying businesses, as well as the added ease of being able to request refunds or credit transfers, update account and registration details, review previous electronic lodgments, and receive instant confirmation of your current BAS lodgment.

More than half of BAS lodgments are now completed online, quarterly BAS by paper are needed to be lodged by April 28  for the January to March quarter to avoid penalties and interest charges.

“Always lodge your BAS, even if you have nothing to report,” adds Vesperman.

“If you’re not able to lodge on time, contact the ATO as soon as possible and we’ll work with you to discuss your individual circumstances and find a suitable arrangement.”

Five tips for lodging your BAS accurately and on time

• Consider switching to online lodgment if you haven’t already.
• If you’re lodging by mail, post your completed BAS a few days before the 28 April deadline to ensure it reaches the ATO on time.
• Make sure your BAS is accurate, if you make a mistake on your paper BAS, you can use whiteout to correct it.
• Don’t report negative figures or use symbols such as +, -, /, $.
• Use ‘0’ (do not use Nil) if reporting a zero amount.

For more information visit:www.ato.gov.au/BAS