ABN Registration and Sole Trader Setup, Adelaide
From $150. The ABN itself is free and takes ten minutes. What costs you money is the decisions around it, and those are the ones we get right before you start invoicing.
You Can Get an ABN Free. Should You?
Yes, you can. The Australian Business Register issues ABNs at no cost; the application takes about ten minutes, and approval is often instant. We will tell you that plainly rather than let you find out afterwards.
So why would you pay for ABN registration? Because the number is not the hard part. The hard part is everything the form does not ask you.
Whether you are actually entitled to an ABN, or whether you are an employee being asked to get one. Whether to register for GST now or wait until $75,000. Whether the PSI rules apply to your contracting income. Whether a sole trader ABN is even the right structure for what you are about to do.
Get those wrong, and the cost is not $150. It is a backdated GST bill, a denied deduction, or a structure you have to unwind in 2 years.
What Sole Trader Setup Actually Involves
A freelance designer, an Uber driver, a tradie picking up jobs, and a consultant on the side all need an ABN. What they need around it is completely different. We work out which of the following apply to you before anything gets lodged.
BN Registration
Individual and sole trader ABN registration from $150, lodged as your Registered Tax Agent. We confirm your entitlement first, because an ABN issued to someone who is not carrying on an enterprise can be cancelled and backdated.
GST Decision and Registration
GST is compulsory once turnover reaches $75,000 on a rolling 12-month basis, and you have 21 days to register. Below that, it is optional and sometimes worth doing early. We work out which side of that line you are on.
PSI Assessment
If more than half your income comes from your own skills and effort, the PSI rules may apply and restrict what you can deduct. Having an ABN does not change that. Contractors with one main client need this checked before, not after.
Structure Advice
Sole trader, partnership, company, or trust. A sole trader ABN is the simplest and the right answer for most people starting out. For some, it is not. We tell you who you are before you commit.
Business Name Registration
Your ABN lets you trade under your own name. Trading under anything else requires a registered business name, from $149 for one year or $299 for three.
First Year Tax Setup
PAYG instalments, record keeping, what you can claim, and how much to set aside. Sole traders report business income in their individual returns, and the first one catches most people out.
What Our Clients Say (Real Adelaide Stories)
Daniel Reeves
Adelaide, Australia
Our DeFi activity had become complex enough that we had no idea what was taxable and what was not. The Kalculators assessed every protocol interaction, reconciled two years of transactions, and lodged amended returns. The amount owed was manageable, and everything was handled correctly.
Three Decisions the ABN Form Never Asks
Are you entitled to an ABN at all? An ABN is for someone carrying on an enterprise. If an employer asks you to get one so they can pay you as a contractor, that may be sham contracting, and it does not become legitimate because you have an ABN. The test is the nature of the work, not the paperwork. This is worth ten minutes of advice before you agree to it.
GST now or at $75,000? Registration is compulsory once your rolling 12-month turnover reaches $75,000, and you have 21 days from crossing it. Miss that, and the ATO can backdate your registration, which means you owe GST on invoices you never charged. Below the threshold, voluntary registration lets you claim credits on startup costs but locks you into BAS lodgement and adds 10% to your prices. If your clients are businesses, that 10% costs you nothing. If they are individuals, you lose the sale.
Do the PSI rules apply to you? If more than half of what a client pays you is for your own skills and effort rather than materials or other people's labour, that income is personal services income. If 80% or more comes from one client, the restrictions tighten considerably. The rules limit what you can deduct and can attribute income straight back to you, regardless of your structure. Contractors and consultants routinely learn this on their first tax return, which is an expensive time to learn it.
What You Are Paying For, and What You Are Not
Being direct about this, because you will find out anyway.
| Doing it yourself at abr.gov.au | Coming to us, from $150 |
|---|---|
| The ABN is free in about ten minutes | The ABN, lodged by a Registered Tax Agent |
| A form that asks what you do | A conversation about whether you are entitled to one |
| A GST question with no guidance | A GST decision based on your actual turnover forecast |
| No mention of PSI | A PSI assessment before it becomes a problem |
| No structure advice | Sole trader, company or trust, decided on your numbers |
| You find out what you can claim in July | You know what to keep records of in week one |
If you are confident in all of the above, use the ABR. It is free, it works, and we would rather tell you that than take $150 for a form you could have filled in yourself.
If you are not confident, the $150 buys the part that the form leaves out. Most people who come to us are in the second group, and most of them find out they need to be.
Registered Tax Agents, Not a Form Service
The advice on this page is regulated work, and that is the point. The Kalculators operates under full Registered Tax Agent accreditation with the Tax Practitioners Board. An online form service can lodge your ABN application. It cannot tell you whether you should have one.
Our record: IPA Practice of the Year (SA and NT, 2025). IPA Member of the Year (SA/NT) in 2019 and 2025. Four AusMumpreneur Awards in 2020 for Business Excellence and Customer Service. Xero Gold Partner.
Founded by Kaleem Ullah, the firm has spent over 10 years working with South Australian sole traders and small businesses. We process more than 20,000 returns a year with a team of over 20 registered tax consultants.
IPA Practice of the Year
(SA & NT – 2025)
Xero Gold Partner
AusMumpreneur Awards
– Business Excellence
Member of the Year 2019 –
Institute of Public Accountants
Member of the Year 2025 –
Institute of Public Accountants
Tax Practitioners Board
Registered Agent
Australian Accounting
Awards (2019)
Australian Accounting
Awards (2020)
Australian Accounting
Awards (2021, 2022)
0k+
Returns Annually0+
Tax Consultants$0M+
In Claimed Deductions0+
Office Locations
How Setup Works With Us
Getting an ABN is the easy part. Getting the structure, GST, and PSI right before you start trading is where it matters. Here is how we work through it with you.
What are you actually doing?
We work out whether you are carrying on an enterprise, who your clients will be, and what you expect to turn over. This is where entitlement and structure get settled.
What are you actually doing?
We work out whether you are carrying on an enterprise, who your clients will be, and what you expect to turn over. This is where entitlement and structure get settled.
Structure check
Sole trader for most people. If a company or trust suits you better, we say so now rather than after you have been trading for a year.
Structure check
Sole trader for most people. If a company or trust suits you better, we say so now rather than after you have been trading for a year.
ABN lodgement
Lodged as your Registered Tax Agent. From $150. Usually issued quickly, though applications that need review take longer.
ABN lodgement
Lodged as your Registered Tax Agent. From $150. Usually issued quickly, though applications that need review take longer.
GST and PSI
The two decisions that cost the most when they are wrong. Settled at setup, documented, and revisited if your turnover changes.
GST and PSI
The two decisions that cost the most when they are wrong. Settled at setup, documented, and revisited if your turnover changes.
Records and PAYG
What to keep, how long, and how much to set aside. Sole traders keep records for five years, and those who start in week one have an easier July.
Records and PAYG
What to keep, how long, and how much to set aside. Sole traders keep records for five years, and those who start in week one have an easier July.
Your first return
Business income goes on your individual return. We prepare it, and by then, we already know your situation.
Your first return
Business income goes on your individual return. We prepare it, and by then, we already know your situation.
Why Adelaide Sole Traders Start With Us
- We tell you the ABN is free before you pay us anything
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- Entitlement checked first, so the ABN is not cancelled and backdated later
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- GST decision based on your actual turnover forecast, not a guess
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- PSI assessed at setup, not discovered at your first tax return
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- Structure advice included, so you are not unwinding a sole trader ABN in two years
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- Registered Tax Agent accreditation under Tax Practitioners Board standards
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- 10+ years working with South Australian sole traders
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- 3 offices across Adelaide at Salisbury, Blair Athol, and Morphett Vale
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- Online service for Murray Bridge, Woodville, Melrose Park, Port Augusta, Prospect, and Brighton
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- The same team handles your tax return each year, so nobody relearns your situation
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What Does ABN Registration Cost?
ABN registration from $150. That includes the entitlement check, the lodgement, and the GST and structure conversation that goes with it.
The ABR charges nothing for the ABN itself, and we are not going to pretend otherwise. What you are paying for is a Registered Tax Agent ensuring the setup is correct before you start invoicing.
Anything beyond standard setup, including partnership or company structures, PSI determinations, or backdated registrations, is quoted on a consultation basis.
| Service | Price |
|---|---|
| ABN registration | From $150 |
| GST or BAS registration | $55 |
| Business name, 1 year | $149 |
| Business name, 3 years | $299 |
| Individual tax return | From $79 |
Trusted by Thousands Across South Australia
Our Branch Locations
Salisbury Branch
salisbury@thekalculators.com.au
182 Salisbury Highway, Salisbury, SA 5108
Frequently Asked Questions
Make Your Trust Work Properly. Talk to Us Today
If your trust return is due, or you are not confident the distributions in previous years were documented properly, that is worth a conversation. We have advised South Australian families on trust structures for over 10 years, from 3 offices across Adelaide and online across regional SA.
Contact our team for a no-obligation consultation.
