If you earn money through Uber, Airbnb, Airtasker, Uber Eats or similar platforms, the ATO is no longer relying on you to voluntarily tell them about it. Under the Sharing Economy Reporting Regime, the platforms themselves now report your transaction data directly, twice a year. It does not create any new tax, but it closes the gap that let undeclared side-hustle income go unnoticed for years.
Electronic platform operators, the marketplaces themselves rather than individual workers, are required to report transaction data about their sellers and service providers directly to the ATO. Reporting for ride-sourcing and taxi-like services, and for short-term accommodation platforms like Airbnb and Stayz, began on 1 July 2023. From 1 July 2024, this expanded to cover almost everything else: task and labour platforms like Airtasker, food delivery services like Uber Eats, Menulog and Deliveroo, hire of vehicles and other moveable assets, hire of fixed spaces such as parking, and digital goods, tips and subscriptions. Both phases are fully in effect now, and platforms report to the ATO by 31 January and 31 July each year.
The ATO now receives your income data directly from the platform and cross-matches it against what you declare on your tax return. If the two do not line up, that mismatch routinely triggers a please-explain contact, an amended assessment, or a closer review, sometimes with interest and penalties attached. Importantly, this is a reporting and enforcement mechanism, not a new tax. The underlying obligation to declare sharing-economy income has always existed. What has changed is that the ATO no longer needs to take your word for it.
This is the part most new drivers get wrong. If you drive for Uber, Didi or a similar ride-sourcing platform, you must register for GST regardless of your turnover. The normal $75,000 threshold that applies to almost every other business simply does not apply to ride-sourcing drivers. You need an ABN and GST registration before your first trip, or within 21 days if you already have an ABN, and you have to report monthly or quarterly rather than annually. This rule has applied since 2015 and still catches new drivers who assume the general GST threshold protects them. It is worth noting this specific rule applies to ride-sourcing only, not to food delivery, Airtasker work or Airbnb hosting, which follow the normal $75,000 threshold.
Declare all platform income, even small or occasional amounts, since the ATO is now receiving the underlying data regardless of how minor it seems. If you drive for a ride-sourcing platform, register for GST immediately if you have not already. Track deductible expenses properly rather than relying only on the platform's own summary, including vehicle running costs, platform fees, phone and data costs, cleaning and consumables for accommodation hosts, and tools for task-based work. Because nothing is withheld from these earnings the way PAYG is withheld from a wage, it is worth setting money aside for tax as you go, or considering voluntary PAYG instalments.
Earning income through a platform and not sure whether you are meeting your GST or income tax obligations? Book a free call and we will help you get set up properly.
Assuming small or occasional platform income does not need to be declared. The ATO now receives the transaction data directly, regardless of the amount.
Thinking the $75,000 GST threshold applies to ride-sourcing. It does not. Registration is required from your very first ride-sourcing trip.
Not setting money aside for tax. Platform earnings arrive with nothing withheld, which catches people out at tax time if they have not planned for it.
Relying only on the platform's own income summary. Keep independent records of both income and deductible expenses rather than reconstructing them later.
The Sharing Economy Reporting Regime does not create a new tax, but it does mean platforms like Uber, Airbnb, Airtasker and food delivery apps now report your earnings straight to the ATO twice a year. Ride-sourcing drivers need to register for GST regardless of turnover, and everyone earning through these platforms should be declaring the income and keeping proper records, because the ATO already has the numbers to check against.
We help clients across the gig and platform economy get their GST and income tax obligations sorted correctly, with fixed fees agreed upfront. Book your free call here.
This article is general information only and does not take into account your personal circumstances. Please seek advice tailored to your situation before acting.
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