myTax 2019 Personal services income
Complete this section if you received income for personal services you provided as a sole trader and you did not:
- receive a personal services business determination in relation to your personal services income (PSI)
- satisfy the results test, or
- satisfy at least one of the other three personal services business tests
(if less than 80% of your PSI came from each client).
On this page
Essentials
Warning:
This information may not apply to the current year. Check the content carefully to ensure it is applicable to your circumstances.
End of attentionPersonal services income is income that is mainly a reward for an individual's personal efforts or skills. To work out whether your income is personal services income you can use the Personal services income toolThis link opens in a new window or see Personal services income for more information.
PSI is divided into:
- income that was subject to a PAYG voluntary agreement to withhold tax
- income from which tax has been withheld because you did not quote your Australian business number (ABN) to one of your payers
- income received under a labour hire arrangement or from a specified payment
- other PSI.
Goods and services tax (GST)
If you are registered or required to be registered for GST, do not include any GST amounts in your assessable income. Your deductions should not include any amounts that relate to input tax credit entitlements.
Former STS taxpayers
If you are eligible and are continuing to use the simplified tax system (STS) accounting method, you must complete the income and deduction parts of this section using the STS accounting method. For more information, see Former simplified tax system (STS) taxpayers.
Limited deductions against personal services income
There are special rules for the tax treatment of personal services income earned by sole traders including contractors and consultants. If you had personal services income as a sole trader and you were subject to the special rules, you will not be able to claim certain deductions, for example, rent, mortgage interest, rates or land tax for your home, or payments to your spouse (or other associate) for support work such as secretarial duties.
You will be subject to the special rules if you were not conducting a personal services business. For more information, see Deductions.
Depreciation and capital allowances expenses
You generally can't deduct spending on capital assets immediately; instead you claim the cost over time, reflecting the asset's depreciation (or decline in value). For more information, see Guide to depreciating assets.
You can use the Depreciation and capital allowances tool to work out any decline in value deduction as well as any deductible balancing adjustment when you stop holding a depreciating asset.
The tool can be accessed in the Deductions section on the Prepare return screen.
Do not show at this section
- any of the following income statements/payment summaries where tax has been withheld:
- Income statement
- PAYG payment summary - business and personal services income
- PAYG payment summary - withholding where ABN not quoted
- any payments or grants reported in a Taxable payments annual report where tax has been withheld, included in a reminder below the Business and professional items section.
Show these in the Business income statements and payment summaries section.
Completing this section
You may need:
If you have a reminder below the Business and professional items section that you received payments or grants reported in a Taxable payments annual report where tax has not been withheld and they relate to personal services income, include these amounts at this section. Amounts invoiced but not actually paid to you in the financial year were not included in this year's Taxable payments annual report.
Income and tax withheld amounts show in the Business income statements and payment summaries section will be transferred to this section if they relate to personal services income. Add, alter or delete these amounts in the Business income statements and payment summaries section.
- Select Net personal services income to expand the section.
- Add up any other PSI income and enter the amount at Other, including amounts received where the following apply:
- you have a reminder below the Business and professional items section that you received payments or grants reported in a Taxable payments annual report where tax has not been withheld
- no tax has been withheld from Business and personal services income income statements/payment summaries and
- the payments are personal services income
- If you have deductions against your PSI, see Limited deductions against personal services income to ensure that you are eligible to claim them. If you had personal services income as a sole trader and you were subject to special rules, you will not be able to claim certain deductions, for example, rent, mortgage interest, rates or land tax for your home, or payments to your spouse (or other associate) for support work such as secretarial duties.
- Enter the deductions you are eligible to claim at:
- Deductions for payments to associates for principal work
- Total amount of other deductions against PSI.
Note: If you used the Depreciation and capital allowances tool, fields containing information from the tool cannot be directly adjusted in myTax. To make any adjustments to this information, or to add new assets to the tool, select the 'Use the depreciation and capital allowances tool' link .