Things you need to know
Declare at this question income you derived or losses you incurred from a business. You'll need to complete a Business and professional items schedule 2026 before you can complete this question.
You should lodge your tax return using myTax or a registered tax agent. If you're unable to use myTax or a registered tax agent, contact us and we will send you a paper tax return that includes the fields for this question and the Business and professional items schedule 2026.
This question covers:
- income from being a sole trader
- income or a loss from a primary production business
- income under a pay as you go (PAYG) voluntary agreement
- income from which an amount is withheld because you didn't quote your ABN
- income you derived as a foreign resident from which an amount is withheld because it's subject to foreign resident withholding
- income of an independent contractor working under a labour hire arrangement
- income from the following specified payments
- payment for tutorial services provided under the Indigenous Student Success Programme (formerly known as the Indigenous Tutorial Assistance Scheme of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet) and managed by the Department of Education from 1 July 2025
- payment for translation and interpretation services provided for the Translating and Interpreting Service National of the Department of Home Affairs
- income as a performing artist in a promotional activity
- any other business income
- the small business income tax offset (see, Part D).
A specified payment is a payment specified in tax law for PAYG withholding purposes.
If you didn't derive income or incur a loss from any business in 2025–26, go to question 16 Deferred non-commercial business losses 2026.
Don't include at this question
Don't show at this question:
- Personal services income (PSI) you include at question 14 Personal services income 2026.
- Foreign source business income you include at question 20 Foreign source income and foreign assets or property 2026.
- credit for amounts withheld from business because of the foreign resident capital gains withholding rules – show the amounts of credit at question 18 Capital gains 2026.
What you need to answer this question
You'll need to complete a Business and professional items schedule 2026 to lodge with your tax return, see Business and professional items schedule instructions 2026.
You must show your net income or loss (that is, gross business income less business deductions) at question 15:
- label B for primary production
- label C for non-primary production.
You carry on a primary production business if you carry on a business undertaking:
- plant or animal cultivation (or both)
- fishing or pearling (or both)
- tree farming or felling (or both).
These publications may help you to correctly complete question 15:
- Taxation Ruling TR 92/18 Income tax: bad debts
- Taxation Ruling TR 93/30 Income tax: deductions for home office expenses
- Taxation Ruling TR 96/7 Income tax: record keeping – section 262A – general principles
- Taxation Ruling TR 96/11 Income tax: record keeping – taxi industry – guidelines for recording taxi takings
- Taxation Ruling TR 97/11 Income tax: am I carrying on a business of primary production?
- Taxation Ruling TR 97/23 Income tax: deductions for repairs
- Taxation Ruling TR 2018/2 Income tax: record keeping and access – electronic records
- Information for primary producers 2026
- Guide to depreciating assets 2026
- Small business CGT concessions.
Completing your supplementary tax return
To complete this question, answer the following parts and steps.
Part A
To complete this question, follow the steps, you'll also need to read and complete the:
- Business and professional items schedule 2026
- Individual PAYG payment summary schedule.
Step 1
Complete the Business and professional items schedule, see Business and professional items schedule instructions 2026.
Step 2
If you received business income from which tax was withheld, complete the Individual PAYG payment summary schedule.
For help completing the schedule, see Individual PAYG payment summary schedule and instructions.
Part B
Did you derive income or incurred a loss from a primary production business?
No – Go to Part C.
- Yes – Follow the steps.
Step 1
Transfer your net income or loss from a primary production business you showed at P8 Business income and expenses – label Y in the Business and professional items schedule 2026 to question 15 – label B in your supplementary tax return. Don't show cents.
Step 2
If you made a loss, print L in the LOSS box at question 15 – label B.
Step 3
If you made a loss from one or more business activities, make sure you complete P3 Number of business activities and P9 Business loss activity details in the Business and professional items schedule 2026.
Part C
Did you derive income or incurred a loss from any non-primary production business?
- No – Go to Part D.
- Yes – Follow the steps below.
Step 1
Transfer your net income or loss from a non-primary production business you showed at P8 Business income and expenses – label Z in the Business and professional items schedule 2026 to question 15 – label C in your supplementary tax return. Don't show cents.
Step 2
If you made a loss, print L in the LOSS box at question 15 – label C.
Step 3
If you made a loss from one or more business activities, make sure you complete P3 Number of business activities and P9 Business loss activity details in the Business and professional items schedule 2026.
If you carried on a business as a special professional (for example, an artist or sportsperson) you must also write the amount of income from these business activities at question 24 Other income 2026 – label Z. You won't pay tax twice on this income.
Part D
Are you a small business entity?
- No – Go to Part E.
- Yes – Follow the steps.
You may be entitled to the small business income tax offset of up to $1,000. We'll use the information you provide here to work out the amount of your tax offset. Don’t include the amount you showed at this question in your income.
To answer Part D, you need to work out your net small business income, which is your assessable income from carrying on your business less your deductions to the extent that they're attributable to that assessable income.
Don't show at Part D:
- PSI you include at question 14 Personal services income 2026
- salary, wages or director's fees
- dividend income of directors
- dividend and interest income, unless you derived it from carrying on the business activity and you showed an amount at question 15 Net income or loss from business 2026
- partnership share of net small business income less deductions attributable to that share you showed at question 13 – label D
- trust share of net small business income less deductions attributable to that share you showed at question 13 – label E.
If you have net small business income from P8 Business income and expenses in the Business and professional items schedule 2026 you complete, go to step 1.
If your only income or loss from carrying on a business as a small business entity is at question 20 – label M.
Use our Small business income tax offset calculator to work out your net small business income.
Step 1
If you have net small business income from P8 Business income and expenses in the Business and professional items schedule 2026, show it at question 15 Net small business income – label A in your supplementary tax return, then go to Part E.
Step 2
If your only income or loss from carrying on a business as a small business entity is at question 20 – label M, show the result of the Small business income tax offset calculator at question 15 Net small business income – label A in your supplementary tax return.
Part E
In your calculation of total business income in the Business and professional items schedule 2026, did you include income from which an amount of tax was withheld at Income in P8 Business income and expenses – labels B, C, D, E, F, N or O?
- No – Go to Checks before moving to the next question.
- Yes – Follow the steps.
Step 1
Did you have any amounts of tax withheld under a PAYG voluntary agreement?
- No – Go to Step 2.
- Yes – Read on.
Add up all the amounts on your Individual PAYG payment summary schedule at the Tax withheld boxes with a V in the Type box.
These amounts must correspond with the Gross payments you showed at P8 Business income and expenses – labels E and F in the Business and professional items schedule 2026. Show this total not including cents at question 15 Net small business income – label D in your supplementary tax return.
Step 2
Did you have any amounts of tax withheld because you didn't quote your ABN?
- No – Go to Step 3.
- Yes – Read on.
Add up all the amounts on your Individual PAYG payment summary schedule at the Tax withheld boxes with a N in the Type box.
These amounts must correspond with the Gross payments you showed at P8 Business income and expenses – labels C and D in the Business and professional items schedule 2026. Show this total including cents at question 15 Net small business income – label W in your supplementary tax return.
Step 3
Are you a foreign resident and have any amounts of tax withheld because your income is subject to foreign resident withholding?
- No – Go to Step 4.
- Yes – Read on.
Add up all the amounts on your Individual PAYG payment summary schedule at the Tax withheld boxes with an F in the Type box.
These amounts must correspond with the Gross payments you showed at P8 Business income and expenses – label B in the Business and professional items schedule 2026. Show this amount including cents at question 15 Net small business income – label E in your supplementary tax return.
Don't include credits for amounts withheld as a result of the foreign resident capital gains withholding rules at question 15 Net small business income – label E.
Step 4
Did you have any amounts of tax withheld because you either received income:
- working under a labour hire arrangement
- from a specified payment?
If you answered:
- No – Go to Checks before moving to the next question.
- Yes – Read on.
Add up all the amounts on your Individual PAYG payment summary schedule at the Tax withheld boxes with an S in the Type box.
These amounts must correspond with the Gross payments you showed at P8 Business income and expenses – labels N and O in the Business and professional items schedule 2026. Show this amount not including cents at question 15 Net small business income – label F in your supplementary tax return.
Checks before moving to the next question
Check that you:
- completed the Business and professional items schedule 2026, and read Business and professional items schedule instructions 2026
- transferred the amounts from P8 Business income and expenses – labels Y and Z in the Business and professional items schedule 2026 to question 15 Net small business income – labels B and C in your supplementary tax return (if these amounts are losses check that you have printed L in the Loss boxes at labels B and C)
- complete question 15 – label A if you're a small business entity.
If you received business income from which tax is withheld, check you:
- completed the Individual PAYG payment summary schedule and attached it to your tax return
- wrote the amounts at question 15 – labels D, W, E and F, if required
- don't include the foreign resident capital gains withholding credit at question 15 – label E.
Where to go next
- Go to question 16 Deferred non-commercial business losses 2026.
- Return to main menu Individual supplementary tax return instructions 2026.
- Go back to question 14 Personal services income 2026.