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Tax & government

The essentials — ABN, GST, BAS, myGov and more

Australian Taxation Office (ATO)National

Lodge your BAS, manage GST, PAYG instalments, tax returns, and super obligations. Your single most important government link.

ato.gov.au

myGovNational

Access the ATO, Medicare, Centrelink and other government services from one account. Link to the ATO to lodge returns online.

my.gov.au

Australian Business Register — ABNNational

Register or look up an ABN. Free, done online. You need one before you can legally invoice clients or register for GST.

abr.business.gov.au

ABLIS — Licence FinderNational

Australian Business Licence and Information Service. Enter your trade and location to find every licence and permit you need.

ablis.business.gov.au

business.gov.auNational

Government's official small business portal — grants, registrations, planning tools and industry guides all in one place.

business.gov.au

ASIC — Company RegisterNational

Search any Australian company, register a business name, or check if a contractor is operating a legitimate registered entity.

connectonline.asic.gov.au

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Licensing & registration bodies

Australia is state-based — find the right body for where you work

QBCC — Queensland Building & Construction CommissionQLD

Licences for builders, trade contractors, plumbers and more in Queensland. Lowest licensing threshold in Australia — $3,300.

qbcc.qld.gov.au

NSW Fair Trading — Trade LicensingNSW

Licensing for builders, electricians, plumbers and all licensed trades in NSW. Also handles complaints and disputes.

fairtrading.nsw.gov.au

VBA — Victorian Building AuthorityVIC

Registration for builders and plumbers in Victoria. Transitioning to the Building and Plumbing Commission from 1 July 2025.

vba.vic.gov.au

Energy Safe Victoria — ElectriciansVIC

Electrical licence register and licensing information for electricians and electrical contractors operating in Victoria.

energysafe.vic.gov.au

WA Building and EnergyWA

Licensing for builders, electricians, plumbers, painters, gas fitters and other trades in Western Australia.

demirs.wa.gov.au

CBS South Australia — Trade LicensingSA

Consumer and Business Services SA handles building and trade contractor licensing across all regulated trades in South Australia.

cbs.sa.gov.au

Access Canberra — Construction LicencesACT

Licences for builders, electricians, plumbers and gasfitters working in the ACT. Phone: 13 22 81.

accesscanberra.act.gov.au

CBOS — Consumer, Building & Occupational Services (TAS)TAS

Tasmania's licensing body for builders, plumbers, electricians and other building occupations.

cbos.tas.gov.au

NT Licensing — Building & ConstructionNT

Licensing for building, electrical and plumbing practitioners working in the Northern Territory.

nt.gov.au

ARC — Australian Refrigeration CouncilNational

Refrigerant Handling Licence (RHL) registration — mandatory for anyone working with refrigerants including HVAC and aircon work.

arc.com.au

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Work health & safety

WHS obligations, incident reporting and safety guides

Safe Work AustraliaNational

National WHS policy and guidance. Codes of practice, model legislation, and safety data sheets for all industries.

safeworkaustralia.gov.au

SafeWork NSWNSW

WHS regulator for NSW. Report incidents, check safety requirements for construction, height work, asbestos and more.

safework.nsw.gov.au

WorkSafe VictoriaVIC

Victoria's WHS regulator and workers compensation insurer. Incident reporting, safety compliance and injury management.

worksafe.vic.gov.au

WorkSafe QueenslandQLD

Queensland WHS regulator — licensing, safety laws, incident notifications and construction industry guides.

worksafe.qld.gov.au

WorkSafe WAWA

Western Australia's WHS regulator. Safety laws, incident reporting, and compliance for all WA workplaces.

commerce.wa.gov.au/worksafe

SafeWork SASA

South Australia's WHS regulator. Codes of practice, incident reporting, and construction safety compliance.

safework.sa.gov.au

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Workers compensation

Mandatory if you have employees — each state runs its own scheme

icare NSWNSW

Insurance and Care NSW — register for workers comp insurance, manage claims and return-to-work programs for NSW employers.

icare.nsw.gov.au

WorkSafe Victoria — InsuranceVIC

WorkSafe is both the WHS regulator and workers comp insurer in Victoria. Register online before hiring your first employee.

worksafe.vic.gov.au

WorkCover QueenslandQLD

Queensland's workers compensation insurer. Mandatory cover for all QLD employers. Also covers apprentices and trainees.

workcover.qld.gov.au

WorkCover WAWA

Regulates workers comp in WA. Cover must be arranged through a licensed insurer — WorkCover WA oversees the scheme.

workcover.wa.gov.au

ReturnToWork SASA

South Australia's workers compensation scheme. Register as an employer and manage injury claims and return-to-work plans.

rtwsa.com

WorkSafe TasmaniaTAS

Tasmania's workers comp and WHS regulator. All TAS employers must hold workers comp — fines apply for non-compliance.

worksafe.tas.gov.au

WorkSafe ACTACT

ACT's combined WHS regulator and workers comp oversight body. All ACT employers must hold cover through an approved insurer.

worksafe.act.gov.au

NT WorkSafeNT

Workers comp and WHS regulation for the Northern Territory. NT employers must insure through an approved insurer.

worksafe.nt.gov.au

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Insurance

Compare public liability, tools, income protection and more

BizCover — Tradie InsuranceNational

Specialist tradie insurer — compare public liability, tools, income protection and business insurance in under 5 minutes online.

bizcover.com.au

iSelect — Tradie InsuranceNational

Compare multiple insurers side by side for public liability, tools, income protection and commercial vehicle cover.

iselect.com.au

Compare the Market — TradesNational

Business insurance comparison for tradespeople — tools, public liability, portable equipment and more.

comparethemarket.com.au

Canstar — Tradie Income ProtectionNational

Compare income protection policies for tradies. Up to 75% of income covered if you can't work due to illness or injury.

canstar.com.au

Canstar — Public LiabilityNational

Compare public liability insurance — the non-negotiable cover for any tradie working on client properties.

canstar.com.au

Aon Trades InsuranceNational

Tailored insurance packages for individual trades — electricians, plumbers, builders, landscapers and more.

aon.com.au

Understand InsuranceNational

Insurance Council of Australia's consumer education site — explains what different policies cover in plain language.

understandinsurance.com.au

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Superannuation

Your super obligations as an employer or sole trader

ATO — Super for EmployersNational

The ATO's guide to super obligations as an employer — who to pay, how much (12% from July 2025), and when to pay it.

ato.gov.au

Cbus SuperNational

Industry super fund built for the construction and building trades. Most construction awards nominate Cbus as default fund.

cbussuper.com.au

AustralianSuperNational

Australia's largest super fund — open to all workers including self-employed tradies who want to make personal contributions.

australiansuper.com

ATO — Find Lost SuperNational

Billions in super sits unclaimed. Check via myGov if you've got lost or multiple super accounts from previous employers.

ato.gov.au

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Fair work & employment

Pay rates, award conditions and hiring obligations

Fair Work OmbudsmanNational

Pay rates, award entitlements, leave obligations and guidance on hiring employees or apprentices. Essential if you have staff.

fairwork.gov.au

Fair Work — Pay CalculatorNational

Calculate the minimum pay for any employee based on their award, age and classification. Avoid underpayment issues.

calculate.fairwork.gov.au

Fair Work — Apprentices & TraineesNational

Rights and obligations around hiring apprentices — wages, supervision requirements, training contracts and entitlements.

fairwork.gov.au

ATO — Employee vs ContractorNational

Get this wrong and it costs you. The ATO's official guide on determining whether a worker is an employee or a genuine contractor.

ato.gov.au

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Industry associations

Professional bodies, advocacy groups and industry networks

HIA — Housing Industry AssociationNational

Australia's largest residential building industry association. Contracts, training, legal advice and advocacy for builders.

hia.com.au

Master Builders AustraliaNational

Industry body for commercial and residential builders. Member contracts, dispute resolution and training resources.

masterbuilders.com.au

NECA — National Electrical & Communications AssociationNational

Peak body for electrical and communications contractors. Training, advocacy, contracts and business resources for sparkies.

neca.asn.au

Master Plumbers AustraliaNational

Industry association for plumbing businesses — training, contracts, advocacy and networking for plumbers across Australia.

masterplumbers.com.au

AIRAH — HVAC&R IndustryNational

Australian Institute of Refrigeration, Air Conditioning and Heating. Training, standards and advocacy for HVAC&R professionals.

airah.org.au

Master Builders VictoriaVIC

VIC-specific builder association — contracts, dispute resolution, training and industry representation for Victorian builders.

mbav.com.au

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Business tools & calculators

Practical online tools to run a tighter business

ATO Calculators & ToolsNational

Tax withheld, income tax, super guarantee, fuel tax credits and more — official ATO calculators for sole traders and businesses.

ato.gov.au

MoneySmart — ASICNational

ASIC's free financial guidance. Budget planners, insurance guides, super calculators and business financial health tools.

moneysmart.gov.au

ABN LookupNational

Instantly check if a subcontractor, supplier or client is a legitimate registered business. Essential before paying anyone.

abr.business.gov.au

Government Grants FinderNational

Search available government grants, subsidies and support programs for small businesses. Updated regularly.

business.gov.au

ATO — Asset Depreciation GuideNational

How to claim depreciation on vehicles, tools and equipment. Instant asset write-off rules and effective life schedules.

ato.gov.au

Small Business Development Corp (WA)WA

Free advisory services for small businesses in WA — business planning, dispute resolution and mentoring programs.

smallbusiness.wa.gov.au

Tradie Resources