A sole trader in Australia must register for GST if their annual business turnover (gross income minus GST) is $75,000 or more, or if they operate a taxi/ride-share service. If turnover is below $75,000, registration is optional, but it allows claiming GST credits on business purchases.
Sole traders and businesses who estimate they'll make $75,000 or more in business income in any given 12-month period have to register for GST. Sole traders in certain industries, like limo and taxi drivers, have to register for GST regardless of income.
Indian freelancers must pay GST when their turnover exceeds INR 20 lakhs/INR 10 lakhs in special category states) in a financial year. If a freelancer who doesn't exceed the specified turnover voluntarily registers under GST, they are also obligated to pay and collect GST and file returns on time.
As a sole proprietor, you may be required to register for the goods and services tax/harmonized sales tax (GST/HST) if you provide taxable supplies in Canada.
As of now, businesses with a turnover below Rs. 40 lakh (Rs. 20 lakh for special category states) are generally exempt from GST registration and compliance. This threshold helps reduce the burden on small businesses, though they can voluntarily opt for GST registration if desired.
But persons who are engaged exclusively in the business of supplying goods or services or both that are not liable to tax or wholly exempt from tax or an agriculturist, to the extent of supply of produce out of cultivation of land are not liable to register under GST.
The credit is designed to assist Canadians with low-to-moderate incomes. Single individuals making $52,255 or more (before tax) are not entitled to the credit. A married couple with four children cannot exceed an annual net income of $69,015.
If your GST turnover is below the $75,000 threshold, you may choose to register. But if you do, regardless of your turnover, you must: include GST in the price of most goods and services you sell. claim GST credits for most business purchases you make.
Being a sole trader and being self-employed are basically the same thing. As a sole trader, you run your business as a self-employed person. It is your responsibility to manage the success of your business. All sole traders are self-employed.
Answer: If turnover of the entity is less than the limit of Rs. 20 lakhs in a financial year, no tax would be payable. The exemption from payment of tax is applicable to services provided to a business entity having a turnover up to Rs. 20 lakh rupees.
Businesses are required to register for GST and pay tax on their annual turnover if their annual revenue exceeds Rs. 40 lakhs in the case of goods supplied and Rs. 20 lakhs for the supply of services.
Under the law, all businesses under a sole proprietor's name are considered as a single entity. This means a sole proprietor is liable to register for GST if the total taxable turnover of all his businesses and income from all his trade and professions exceeds $1 million per annum.
GST/HST obligations
Generally, if you earn more than $30,000 over four calendar quarters by supplying taxable goods or services, you have to register for, collect, and remit (send) the related goods and services tax / harmonized sales tax (GST/HST) to the Canada Revenue Agency.
You have to start charging GST/HST on the supply that made you exceed $30,000. You exceed the $30,000 threshold 1 over the previous four (or fewer) consecutive calendar quarters (but not in a single calendar quarter).
But common practice is to include:
There are five potential disadvantages that come with being a sole trader:
If you own a business as sole trader then you should call yourself the owner. People may be tempted into giving themselves titles which overrate their position, but this is a big mistake.
Personal Allowance
This is the amount that you can earn tax-free. The Personal Allowance for self-employed people in 2025/26 is the same as it was in the last tax year – you will only pay tax on anything above the £12,570 Personal Allowance threshold.
As a sole proprietor, you can take money out of your business to pay yourself any time you want. The profits your company earns is your pay. Profit is what's left over from your revenue after subtracting expenses.
If you don't register for GST and are required to, you may have to pay GST on sales made since the date you were required to register. This could happen even if you didn't include GST in the price of those sales. You may also have to pay penalties and interest.
To qualify for the GST/HST credit, your adjusted net family income must be below a certain threshold, which for the 2024 tax year ranges from $56,181 to $74,201, depending on your marital status and how many children you have.
For Goods Suppliers: Businesses involved in the supply of goods must register for GST if their annual turnover exceeds Rs. 40 lakhs. For Service Providers: For those providing services, the registration threshold is Rs. 20 lakhs in annual turnover.
If you don't register before your sales hit $30,000, the CRA may require you to remit GST/HST that you should have charged out of your own pocket, even if you didn't collect it from customers.
In conclusion, the minimum GST registration limit for mandatory GST registration in India is Rs. 40 lakh for most businesses, with a lower threshold limit for GST registration of Rs. 10 lakh applicable in special category states.
Common Examples of GST Exempt Transactions:
Financial services – Most banking services, interest payments, and insurance premiums. Residential rent – Rental income from residential properties. Donated goods and services – Items or services that are given away without payment.