The BAS worksheet in ReconLink is generated from the same underlying dataset that drives the reconciliation — every coded transaction in the selected period contributes to the worksheet output. The worksheet does not produce a lodgeable BAS document independently; it produces the figures that the practice or tax agent transfers into the ATO's Business Portal or the client's SBR-enabled accounting package for lodgement.
How the BAS Worksheet Aggregates Coded Transactions
When a bookkeeper selects a BAS period in ReconLink and opens the BAS worksheet, the system queries all transactions for the nominated bank accounts that fall within the period, applies the GST code assigned to each transaction, and maps them to the relevant BAS labels.
The mapping logic is as follows. Every transaction carries one of five GST codes: GST (standard-rated taxable supply or acquisition), FRE (GST-free), INP (input-taxed), N-T (not reportable — outside the GST system), or CAP (capital acquisition). The worksheet groups transactions by these codes and maps them to BAS labels using the logic described in the following section.
Transactions that have not been assigned a GST code appear in a separate "unallocated" row at the top of the worksheet. The bookkeeper must resolve all unallocated transactions before the worksheet figures are reliable. A worksheet generated with significant unallocated balances will understate both the income and acquisition totals.
GST Code to BAS Label Mapping
Understanding the mapping between ReconLink's coding framework and the BAS label structure is essential for pre-lodgement review.
GST-coded transactions (taxable):
- GST-coded income transactions flow to G1 (total sales) and 1A (GST on sales). The GST component is 1/11th of the transaction amount.
- GST-coded expense transactions flow to G11 (other acquisitions), with the ITC component flowing to 1B (GST on acquisitions).
FRE-coded transactions (GST-free):
- FRE income transactions flow to G1 (included in total sales) and to G2 (export sales) if they are documented exports, but do not contribute to 1A — no GST is collected.
- FRE acquisition transactions flow to G11 (or G10 if capital) but do not generate an ITC in 1B — there is no GST to claim back on a GST-free acquisition.
CAP-coded transactions (capital acquisitions):
- CAP acquisitions flow to G10 (capital acquisitions) and to 1B for the ITC component. This separation matters for businesses subject to the capital acquisitions test under the GST annual apportionment rules.
INP-coded transactions (input-taxed):
- INP income transactions (e.g., bank interest, residential rent received) flow to G1 as total sales but do not contribute to 1A — input-taxed supplies are not subject to GST.
- INP acquisition transactions do not generate ITCs and do not flow to 1B. This is the mechanism by which financial institutions and residential property investors are denied ITCs on their input-taxed acquisitions.
N-T coded transactions:
- N-T items (wages, PAYG tax payments, ATO SGC payments, loan repayments, inter-entity transfers) do not appear in any BAS label. They are excluded from the worksheet entirely.
Five-Point Pre-Lodgement Review
Before transferring worksheet figures to the BAS portal, the bookkeeper should complete a structured five-point review.
1. G1 vs. bank statement total: G1 (total sales) should not equal the total credits on the bank statement. Bank credits include non-supply items — loan drawdowns, inter-company transfers, GST refunds from the ATO, and superannuation refunds — that are correctly coded N-T and excluded from G1. If G1 equals the total bank deposits for the period, it is a strong indicator that N-T items have been miscoded as income.
2. 1A arithmetic check: 1A should equal G1 × (1/11) if all sales are taxable. In practice, most businesses have a mix of taxable (GST) and non-taxable (FRE, INP) sales. The worksheet shows the split. The reviewer should confirm that 1A ÷ G1 produces a ratio that is plausible given the business's known supply mix. An unexpected ratio signals a miscoding.
3. 1B consistency with known expenses: 1B should reflect the GST embedded in creditable acquisitions for the period. The bookkeeper should cross-reference 1B against the volume of supplier invoices processed. A 1B amount that is unusually low relative to the expense volume may indicate that expenses have been coded N-T (no ITC) when they should have been coded GST or CAP.
4. Category breakdown anomalies: ReconLink's worksheet includes a breakdown of G1 and G11 by transaction category (operating expenses, capital, wages, etc.). Anomalies in category totals — for example, wages appearing in G11 rather than being excluded — indicate miscoding that should be corrected before lodgement.
5. Bank reconciliation closure: The period covered by the BAS worksheet must be fully reconciled before the worksheet is finalised. An open reconciliation means transactions may be missing or duplicated. The closing reconciled balance for each account should match the closing balance on the bank statement for the last day of the BAS period.
Exporting the Worksheet
ReconLink supports export of the BAS worksheet in two formats: Excel and PDF. The Excel export retains the full category breakdown with transaction-level detail, preserving the audit trail from BAS label back to individual transactions. The PDF export is a summary view suitable for client sign-off or storage in the client's compliance file.
The Excel export is the preferred format for the bookkeeper's own review and for the tax agent's sign-off process. The ability to drill into the transactions underlying each BAS label is essential for substantiating the figures if the ATO raises a query. A PDF-only record of the BAS worksheet does not support that level of review.
Annual vs. Quarterly BAS Periods
ReconLink handles both quarterly and annual BAS reporting frequencies. For clients on annual reporting (generally available to businesses with GST turnover under $75,000 that elect to report annually, and to businesses using the simplified tax system), the BAS period covers the full income year from 1 July to 30 June. The annual BAS due date is 28 October.
For quarterly reporters, ReconLink's period selector shows the four standard ATO quarter periods: Q1 (July–September, due 28 October), Q2 (October–December, due 28 February), Q3 (January–March, due 28 April), Q4 (April–June, due 28 July). For practices lodging through a registered BAS or tax agent, the extended due dates under the agent lodgement program apply.
The bookkeeper should confirm the client's lodgement frequency and due date before generating the worksheet. Generating a quarterly worksheet for an annual reporter, or vice versa, will produce incorrect period totals and may miss transactions or double-count them if period boundaries are misaligned.