Deliver Care
Becoming an Independent Contractor
As a support worker on CareVicinity you are an independent contractor who can be identified as a sole trader with your very own business, you only use CareVicinity to engage and connect with clientele. This means you will need to properly register as an Australian business and plan for things like tax and superannuation payments.
Registering your own business
As an independent support worker, you need an Australian business number or ABN to solidify yourself as a sole trader or sole business owner. This is an 11-digit unique identification number which verifies your business to the community and Australian government.
You can apply for an ABN with the Australian business register here.
For more information visit about ABN’s and the sole trader business structure, visit: Register for an ABN and Sole Trader.
Registering your business for GST: It is important when setting up your own business to understand goods and services tax (GST) and whether or not your business is entitled to pay this tax.
Things to keep in mind
Goods & services tax (GST)
Most goods and services sold and provided in Australia are subject to a 10% tax called GST. Not all businesses are required to pay GST but those that are required must register and record this tax properly or penalties and fines may be applied by the ATO. For more information, please visit the ATO website here to see if your business is required to register.
How to charge GST on CareVicinity
CareVicinity’s seamless invoicing technology, means that when you register for our platform, we will cross reference your ABN against your GST registration status.
If you are registered for GST, we will automatically ad a 10% charge to your invoices for your clients to pay.
Tax responsibilities
It is important to understand that running your own business means you are liable for paying income tax and lodging regular business activity statements (BAS) for GST payments. You may need to keep a portion of your earnings aside for these payments.
CareVicinity is not responsible for managing your business's income tax or GST obligations. It is the responsibility of support workers to ensure they comply with their own tax reporting and payment requirements, including GST registration and income tax, as per Australian tax laws.
Superannuation (Super)
As an independent contractor, you are responsible for your own superannuation. You may want to set up regular contributions to your super fund, as you won’t have an employer doing this for you.
You don’t have to pay yourself super guarantee as a sole trader
The statutory super rate Is 11.5% of earnings. To find out more about super visit: Super for sole traders and partnerships
