April, July, October, January. 4 random months that on their own don’t mean much right? WRONG! These 4 months are gold if you run a business and are forever chasing customers for payment. Yes that’s correct- I am talking about your BAS. That pesky admin job you have to do every quarter to keep the ATO happy and the taxman off your back. Having to do your BAS however is one of the best ways to get paid, and this is how- tell your customer you can’t do your BAS until they pay as you need to pay the ATO the GST portion of their invoice. If you aren’t registered for GST, tell your customer paying your invoice will allow them to claim the expense when doing their BAS, and allow them to claim the GST credit themselves. This strategy works, every single time- 1. Suddenly there is a new entity in the mix who is relying on your customer paying- the ATO. and 2. You are helping your customer, a never-fail way to get your money. Failing all this, and if you are still unsure of how to convey this to your customer, use this email template:
Good afternoon/morning,
I write regarding the above-mentioned invoice/s (invoice numbers in subject line) which remain outstanding in the amount of ($debt amount). As you are no doubt aware, this quarter’s BAS is due for most businesses and I am about to lodge our own but until you pay these invoices, I can’t. Can you please make payment today, so I can lodge our BAS and you can get a credit from the ATO for this expense. If you cannot afford to pay the whole amount today, please just pay 10% (the GST amount) so we can work together and ensure the ATO are happy. Many thanks
Cheers