Types of activities in the sharing economy

About the sharing economy

If you provide services or assets for a fee through the sharing economy, income tax and GST applies to your earnings.

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 Popular sharing economy activities include:

• providing ride-sourcing (also known as ride-sharing) services for a fare through platforms such as Uber, DiDi, Shebah or GoCatch
• renting out a room or house or unit on a short-term basis through platforms such as Airbnb, HomeAway or Flipkey
• sharing assets through platforms such as Camplify, Uber Carshare, Turo, Spacer, Toolmates or Quipmo, including
  • cars
  • caravans or RVs
  • car parking spaces
  • storage space
  • personal belongings
   
• providing creative or professional services through platforms such as OneFlare, Mad Paws or Airtasker, including
  • graphic design
  • creating websites
  • odd jobs like deliveries and furniture assembly.
   

This is also known as the ‘gig economy’.

Activities not part of the sharing economy

Some activities aren't considered part of the sharing economy, such as:

• online selling or classifieds, for example, Gumtree, eBay or Carsales
• cryptocurrency exchanges
• peer-to-peer finance or crowdfunding.

However, you still need to consider how income tax, GST and other obligations may apply to you if you earn income from these other activities.

Get help with your tax affairs

If you need more help with your tax affairs, you can always speak to a registered tax or BAS agentExternal Link.

For more information on the sharing economy and tax see:

• Superannuation and the sharing economy
• Preparing for a potential tax bill
• Data matching
• Sharing Economy Reporting Regime

Work out what activities are part of the sharing economy and how income tax and GST applies.