POPULAR WORDS

The Business Activity Statement (BAS) due on Sunday, February 4, represents the last chance for businesses to claim back any wholesale sales tax credits for stock on hand at July 1, 2000. Tax Commissioner Michael Carmody issued the reminder and says his officers are still available to help businesses complete the BAS. "We have received very good feedback from the 360,000 businesses we have already assisted with people consistently saying one-on-one help is the way to go," Carmody says. While the deadline for the BAS is Sunday, he says the ATO will take a common sense approach to forms arriving in the mail on Monday. However, the February 4 midnight deadline for electronic lodgers remains. An analysis of the 250,000 BASs already lodged for the second quarter shows primary producers, people in the construction industry, those in the property and business services industry and those in the recreational and personal services sector are among those lodging early. The ATO expects around 1.7 million quarterly BASs.