First off, I've tried calling the ATO every day at various times for a week, and never even managed to get put on hold, I just get the "we're all busy" message. It's incredibly frustrating when all you need is a 5 second yes/no answer and there is absolutely no way of getting hold of anyone in the ATO. If you're experiencing "peak demand" at 8:05 on a Wednesday months away from tax season, YOU DO NOT HAVE ENOUGH STAFF IN YOUR CALL CENTER!
Anyway, putting that to one side for now, hopefully someone here may know the answer to my question:
I am registered as a sole trader with an ABN. I work entirely for overseas clients, and no GST applies - having looked into the guidance I am very confident I understand all the rules and do not need to charge GST.
As a result, although my total income is over the GST threshold, my "GST Turnover" is under it - zero, in fact. I *believe* this means I do not need to register for GST, but I cannot find any rule that states this for certain.
I'm trying to get confirmation now so that if I do need to register, I don't find out when I lodge my tax return, and get fined, or, even worse, have to call a number which is always busy in order to discuss it.