Skip to navigation Skip to content

Factors to determine self-employment 043-03030000

Expand/Collapse all sectionsExpand all


Decision Support Tool (DST) questions

The DST is an optional tool to help staff work out if a customer is self-employed or an employee. Customers do not complete the DST.

It uses questions to help staff weigh up all the facts and decide each case on its own merit. It can be used to provide a written history of staff decisions.

It is included in the Self-Employment workflow in Process Direct.

DST questions

Table 1: This table contains the questions asked on the DST. The questions help Service Officers to work out if a customer is an employee or self-employed.

Item

Assessment questions to determine if a customer is an employee or in business

Customer response

(circle as appropriate)

1

Do you make decisions about what work you do, where and how you do the work, and can you choose your own working hours?

Yes/No

2

Do you provide most or all of the tools, supplies or materials needed to do the work?

Yes/No

3

Are you responsible for any losses or damages resulting from the work?

Yes/No

4

Can you decide what to do with any profit received from the work?

Yes/No

5

Do you have a contract for service, where you are paid to produce a result?

Yes/No

If all of the above questions were answered 'Yes' then the customer is more likely to be self -employed.

Otherwise continue with the next lot of questions.

Item

Assessment questions to determine if a customer is an employee or in business

Customer response

(Circle as appropriate)

6

Do you have individual contracts with more than one person or business?

Yes/No

7

Do you lodge a Business Activity Statement (BAS)?

Yes/No

8

Do you advertise or market your business?

Yes/No

9

Do you have other people working for you?

Yes/No

If 6 or more of the above questions were answered 'Yes' then the customer is more likely to be self-employed.

Other supporting evidence: for example, does not receive payslips, does not receive a group certificate, has an ABN.

User guides

\\INTERNAL.DEPT.LOCAL\Shared\NAT\SERDELEXCEL\WORKPRODIMP\Operation Blueprint Migration\RDT Release Icons\32w\icon-attachment.pngSelf Employed Decision Support Tool

Use this printable version to record individual results. It can be kept on the customer's file.

Websites

Australian Taxation Office - Are you in business?