Sharing Economy Reporting Regime (SERR) for residents of Australia

Preamble

Australia’s Sharing Economy Reporting Regime (SERR) requires electronic distribution platforms (EDPs) to collect and report information about certain services connected with Australia.

Under SERR, Starcling LLC — the operator of SubscribeStar platforms — qualifies as an EDP operator because it enables creators (“Stars”) to offer and deliver digital content or services and receive payment through the Platform.

The Platform must collect specific identification and payout data from Stars and report it twice a year to the Australian Taxation Office (ATO).

Sales of physical goods are not subject to reporting under SERR

What is SERR?

The Sharing Economy Reporting Regime (SERR) is a third‑party reporting regime in Australia that requires EDP operators to report supplies made through their platforms that are connected with Australia.

SERR commenced on 1 July 2024 for all reportable transactions relevant to SubscribeStar, including digital content creation, custom commissions, and other creator services connected with Australia.

What type of transactions are reportable?

Reportable: Services connected with Australia supplied through the Platform.

EXAMPLES: Custom or commissioned digital content made to order; Paid 1:1 voice, video, or text sessions; Creator subscriptions that include personal engagement or exclusive commissioned content; A transaction is reportable from the first dollar; there is no threshold for services.

Not reportable:

• Sale of physical goods (SERR excludes sales; only hiring of assets is in scope).
• Non-custom, pre-recorded digital content offered broadly to anyone.

If such content is bundled with a made-to-order service and that service is the primary component, the entire bundle is treated as a service and becomes reportable.

What we collect from you

To meet SERR data standards, we may ask you to provide and keep current:

For individuals

• Legal name
• Date of birth
• Primary address & country of residence
• At least one payout account identifier (see below)

Entities

• Registered business name
• Business Number (ABN) – if none, foreign TIN + issuing country
• Registered office address & country of residence
• At least one payout account identifier

Examples of payout account identifiers:

1. Domestic bank – BSB + account number.
2. International bank – SWIFT/BIC + account number.
3. Online payment account – provider name + account ID (for example, PayPal Merchant ID or Stripe account ID).

We may also ask for a contact email and phone number for verification or support communication.

We don’t collect or report TFNs under SERR. For non‑Australian entities without an ABN, a foreign TIN and country code may be required.

What we report

For each in-scope creator, we lodge a SERR report that includes:

Seller identification

• Seller identification (name, address, country of residence, ABN or foreign TIN).
• Financial Account Reference (payout account identifier).
• Quarterly totals of activity within each half-year (number of transactions, total gross consideration in AUD).
• Any platform fees or commissions (GST-inclusive) shown separately.
• Refunds or cancellations reducing the relevant period’s gross amount (if they relate to a prior year, an amended return may be filed).
• Period start/end dates and classification.

All amounts are reported in AUD; foreign currency and crypto payments are converted to AUD at fair market value on the payment date.

Deadlines & timeline

Reporting periods:

• January 1 – June 30 → due July 31
• July 1 – December 31 → due January 31

What you need to do

1. Complete your profile with the SERR fields we request (name, DOB, address, email, phone, ABN if you have one, and at least one financial identifier). You can do this in just a few minutes using our short Australia-specific Tax Wizard (log in to your account first).
2. Keep details current, especially address and payout account(s). (We may ask for updates so the SERR file validates.)
3. Classify your work accurately when we ask (for example, Service → Content creation or Subscription).
4. Check your totals. SERR totals are quarterly and in AUD, with GST‑inclusive gross and fees/commissions fields where relevant.

Non-Compliance: Creator liability & enforcement

SERR is a mandatory reporting regime for platforms. In short, we report the information we have about you to the ATO. To comply, we must collect the required seller and payout details.

Your duty: Provide complete, accurate, and current tax/payout information and respond promptly to our requests (within 7 days).

Platform remedies: We may pause payouts or features until corrected; deduct or recover related costs from future payouts or charge the payment method on file.

Liability: While ATO penalties apply to the Platform, you’re responsible for costs or losses caused by missing or false data.

Survival: Obligations remain after account closure; we may amend filings if your late or inaccurate information requires it.

To submit the required data, use the our Australia-specific Tax Wizard (log in to your account first).

Privacy & record‑keeping

The ATO is authorised to collect SERR data from EDPs. Reporting personal information under SERR does not breach privacy law.

We store your information securely, use it only to comply with ATO reporting obligations, and retain related records for at least 5 years after the end of the relevant period (longer if required for audit or investigation).

FAQ

Does SERR change my taxes?

No. SERR is an information‑reporting regime for platforms. You must still report your income and meet any GST/ABN obligations that apply to you under Australian law. (See ATO guidance for your circumstances.)

Do I have to give bank or payout details?

Yes. SERR requires at least one financial identifier per seller record (domestic bank, international bank, or an online account such as a payment service). We report the account reference used to pay you so the ATO can match transactions.

What periods are reported?

SERR uses two half‑year lodgments, but within each lodgment, amounts are organised by quarters ( July – September, October – December, January – March, April – June).

Are sales of physical goods on a marketplace included?

No—SERR focuses on services and asset‑hire; the sale of physical goods is not covered.

What if multiple platforms are involved?

If another EDP pays the supplier, our reporting may be exempt (to avoid double reporting), subject to conditions and a notification to the ATO.

Legal notice

This page is general information, not tax or legal advice. For advice about your situation, consult a qualified Australian tax professional and the ATO materials linked above.