Profit & GST
How to Work Out Your Real Profit After Shipping and GST
How to calculate profit margin with GST in Australia: a simple formula, a worked example, and the hidden costs that eat into every online sale.
Read guideA practical field guide for Australian retailers
Start and run a profitable online store in Australia.
Work out what a sale really leaves you, understand the running costs, and choose tools that fit the business you’re building.
THE WORKING LEDGERAU · AUD
01 / Know your margin
02 / Understand the costs
03 / Pick useful tools
Clear assumptions. Useful numbers. No promises of earnings.
01 / Check the numbers
A quick check before the full calculation.
Enter a selling price, product cost and shipping cost. This first-pass figure excludes GST, fees, packaging and advertising.
First-pass profit per sale—Enter a price and product cost to begin.
Open the full calculator 02 / Read the field notes
Guides for the decisions that matter.
Costs
How Much Does It Cost to Start an Online Store in Australia?
How much does it cost to start an online store in Australia? A simple AUD breakdown of startup and monthly costs, from ABN to first stock order.
Read guideSoftware
Shopify vs WooCommerce in Australia: What It Really Costs (2026)
Shopify vs WooCommerce in Australia: real year-one costs in AUD, fees, apps and time, plus which one suits your store. Plain-English, no fluff.
Read guide03 / The tool shelf
Recommended tools, plainly explained.
Some links below are affiliate links. We may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Shopify
All-in-one hosted store builder with checkout, payments and themes built in.
Hostinger (WooCommerce hosting)
Budget-friendly managed WordPress hosting that suits a small WooCommerce store.
Xero
Cloud accounting with BAS, GST tracking, bank feeds and inventory basics.
Semrush
SEO toolkit for keyword research, competitor analysis and site audits.
Jobber
Quoting, scheduling, invoicing and payments for service-based businesses.
A note from the founder
Built around the questions I had while running a store.
I’ve run an online store using WooCommerce and learned that the everyday details matter: getting found through SEO, paying for shipping, and keeping stock under control. This toolkit brings those practical questions into one place so you can check your own numbers and make informed choices.
Your costs and circumstances will differ. Treat the calculator and guides as starting points, not financial advice.