What is a sole trader?

A sole trader is the simplest business structure. It is when an individual person is conducting business, and they themselves are the business structure, rather than a separate legal entity being the business.

There are a few things to consider when becoming a sole trader. By reading through the information below, you should have a good understanding of:

• Why we engage sole traders
• How to become a sole trader
• Things to consider as a sole trader
• What your responsibilities are as a sole trader

Why we engage sole traders

We engage sole traders for multiple reasons, but the biggest reason is flexibility and personalisation for our Members and Helpers.

As a sole trader, Helpers are able to choose:

• Their own pay rates
• How much they contribute to super
• Have tax savings and benefit from tax deductions
• Have flexible working and rostering conditions
• Are not limited by Awards, Fairwork, or the Ombudsmen

Members also benefit from having sole traders as Helpers as:

• They can negotiate rates directly with Helpers
• They can organise shifts based on their needs, rather than according to Fairwork or Award limitations (if Helpers agree)
• They can have more control about the support they receive and have less company policy to worry about