This survey collects a range of information to produce important data about income, employment, labour costs and other expenses. Depending on the size, industry and other characteristics of a business, we may also ask for operating profit and inventories figures.
Quarterly Business Indicators Survey for ABS Business Reporting
Completing your Quarterly Business Indicators Survey using ABS Business Reporting
Ready to complete your survey?
Go to ABS Business Reporting to get started.
Contact us
If you can't find what you need on this page, outline the details of your situation in our online Business Surveys Contact Form and we will be in touch. Alternatively, you can call us on 1800 735 060 (+61 2 6252 8814 outside Australia) Monday to Friday, 9 am to 5 pm AEST.
You may also find an answer to your question on our ABS Business Reporting help page, which includes hints and tips to help you complete your survey using ABS Business Reporting.
Purpose of the survey
The Quarterly Business Indicators Survey (QBIS) is conducted every quarter with businesses throughout Australia. Your participation in QBIS is essential for calculating Australia’s major economic statistics including Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
These statistics are used by industry, government and individual businesses to understand Australia’s economy and make informed decisions.
The information you provide will help to ensure our statistics tell the whole story.
Visit the ABS homepage to see more about what statistics ABS produce.
Why should I connect to accounting software to report?
Your data is important, but we understand your time is important too.
If the business you are reporting for uses Xero, MYOB or QuickBooks Online, connecting securely to your accounting software in ABS Business Reporting can make it faster and easier to complete your survey.
By choosing to connect, you will be able to see information from accounting software on screen as you complete your survey. You can select accounts or categories from accounting software to include for each survey question, and a total will be generated automatically.
People who have connected to accounting software to help them report to the ABS have found it is intuitive, easy to use, and streamlines the reporting process.
Watch this short video to learn more about connecting to accounting software to help you complete your survey.
Connecting to accounting software in ABS Business Reporting makes it faster and easier to complete ABS financial surveys.
If the business you are reporting for uses Xero, MYOB or QuickBooks online, you can now choose to securely connect to your account software to help you report.
Once you connect, you'll be able to select which accounts or categories you want to include for each of the reporting questions.
The accounts you select will be saved securely so that if you need to report again, you'll be taken straight to a prefilled report and only need to review and submit.
Connecting to accounting software streamlines the reporting process, eliminating the risk of manual errors and saving you time.
As a small business owner, when completing the ABS form, I'd recommend connecting your accounting data. Connecting the accounting data really made the setup for the form easy, and each following quarter was almost click of a button.
More information on ABS Business Reporting can be found at www.abs.gov.au/br
Thank you
The ABS would like to thank all businesses participating in the Quarterly Business Indicators Survey for their continued support in responding to our surveys.
Giving back
When you report through ABS Business Reporting to complete QBIS, you will be presented with a sample of the statistics we produce from the information you and others provide each quarter.
The information shows what you are contributing to and makes it easier for you to explore our statistics and keep up to date with industry trends.
Data will be presented for key indicators at an industry level. If you have chosen to connect to accounting software, you can also select the ‘Compare my business’ function to see the same indicators for the business you are reporting for, shown next to industry data for comparison.
Frequently asked questions
What kind of questions are asked in QBIS?
Why has this business been included in QBIS?
We are a small business: should we be included in this survey?
How is the information from this survey used? Why is it important?
Do we have to answer the questions?
How long will we need to participate in this survey?
Do we have to provide figures for this survey right now?
Will the information we provide be kept safe, secure and confidential?
Why isn't this survey due at the same time as our Business Activity Statement (BAS)?
The data I provided isn't accurate and now I have more accurate figures available. What should I do?
Reporting where there have been changes to your business structure
Reporting for a business that was sold before the beginning of, or during the quarter
Reporting for a business that was still operating but did not trade during the quarter
Reporting for a business that has gone into liquidation or administration during the quarter
How to complete this survey
How do we answer QBIS using ABS Business Reporting?
What to report in QBIS
The following information provides guidance on what to include and exclude for each item in ABS Business Reporting.