To start a tutoring business in Australia, get the Working With Children check your state requires, apply for a free ABN, decide what you will teach and charge, check your insurance, write simple policies for cancellations and payment, set up tools for scheduling and invoicing, then find your first students through your local network and referrals.
Most tutors can do all of this in a few weeks with very little upfront cost.
Checklist: starting a tutoring business
- Decide what, who and where you will tutor
- Get the right Working With Children check for your state or territory
- Apply for an ABN (and register a business name if you need one)
- Understand GST and set aside money for tax
- Look into insurance
- Set your rates
- Write your policies
- Set up your tools
- Find your first students
Step 1: Decide what, who and where you will tutor
Be specific. "Year 9–12 maths in the inner west, in person or online" is easier to market and price than "maths tutoring".
- Subjects and levels. Choose what you can teach confidently and where there is demand near you. Senior maths, sciences and English are consistently popular.
- Curriculum. Know the course your students are working through, whether that is the Australian Curriculum in primary years or HSC, VCE, QCE, WACE or SACE in Years 11 and 12.
- Format. In your home, at the student's home, at a library or online. Online widens your reach; in person often suits younger students.
- Capacity. Count the after-school and weekend hours you can realistically offer.
Step 2: Get a Working With Children check
If you tutor children, you will almost certainly need a working with children screening check. Each state and territory runs its own scheme, with its own name, rules about who needs one, costs and renewal periods. Volunteers and paid workers are often treated differently, and some states don't recognise checks from other states, so if you tutor online across borders, check the rules for each.
| State or territory | Name of the check |
|---|---|
| New South Wales | Working With Children Check |
| Victoria | Working with Children Check |
| Queensland | Blue card |
| Western Australia | Working with Children Check |
| South Australia | Working with Children Check |
| Tasmania | Registration to Work with Vulnerable People |
| Australian Capital Territory | Working with Vulnerable People registration |
| Northern Territory | Working with Children Clearance (Ochre Card) |
Rules about who needs a check differ by state and change from time to time, so always check your own state or territory government's official page before you start tutoring. Search for the check name above plus your state to find it. Parents will often ask for your check number, so keep it handy and note the expiry date.
Step 3: Apply for an ABN
Most private tutors operate as sole traders. As a sole trader you need an Australian Business Number (ABN), which you can apply for free through the Australian Business Register. You will need your tax file number and some basic details about your business activity. Put your ABN on every invoice you send.
If you want to trade under a name other than your own (for example "Northside Maths Tutoring" rather than "Sam Lee"), you generally need to register that business name with ASIC. Trading under your own name doesn't need a separate registration. business.gov.au has a good overview of business structures and registrations if you are weighing up a sole trader set-up against a company.
Open a separate bank account for your tutoring income. It makes tax time easier and gives you a BSB and account number for invoices.
Step 4: Understand GST and tax
You must register for GST once your GST turnover reaches $75,000 a year, either in the current year or projected over the next 12 months. Below that, registration is optional, and most new tutors stay unregistered.
- If you are not registered for GST, don't add GST to your prices and don't call your invoices "tax invoices". Just call them "Invoice".
- If you are registered, you issue tax invoices showing the words "Tax invoice", your ABN, the date, a description of the service and the GST amount (or a statement that the total includes GST). Private one-to-one tutoring generally isn't treated as GST-free education by the ATO, so registered tutors usually need to charge GST.
You also pay income tax on your tutoring profit. Nobody withholds tax from your tutoring payments, so many tutors move a fixed share of every payment into a separate savings account. Keep records of income and business expenses (resources, travel, insurance, software) for at least five years. The ATO website explains sole trader tax, GST and record keeping in plain language.
Our guide on how to invoice tutoring clients covers exactly what to put on an invoice, with and without GST.
Step 5: Look into insurance
Insurance isn't always legally required for tutors, but it is worth understanding before you start. The two policies tutors most often consider are:
- Public liability insurance. Covers claims if someone is injured or their property is damaged because of your business, for example a student tripping in your home or you damaging something in a family's home.
- Professional indemnity insurance. Covers claims that your advice or service caused someone a financial loss. It is less common for tutors but some choose it, especially those offering study or careers advice.
Also check your existing policies. Home and contents insurance may not cover business activities in your home, and your car insurance may need to know if you drive to lessons for work. Some venues and agencies require public liability cover. This is general information only: speak to an insurer or broker about what suits your situation.
Step 6: Set your rates
Independent tutors in Australia commonly charge roughly $40–$80 an hour for primary and junior secondary students, and around $70–$120 or more for senior and exam subjects. Rates vary by subject, location, experience and results. Work out what you need to earn after costs and unpaid time, compare it with tutors near you, and decide how parents will pay: per lesson, by the term or prepaid. Our guide on how much to charge for tutoring has a worked example and a script for raising rates later.
Step 7: Write your policies
A one-page set of policies saves you from awkward conversations later. Send it to every family before the first lesson and ask them to reply to confirm they have read it. Cover:
- Cancellations and no-shows. How much notice you need (24 or 48 hours is common), what happens to late cancellations and whether you offer make-up lessons. Our tutoring cancellation policy guide includes a ready-to-use template.
- Payment terms. When you invoice (weekly, fortnightly, monthly or upfront), how parents can pay, how many days they have, and any late fee.
- Communication. How and when parents can contact you, and how quickly you reply.
- Safety and conduct. Who must be present for in-home lessons, and your rules for online lessons (camera on, a parent nearby for younger students).
- Privacy. What student information you keep, why, and how you store it.
Step 8: Set up your tools
You don't need much to start, but a few tools stop admin eating your evenings.
| Job | What you need |
|---|---|
| Scheduling | A calendar showing every lesson, including repeating weekly lessons |
| Reminders | Automatic messages to parents before lessons, to cut no-shows |
| Invoicing | Invoices with your ABN and bank details, numbered and tracked |
| Payments | Bank transfer at minimum; card payments make paying easier for parents |
| Online lessons | Zoom, Google Meet or Microsoft Teams, plus a shared whiteboard |
| Records | Student details, lesson notes and a simple income and expense record |
A spreadsheet and a calendar app can work for your first few students. Once you have ten or more, the admin adds up. TutorFlow is designed for Australian private tutors at this stage: students and lessons live in one calendar, parents get lesson reminders automatically, and invoices are built from completed lessons showing your BSB and account number, with optional card payments through your own Stripe account. It starts free for a month (card required), then $12.50 a month for the first 12 months. TutorFlow doesn't lodge your BAS or do your bookkeeping, so you will still want a simple way to track expenses.
Step 9: Find your first students
Most tutors find their first students through people they already know. There is no shortcut, but these approaches work for many Australian tutors:
- Tell your network. Friends, family and former colleagues. Say what you teach, where and when.
- Local community groups. Suburb Facebook groups, school community pages (where allowed) and community noticeboards at libraries and shops.
- Tutoring directories. Listing sites and agencies can bring early enquiries, though agencies take a share of your rate.
- A simple web page or profile. Your subjects, levels, experience, check details, rates and how to contact you.
- Ask for referrals. Once a family is happy, ask if they know anyone else who might want help. Referrals are usually the biggest source of new students for established tutors.
- Offer a short first session. A free or discounted 20-minute meeting lets parents meet you and lets you assess the student before committing.
Reply to enquiries quickly. Parents often contact several tutors, and a clear, friendly reply with available times often wins the student.
Frequently asked questions
Do you need a qualification to be a tutor in Australia?
No formal qualification is legally required to work as a private tutor in Australia. However, you will usually need a Working With Children check (or your state's equivalent) to tutor children, and parents often look for teaching qualifications, university study in the subject or strong results. Qualifications can also support a higher hourly rate.
Do I need an ABN to tutor privately?
If you are running tutoring as a business, you will generally need an ABN as a sole trader. You can apply for one free through the Australian Business Register. Put your ABN on every invoice. If you are unsure whether your tutoring counts as a business or a hobby, check the ATO website or ask a registered tax agent.
Do tutors need to register for GST?
Tutors must register for GST once their GST turnover reaches $75,000 a year, current or projected over 12 months. Below that, registration is optional. If you are not registered, don't charge GST or call your invoices tax invoices. This is general information only, so check with the ATO or a registered tax agent for your situation.
Do I need insurance to be a tutor?
Insurance isn't always legally required for private tutors, but many choose public liability insurance, and some take professional indemnity insurance too. Some venues and agencies require public liability cover. Also check whether your home and car insurance cover business use. Speak to an insurer or broker about the right cover for you.
How much does it cost to start a tutoring business?
Starting costs are usually low. Expect the fee for your state's Working With Children check, any insurance you choose, teaching resources and possibly software or a website. An ABN is free. Many tutors start with a laptop, a calendar and a simple invoicing tool, then add more as their student list grows.