What the ATO’s small business benchmarks say is normal for cleaning services, building and other industrial, from 2023-24 tax returns, and a checker for your own numbers. Nothing you type leaves your browser.
| Turnover | $50k to $115k | $115k to $250k | Over $250k |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total expenseskey benchmark | 30 to 53% | 46 to 69% | 69 to 85% |
| Labour | 31 to 48% | 29 to 47% | 35 to 56% |
| Motor vehicle | 7 to 11% | 5 to 9% | 3 to 5% |
Source: ATO small business benchmarks, 2023-24 financial year, updated 16 March 2026, reused under CC BY 2.5 AU.
Each figure is a cost as a share of annual turnover, without GST, for businesses in that turnover band. For cleaning services, building and other industrial the ATO’s key benchmark is total expenses to turnover: the one it says best predicts turnover for this industry. It also publishes labour, motor vehicle.
For example, a business turning over $180,000 with $104,000 of total expenses is at 57.8%, inside the 46 to 69% range for the $115k to $250k band.
The ATO says a business outside its range may have room to improve, and that benchmarks are one of the tools it uses to identify businesses that may be avoiding their tax obligations.
Cost of sales percentage · Gross profit margin · All 100 industries
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