Airtasker is a great way to earn some extra money. This guide will tell you everything you need to know about Airtasker including how to become an Airtasker Worker, the fees, how much you can earn and insurance options, plus some extra things you should watch out for. We'll also give you some tips for managing your Airtasker income and meeting your tax obligations.
What is Airtasker?
Airtasker is an online and mobile peer-to-peer marketplace where people can outsource everyday tasks and find skilled people to complete them. It’s well-known for people posting odd jobs like delivering packages or assembling IKEA furniture, but is also being used by businesses to find contractors. If you're already using Airtasker and are looking for an account to manage your income, skip ahead to this section now.
How does Airtasker work?
You can either use Airtasker to post jobs you need completed (the Job Poster), or to complete jobs for some extra cash (Airtasker Worker).
Job Posters post a task they need completed to the jobs board, including a description of the task, the skills and equipment needed, how long it will take, how many people are needed (up to 30), and the task budget (the total amount or an hourly rate). There are no limits on the types of tasks which can be posted; from simple to complicated, home cleaning, graphic design, gardening and putting together furniture.
On a separate page, Airtasker Workers can see all tasks posted and bid to complete the task. Multiple bids can be made for each task, either higher, lower or the same as the asking price, so it is up to the Job Poster to decide which Airtasker Worker they want to hire, based on their bid, profile, reviews, and skills. Job Posters will then be able to communicate with the Airtasker Worker via private messaging to work out the finer details.
How do you become an Airtasker Worker?
Signing up to be an Airtasker Worker is as easy as signing up for an email address or eBay account. The whole process is done entirely online via the Airtasker platform.
Sign Up:
You can sign up either with Facebook or by manually entering in a few personal details. You’ll also be asked what kind of tasks you’re looking for, to write a short description about yourself, enter your bank account details and decide whether you want to complete tasks online or in person. That’s it! You’re now free to browse tasks and make offers.
What are the Airtasker fees, and how much can I earn?
While it’s free to sign up to the platform, Airtasker will take a 15-20% service fee for each task completed. For instance, if a Job Poster offers $100 to complete a task and accepts your $100 bid, before the money is paid into your bank account Airtasker will take a fee of $15 to $20.
Airtasker recommends that Job Posters pay an hourly rate of $25 for basic tasks, and up to $100 for professional and specialist services, but does not set a minimum rate. The price guide varies widely between professions so be sure to check the recommended bands for each task.
How do I get paid?
Once you have been selected to complete a task, and a “task contract” is created, the Job Poster will pay the amount agreed upon online to the Airtasker Trust Account. Broadly speaking, a trust is a type of account where the trustee (Airtasker) is put in charge of the funds for the benefit of another party (you). Airtasker must hold these funds exclusively and securely for you until the task is completed.
Once the task is complete, you make a request for payment from the Job Poster, and they will tell Airtasker to release the funds to your nominated bank account or PayPal account. Airtasker says you should allow 1-3 business days for the funds to reach your account. Every transfer of funds between the Job Poster and you must be done through this system only.
Tip: Keep your Airtasker income in a separate bank account
It's a good idea to keep all your income earned through Airtasker in a separate bank account from all your other income that you earn from other jobs. This way, when it comes time to pay tax on your Aistasker income, it will be really easy to see how much you've earned from Airtasker alone as it'll be in the one account, not mixed in with your earnings form other jobs.
What are badges all about?
When a Job Poster puts up a task, it’s common for multiple Airtasker workers to bid against each other (and you), so it can all get a bit competitive. One way that Airtasker allows you to differentiate yourself is by displaying Badges on your profile. Badges give Job Posters more information when deciding who to work with and build trust.
There are three different types of Badges on Airtasker:
ID Badges allow you to show that you’ve verified your identify in some way (e.g a Police Check Badge or a LinkedIn Badge).
Licence/ Qualification Badges are used by certified service providers and professionals to show that they have the skills, training and legal approval to complete a task (e.g Electrician Badge).
Partner Badges allow you to show your alignment with a particular company (e.g IKEA Badge).
How does tax, GST and insurance work with Airtasker?
The simple answer is yes.
By law, income received through Airtasker is considered to be taxable income and must be declared with the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) alongside all other types of income. Income tax is tax paid on total income from all sources (eg part-time employment, investment income, and rental income) less any deductions. You can read about what you can and can’t claim as a tax deduction here.
Note: if your total combined income, including all types of income, is under $18,200 (the tax-free threshold as at 2017), then you are not required to pay tax.
If your income is above $18,200, across all income sources, then you’ll be required to pay tax for whichever tax bracket you fall into. For example, if you earned $50,000 from your full-time job, and $20,000 from your Airtasker tasks, then your total income for the year would be $70,000, placing you in the third tax bracket. You will therefore need to pay $3,572 plus $0.325 for each $1 over $37,000 in tax.
You can pay tax on your Airtasker income in two ways:
Pay-as-you-go (PAYG), a system which allows you, if you’re earning more than $4000 a year, to spread your tax payments across the year rather than getting hit with one large tax bill at the end of the financial year.
Annually, calculated on your total taxable income.
On your tax return, you’ll need to record the task price (gross amount) that Job Posters pay you, not the final fee (net amount) you receive after the Airtasker Service Fee is removed.
While Airtasker doesn’t require you to provide an Australian Business Number (ABN) when signing up, this doesn’t mean that you don’t need one to manage your finances.
If you only want to use Airtasker to complete a few odd tasks that don’t require any related expenses, for example walking a neighbour’s dog or minding a baby, it is unlikely you will need to sign up for an ABN.
However, if you do expect to be incurring expenses, like a new piece of computer software or building tools, then you’ll need to apply for an ABN to claim those items as deductions on your next income tax return.
Like every other registered Australian business, with an ABN you are entitled to claim business expenses relating to your Airtasker tasks as tax deductions to reduce your taxable income. Common deductions include motor vehicle expenses, travel expenses, home office expenses and the use of machinery, tools or computers. You can also claim the Service Fee charged by Airtasker.
Deductions cannot be claimed for fines, clothing other than safety clothing, and meals purchased whilst on the job. In order to be eligible to claim deductions, you must be able to prove that purchases made related to your business, so remember to hold onto invoices, receipts, and bank statements.
If the total income only from your ABN is more than $75,000, then you’ll need to register for Goods and Services Tax (GST) with the ATO, and include a 10% tax on your invoices to be put aside for payment at the end of the year.
If you are earning less than $75,000 through your ABN, you will not need to pay GST.
Need help managing your tax obligations?
You are required by law to pay tax on all income earned via Airtasker, and you must pay tax according to your marginal tax rate. If you haven't kept track of this throughout the year it can be time-consuming and tricky to do come tax time. Using a professional tax agent can help you claim the correct amount of tax on your Airtasker income, while also helping to maximise your deductions and get the best possible tax return. Compare online tax agents in our tax agent comparison guide.
Am I insured if anything goes wrong?
Airtasker Insurance is only intended to cover injury or damage to property by you to the Job Poster. If you are injured while performing a task, you will not be covered for workers compensation, salary protection or other types of insurance. The policy also does not cover any injury or damage to your property.
Airtasker Insurance also only applies to certain activities and excludes, among other things, landscape gardening where machinery is used, child minding, pest control, and couriers acting in a professional capacity (only). The full list can be viewed here.
All claims made under Airtasker Insurance are subject to an excess that is payable by you. If you’re concerned you may want to think about taking out insurance separately.
Income protection insurance can keep up to 85% of your income coming in case you get injured or fall ill and are forced to stop working, making for a less stressful recovery process. Compare your options.
What happens to my superannuation?
As you are commissioned by the Job Poster through the Airtasker platform, this does not count as employment for the purposes of superannuation. Because Airtasker won't be contributing to your superannuation, it's really important that you make regular contributions to your super yourself, so that your retirement savings continue to grow.
Looking for a new super fund?
If you don't yet have a super fund, or you want to switch to a new fund with lower fees and better past returns, you can compare funds in our super comparison guide.
Key points to remember:
It is your responsibility to withhold tax and send it onto the ATO
It is highly likely that you will need to register for an ABN
If you have an ABN, you will be able to claim deductions for Airtasker-based expenses
Remember to keep a record of all income earned on Airtasker, and receipts of expenses
It is unlikely that you need to pay GST, unless you earn a lot of money through Airtasker
Cover is available, but it does not protect you if you are injured or your property is damaged
What should I be cautious of?
Certificates and Licences
While Airtasker does provide “Badges” (discussed above), it does not require you to hold these in order to bid for tasks. However, legislation may require certification in specific areas and you could be liable if you complete certain tasks without them, for example electrical wiring works, or construction of a dwelling. Make sure you have the correct licence to complete tasks.
Alison Banney is the money editorial manager at Finder. She covers all areas of personal finance, and her areas of expertise are superannuation, banking and saving. She has written about finance for 10 years, having previously worked at Westpac and written for several other major banks and super funds. See full bio
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Yes, customers are charged a Connection fee when assigning a Tasker, which currently ranges from $2.90 to $34.90. Customers are charged this fee once the work has been assigned. This fee is unrelated to the Tasker Service fee.
I registered for an ABN at the start of 2023 and was researching the claiming of fees, and found this site…. I was unaware that the Airtasker fees were claimable on personal tax returns! My question is this – is there a cutoff period that fees can be claimed in tax – ie: can I back-claim them on my next personal tax return (not my ABN one)? I have always declared what I earned as Airtasker income, just never claimed the fees. Have been using Airtasker since late 2016.
You can’t claim these fees in this year’s tax return retrospectively. But, you may be able to amend your previous years’ tax returns to claim these fees. Amending previous years’ tax returns is fairly straightforward for the last year or two through MyGov, but to go all the way back to 2016 you may need some guidance from the ATO or a tax agent.
Kicked off again …not fair I get bullied and several other taskers and customers yet I loose my account? You take 24% out of each task yet you are uncontactable for months……not very fair I pay all that just for nothing literally….to what use this app? I mean theirs not insurance I get ripped off and you pay me next to nothing great not .
Hi Samantha, Thanks for your comment, although this won’t reach AirTasker. This is a review page from Finder about AirTasker. To reach them directly, visit: https://www.airtasker.com/contact/
While it’s free to sign up to the platform, Airtasker will take a 15% service fee for each task completed. For instance, if a Job Poster offers $100 to complete a task and accepts your $100 bid, before the money is paid into your bank account Airtasker will take a $15 fee.
Airtasker recommends that Job Posters pay an hourly rate of $25 for basic tasks, and up to $100 for professional and specialist services, but does not set a minimum rate. Based on the website of AirTasker, Delivery and Removals would depend on the size of the item. Small items would be at $28/hour. Medium items at $60/hour and large items at $100/hour. Hope this helps!
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Does Airtasker take a fee from both the Customer and the client?
Yes, customers are charged a Connection fee when assigning a Tasker, which currently ranges from $2.90 to $34.90. Customers are charged this fee once the work has been assigned. This fee is unrelated to the Tasker Service fee.
I registered for an ABN at the start of 2023 and was researching the claiming of fees, and found this site…. I was unaware that the Airtasker fees were claimable on personal tax returns! My question is this – is there a cutoff period that fees can be claimed in tax – ie: can I back-claim them on my next personal tax return (not my ABN one)? I have always declared what I earned as Airtasker income, just never claimed the fees. Have been using Airtasker since late 2016.
Hi Debbie,
You can’t claim these fees in this year’s tax return retrospectively. But, you may be able to amend your previous years’ tax returns to claim these fees. Amending previous years’ tax returns is fairly straightforward for the last year or two through MyGov, but to go all the way back to 2016 you may need some guidance from the ATO or a tax agent.
Hope this helps!
Kicked off again …not fair I get bullied and several other taskers and customers yet I loose my account? You take 24% out of each task yet you are uncontactable for months……not very fair I pay all that just for nothing literally….to what use this app? I mean theirs not insurance I get ripped off and you pay me next to nothing great not .
Hi Samantha, Thanks for your comment, although this won’t reach AirTasker. This is a review page from Finder about AirTasker. To reach them directly, visit: https://www.airtasker.com/contact/
What would be a reasonable cost to transport a pram from Buderum to Bundaberg QLD.
Hi Janet,
Thank you for reaching out to Finder.
While it’s free to sign up to the platform, Airtasker will take a 15% service fee for each task completed. For instance, if a Job Poster offers $100 to complete a task and accepts your $100 bid, before the money is paid into your bank account Airtasker will take a $15 fee.
Airtasker recommends that Job Posters pay an hourly rate of $25 for basic tasks, and up to $100 for professional and specialist services, but does not set a minimum rate. Based on the website of AirTasker, Delivery and Removals would depend on the size of the item. Small items would be at $28/hour. Medium items at $60/hour and large items at $100/hour. Hope this helps!
Cheers,
Reggie