Estimated reading time: 5 minutes · Last checked: 11 October 2026
You’ve seen ChatGPT Plus listed at A$30 a month. Is that what you’ll pay, or does GST get added on top? And if you use it for work, can you get the GST back? Here’s how GST works on ChatGPT and the other big AI subscriptions in Australia, using the ATO’s rules, what each company says about its prices, and one of my own invoices.
Short answer: yes. Since 1 July 2017, 10% GST has applied to digital services that overseas companies sell to Australian consumers, and that includes AI subscriptions like ChatGPT. Whether GST is already in the price you see depends on the company. Anthropic says Claude’s prices include GST. OpenAI’s and Google’s pricing pages don’t say. Microsoft’s business prices exclude it. If you’re GST-registered, give the supplier your ABN and say you’re registered for GST, and they shouldn’t charge you GST at all.
The rule in plain English
The ATO says that from 1 July 2017, GST applies to imported services and digital products sold to Australian consumers, and its examples include digital content such as online newspaper subscriptions, plus apps and software (ATO). An AI chatbot subscription sold from overseas fits that description.
What that means for you depends on who’s paying:
- You’re paying personally: you pay the 10% GST, and you can’t claim it back.
- You run a business that isn’t registered for GST: you pay the GST too. The ATO says that if you’re not registered, GST applies to these purchases (ATO).
- Your business is registered for GST: for business purchases, give the supplier your ABN and tell them you’re registered for GST, and they shouldn’t charge you GST (ATO).
Two warnings from the ATO: don’t give your ABN for a personal purchase, and penalties can apply if you quote an ABN when you aren’t registered for GST.
Does each AI company include GST?
Here’s what each company’s own Australian pricing page says, checked from an Australian connection on 11 October 2026.
| Subscription | Price shown in Australia | GST included? |
|---|---|---|
| Claude Pro | A$34/month | Yes. The page says prices include 10% GST. |
| ChatGPT Plus | A$30/month | Not stated. Check the total at checkout. |
| Google AI Pro | A$32.99/month | Not stated. Check the total at checkout. |
| Microsoft 365 Copilot Business | A$31.40/user/month, billed yearly | No. Prices exclude GST, so add 10%. |
From my own Claude invoice: Anthropic’s subscriptions are quoted with GST included, but extra usage is billed differently. My invoice from 5 October 2026, for prepaid extra usage on my individual Claude plan, shows A$15.90, then a separate line for GST (10% on A$15.90) of A$1.59, for a total of A$17.49. On that invoice, GST was added on top.
On ChatGPT, one data point: in 2024, an Australian subscriber posted on OpenAI’s community forum that ChatGPT Plus was shown as A$29.99 but their invoice came to A$32.98. That’s about 10% more, which looks like GST added on top (OpenAI community). That was two years ago and prices have changed since, so don’t treat it as proof of today’s checkout. Just check the total before you pay.
For what it’s worth, Australian consumer law says the price shown to consumers should be the total price, including taxes like GST (business.gov.au).
What GST adds to your bill
| Example | Before GST | With 10% GST |
|---|---|---|
| ChatGPT Plus, if GST were added to A$30 | A$30.00 | A$33.00 |
| Claude Pro (GST already included) | A$30.91 | A$34.00 |
| Microsoft 365 Copilot Business, 1 user | A$31.40 | A$34.54 |
| Microsoft 365 Copilot Business, team of 5 | A$157.00 | A$172.70 |
The takeaway: if ChatGPT’s A$30 turns out to be before GST, the real gap between ChatGPT Plus and Claude Pro is A$1 a month, not A$4. For every subscription priced in Australian dollars, see The Real Cost of AI in Australia.
If you have an ABN
- Add your ABN in billing settings. OpenAI lets you add a tax ID in the billing settings for ChatGPT, ChatGPT Business and the API (OpenAI). Anthropic shows an optional Tax or VAT ID field when your billing address is eligible (Anthropic).
- Do it before your next bill. Both OpenAI and Anthropic say tax ID changes apply only to future invoices, not ones already issued.
- Charged GST anyway? The ATO says to ask the supplier for a refund, giving your ABN and stating you’re registered for GST. If they don’t refund it, you may be able to claim the GST credit on your BAS, as long as you’d otherwise be entitled to one, you’ve no sign the supplier has paid that GST to the ATO, and you have a valid tax invoice showing the supplier’s ABN or the payment was A$82.50 or less (ATO).
- Use it partly for personal stuff? If you’re GST-registered and weren’t charged GST, the ATO’s reverse charge can apply when you couldn’t claim a full GST credit, for example because of personal use. You then pay the GST, 10% of what you paid, to the ATO yourself. This is where an accountant earns their fee.
Watch for an ARN instead of an ABN. My Anthropic invoice shows an Australian ARN, not an ABN. The ATO says overseas companies using its simplified GST registration get an ARN instead of an ABN and can’t issue tax invoices (ATO). Under the credit rule above, an invoice like that won’t help you claim back GST charged by mistake on a payment over A$82.50.
The same goes for API usage. If you pay for the OpenAI or Claude API for a business, add your tax ID in that billing account too. OpenAI says its tax ID setting covers API accounts; for the Claude API, check the billing settings in Anthropic’s Console. For what API usage costs, see AI Token Pricing Explained.
FAQ
Does ChatGPT Plus include GST in Australia?
OpenAI’s pricing page shows A$30 a month and doesn’t say whether GST is included. GST does apply to consumers, so check the total at checkout before you pay.
Does Claude charge GST?
Yes. Anthropic’s pricing page says its prices include 10% GST, so Claude Pro’s A$34 a month already includes it. On my own invoice for prepaid extra usage, though, GST was added on top as a separate line.
Can I claim the GST back on ChatGPT?
Not as a consumer. A GST-registered business should give OpenAI its ABN so GST isn’t charged in the first place. If GST is charged anyway, the ATO says to seek a refund from the supplier. The ATO’s rules on claiming it as a credit are in the ABN section above.
Should I give OpenAI my ABN?
Only if the subscription is for a GST-registered business. The ATO says not to give your ABN for personal purchases, and penalties can apply if you quote an ABN when you aren’t registered for GST.
I’m a sole trader but not registered for GST. Do I pay it?
Yes. The ATO says that if you’re not registered for GST, GST applies to these purchases.
Is GST charged on AI API usage?
The same rules apply: consumers pay GST, and GST-registered businesses should add their ABN wherever the API billing settings allow it.
This is general information, not tax advice. For your own situation, talk to your accountant or check with the ATO.
Related guides on FNG
Written by Scott (Freaky Newguy), a Sydney-based IT worker. How I check prices.
Sources
- GST on imported digital services: ATO, GST on imported services and digital products
- ABNs, refunds, GST credits and reverse charge: ATO, Australian business importing goods and services
- Pricing pages, checked from an Australian connection on 11 October 2026: Claude, ChatGPT, Google One; Microsoft 365 Copilot Business checked 10 October 2026: Microsoft
- Tax IDs: OpenAI Help Center; Claude Help Center
- 2024 ChatGPT invoice report: OpenAI community forum
- Simplified GST registration and ARNs: ATO, Simplified GST registration
- First-hand: my own Anthropic invoice dated 5 October 2026, for prepaid extra usage on an individual Claude plan
- Displaying total prices: business.gov.au