A partnership is a business structure where two or more people share income or losses. There are three common types of partnerships:
- General partnerships
- Limited partnerships
- Incorporated limited partnerships
How partnerships are identified
If your organisation is a partnership and a relevant employer, specific reporting requirements apply. Partnerships must identify themselves correctly.
| How identification works: |
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| If your ABN is linked to a partnership entity type on the ABR, the registration form will automatically classify your organisation as a partnership. |
| If the ABR does not show a partnership but your organisation operates as one, manually select 'Yes' to the question: ‘Is this organisation a partnership and/or are there partners in its governing body?’ |
Already registered but need to update your entity type to a partnership?
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Why correct identification matters:
Correctly identifying as a partnership ensures your organisation:
- Completes the partnership specific version of the Workforce Management Statistics
- Accurately reports on the composition of equity and non-equity managers
Lodging your report as a partnership
Inclusion of partners in Reporting Requirements:
Overview of where partners are included in this report:
| Partners without an employment contract | Partners with an employment contract | |
| Eligibility (headcount) | No, not part of headcount | Yes, part of headcount |
| Questionnaire - governing bodies section | Yes, reported if part of governing body | Yes, reported if part of governing body |
| Questionnaire - paid parental leave utilisation | No, not reported | Yes* |
| Workforce Statistics - Question 1-8 | No, not reported | Yes* |
| Workforce Statistics - Question 9 | Yes, reported | Yes |
| Workplace Profile | No, not reported | Yes* |
Note: Partners with an employment contract are reported as per their employed role, not in reference to their partnership role or any fees or payments associated with that partnership role or agreement.
Managing Partners as CEO equivalents
If the managing partner is a CEO or equivalent, their remuneration data must be reported as if they were an employee (held an employment contract).
When an organisation has been identified as a partnership:
- Answer an additional question in the Workforce Management Statistics sheet relating to the number of equity and non-equity partners
- Include employed partners in the workplace profile data as they are employees, categorise and report payments that only relate to their employed position.
If a partnership structure is covered under the Act, it must report on:
- the number and gender composition of any partners sitting on governing bodies in the questionnaire.
- the number and gender composition of full-equity partners and non-equity partners who are on partnership terms and agreements (no salary) in the workforce statistics.
- full- or part-salaried partners in the workplace profile (as their salaried position) and the managing partner, as CEO, in the workplace profile.