# Expense and margin benchmarks for Australian print finishing businesses

Source: https://ivankamenken.com/benchmarks/printing-support-services · By Ivanka Menken, Strategic Mentor · Last updated 21 October 2026

In the ATO 2023-24 small business benchmarks, Australian print finishing businesses turning over more than $900,000 report total expenses of 81% to 90% of turnover. That leaves 10% to 19% of turnover before the owner, family members and tax are paid. The ATO open data does not publish a cost of sales ratio for this industry.

## What are the 2023-24 benchmarks for print finishing businesses?

The ATO splits each industry into turnover bands and publishes a range for each. The band closest to a business turning over $500,000 to $3,000,000 is the high turnover range: more than $900,000. The figures in the text on this page come from that band, and the table shows every band the ATO publishes for print finishing businesses.

A business turning over between $300,001 and $900,000 falls in the medium turnover range instead, and its figures are in the table too.

The ATO open data for this industry holds one ratio, total expenses to turnover, so this page works from that number. The ATO counts staff wages, rent, interest, depreciation and cost of sales inside total expenses, and leaves out payments to associated persons such as family members.

| Ratio, % of turnover | Low turnover range ($65,000 to $300,000) | Medium turnover range ($300,001 to $900,000) | High turnover range (More than $900,000) (closest to $500K to $3M) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total expenses (ATO) | 59% to 79% | 68% to 83% | 81% to 90% |
| Left after total expenses (calculated) | 21% to 41% | 17% to 32% | 10% to 19% |

## What do these figures mean for cash and payroll in print finishing businesses?

At the band’s ratios, a business turning over $1,000,000 would have $100,000 to $190,000 left after total expenses, about $1,920 to $3,650 a week. That pool has to cover your own pay, tax, loan repayments beyond the interest already counted, and any growth you fund yourself.

At the midpoint, print finishing businesses keep 14.5% of turnover after total expenses, level with the median of 14.5% across the 96 industries on this site.

Size changes the picture. Businesses in the low band ($65,000 to $300,000) keep 21% to 41% of turnover; in the band closest to you it is 10% to 19%. Part of the reason is in how the ATO counts: wages paid to staff are an expense, while payments to associated persons are left out. A bigger business carries a bigger payroll, so each extra dollar of turnover arrives with more cost attached.

## How much would a price rise change what print finishing businesses keep?

Ivanka Menken’s chain starts with price: prices too low, margins thin, growth eats cash, payroll becomes a monthly fear. As arithmetic only, if print finishing businesses in this band charged 5% more for the same work, with the same volume and the same costs, total expenses would fall to about 77% to 86% of turnover and the share left would rise from 10% to 19% to about 14% to 23%.

At the midpoint that is 14.5% becoming 18.6% of turnover, about 28% more left over from the same work. Whether your clients would accept the price is a separate question, and the one worth testing.

## Where do print finishing businesses sit among Manufacturing industries?

We grouped the ATO industries under their ANZSIC divisions so you can compare print finishing businesses with their neighbours. Of the 5 Manufacturing industries on this site, print finishing businesses keep the 2nd largest share of turnover after total expenses, using each industry’s band closest to $500,000 to $3,000,000.

The grouping is ours, not the ATO’s; the ratios are the ATO’s. Neighbouring industries face similar costs, so a large gap to a close neighbour is worth a question about price or about the mix of work.

- Printing: 15.5% of turnover left after total expenses (midpoint). https://ivankamenken.com/benchmarks/printing
- Printing support services (this page): 14.5% of turnover left after total expenses (midpoint). https://ivankamenken.com/benchmarks/printing-support-services
- Bakeries and hot bread shops: 14% of turnover left after total expenses (midpoint). https://ivankamenken.com/benchmarks/bakeries
- Cabinet makers: 14% of turnover left after total expenses (midpoint). https://ivankamenken.com/benchmarks/cabinet-makers
- Cake shops and patisseries: 13% of turnover left after total expenses (midpoint). https://ivankamenken.com/benchmarks/cake-shops-patisseries

## How do you check your own numbers against these benchmarks?

Take last financial year’s turnover excluding GST, and total expenses less any payments to associated persons. Divide the second by the first and compare it with the 81% to 90% range above.

A benchmark tells you where you sit. It does not tell you why, or which decision to make next. Three free tools on this site turn the comparison into a monthly habit.

- The free five-number scorecard: https://ivankamenken.com/scorecard
- The margin-first scaling test: https://ivankamenken.com/margin-first-scaling-test
- The 13-week cash view: https://ivankamenken.com/13-week-cash-flow-for-founders

If you want someone to read the numbers with you each fortnight, that is what Ivanka’s 1:1 mentoring is for: https://ivankamenken.com/mentoring

## Frequently asked questions

### What share of turnover do print finishing businesses spend on expenses?

In the ATO 2023-24 benchmarks, print finishing businesses turning over more than $900,000 report total expenses of 81% to 90% of turnover, leaving 10% to 19% before the owner, family members and tax are paid. Total expenses include staff wages, rent, interest and depreciation, and leave out payments to associated persons.

### Which ATO turnover band applies to print finishing businesses turning over $1,000,000?

For print finishing businesses, the ATO 2023-24 bands are: low turnover range, $65,000 to $300,000; medium turnover range, $300,001 to $900,000; high turnover range, more than $900,000. A business turning over $1,000,000 sits in the high turnover range. Use last year’s turnover excluding GST to find yours.

### Are the ATO figures before or after the owner’s pay?

Before most of it. The ATO subtracts payments to associated persons, such as family members, from total expenses, and a sole trader or partner does not pay themselves a wage at all. So the share left after total expenses is broadly what funds the owner, tax, loan repayments and growth. Your accountant can tell you how your own returns are set up.

### What does it mean if my business is outside the range?

The ATO says a business outside the key benchmark range may have room to improve, and it uses the key benchmark to spot businesses that may not be reporting all their income. Each range covers the 30% of businesses around the industry average, so many legitimate businesses sit outside it. Check your figures with your accountant first.

## Source and licence

Source: Australian Taxation Office, Small Business Benchmarks, 2023-24 data, published at https://data.gov.au/data/dataset/small-business-benchmarks and licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 Australia (CC BY 2.5 AU), https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5/au/. Ratios are reproduced as published; the margins, midpoints, dollar examples, groupings and comparisons are calculated by ivankamenken.com. The ATO does not endorse this page.

All benchmarks: https://ivankamenken.com/benchmarks