ATO benchmarks for furniture stores

Furniture stores sell lounges, beds, dining sets and outdoor furniture from showrooms, often with delivery, deposits or layby, while stock, showroom rent, delivery and staff are their main costs.

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General information

These are the Australian Taxation Office's published small business benchmarks for furniture stores, shown as the ATO publishes them for each turnover range. They describe the industry as a whole, not any one business, and they are not advice about a particular business. Sources checked 15 October 2026.

Total expenses as a share of turnover

Low and high end of each published range

Total expenses as a share of turnover for furniture stores, by turnover range and financial year
Turnover range	Financial year	Low end	High end
$65,000 to $500,000	2023-24	73%	86%
$65,000 to $500,000	2022-23	74%	87%
$500,001 to $1,000,000	2023-24	81%	91%
$500,001 to $1,000,000	2022-23	82%	91%
More than $1,000,000	2023-24	87%	95%
More than $1,000,000	2022-23	86%	94%

Australian Taxation Office, Small Business Benchmarks, key ratios for 2023-24 and 2022-23 (data.gov.au), licensed under CC BY 2.5 AU. Checked 15 Oct 2026.

Cost of sales as a share of turnover

Low and high end of each published range

Cost of sales as a share of turnover for furniture stores, by turnover range and financial year
Turnover range	Financial year	Low end	High end
$65,000 to $500,000	2023-24	42%	55%
$65,000 to $500,000	2022-23	46%	57%
$500,001 to $1,000,000	2023-24	47%	57%
$500,001 to $1,000,000	2022-23	49%	57%
More than $1,000,000	2023-24	52%	58%
More than $1,000,000	2022-23	53%	58%

Australian Taxation Office, Small Business Benchmarks, key ratios for 2023-24 and 2022-23 (data.gov.au), licensed under CC BY 2.5 AU. Checked 15 Oct 2026.

What sits behind these figures in the books

Cost of sales covers the lounges, beds, tables and other furniture bought to sell, adjusted for stock in the showroom and warehouse at the period end, including floor stock.
Inbound freight on container and supplier deliveries is included in the cost of the furniture it carries, so cost of sales shows what each piece cost to get onto the floor.
Layby payments are kept as money held for the customer until the final payment is made and the piece is collected, so the sale is recorded once it is complete.

Sources

Small Business Benchmarks, 2023-24 Benchmarks (key ratios)
Australian Taxation Office. 2023-24 financial year, released 16 March 2026. Checked 15 October 2026.
Based on Australian Taxation Office data, Small Business Benchmarks, 2023-24 Benchmarks, licensed under CC BY 2.5 AU Licence: CC BY 2.5 AU.
Small Business Benchmarks, 2022-23 Benchmarks (key ratios)
Australian Taxation Office. 2022-23 financial year, released 17 March 2025. Checked 15 October 2026.
Based on Australian Taxation Office data, Small Business Benchmarks, 2022-23 Benchmarks, licensed under CC BY 2.5 AU Licence: CC BY 2.5 AU.

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Cost of sales and total expenses are only as reliable as the books behind them. Tell us how your business runs and we will suggest a bookkeeping plan that fits.