Portable Long Service Leave for Painters and Sub-Contractors

Please check with your Accountant; this information may not be correct for everyone

If you’re a self‑employed or subcontractor painter/decorator in NSW, you can qualify for Portable Long Service Leave — but only through the NSW Building & Construction Industry Long Service Corporation (LSC). You must register yourself, record your service each year, and accumulate 10 years of recorded service to claim a payment.


Below is a clear, practical breakdown tailored to painters and decorators.

🧱 1. Are painters/decorators covered?
Yes — painting and decorating work is classified as building and construction work under the NSW Portable Long Service Leave Scheme.
This means self‑employed painters, subcontractors, sole traders, and working directors can all participate.

📝 2. Eligibility requirements for self‑employed/subcontractor painters
To be eligible, you must:
Work in NSW
Work in the building and construction industry
Operate as a contractor with your own sole trader or partnership ABN
Perform work that falls under the scheme’s definition of construction work (painting/decorating is included)

🧾 3. Registration requirements
Self‑employed contractors must register themselves with the Long Service Corporation (LSC).
Registration requires:
Your ABN
Proof you perform eligible construction work
Personal identification
Contact details
Once approved, you receive a worker registration number. You provide this number to any business you subcontract to.

📅 4. How your service is recorded
Because you are self‑employed, you must ensure your service is recorded correctly:
Annual Certificate of Service
A registered tax agent must lodge a Certificate of Service each financial year on your behalf.
This confirms the number of days you worked in the industry that year.
Accurate record‑keeping
The LSC emphasises that contractors must keep accurate records of:
Jobs completed
Dates worked
ABN invoices
Any gaps in service

⏳ 5. When you become entitled
You become eligible for a long service payment when you have:
10 years of recorded service
This entitles you to 2 months (8.67 weeks) of pay.
Important notes:
Service does not need to be with one employer — it is portable.
Interstate construction work may count due to reciprocal agreements.

💰 6. How your payment is calculated
For contractors, the LSC calculates your payment based on:
Your average weekly earnings, using your declared income
The total number of recorded service days
If you have mixed service (e.g., years as an employee + years as a contractor), each portion is calculated differently.

🧑‍💼 7. Working directors (e.g., company painters)
If you operate through a Pty Ltd and work on the tools, you can still register as a working director.
Requirements include:
Proof you personally perform painting/decorating work
Annual service declarations

📌 8. Common mistakes contractors make
From industry guidance:
Not registering early enough
Not lodging annual service certificates
Assuming subcontractors are automatically registered
Not keeping invoices or job records

🟦 9. Where to register
You can register through the NSW Long Service Corporation portal:
Service NSW
Manage your portable long service (building and construction)