INTRO

The biggest change to how Australian employers pay superannuation in decades is now in effect. Since 1 July 2026, Payday Super requires employers to pay super at the same time as wages, every pay cycle, rather than quarterly. This is not a proposal. It is law, and it applies to every employer in Australia right now.

If your business is already set up for it, good. But research before the start date found that most small and medium businesses had never even heard of the reform, and many are still not fully compliant. At FinTax Partners in Greenslopes, Brisbane, we help employers get their payroll, systems and cash flow right under the new rules. Here is what your business needs to have in place.

What Is Payday Super?

Under the old system, employers paid super guarantee (SG) contributions quarterly, up to 28 days after the end of each quarter. Under Payday Super, super must be paid every time you pay wages, whether that is weekly, fortnightly or monthly. The contribution must be received by the employee’s super fund within 7 business days of payday. Importantly, the 7-day clock runs until the money reaches the fund, not just until you send it, so processing time through your clearing house matters.

The super guarantee rate remains 12%. What changes is the timing, the calculation base and the systems you need to use.

The Key Changes for Employers

1. Super Is Paid Every Payday Each pay run now triggers a super obligation. For a fortnightly payroll, that is up to 26 super payments a year instead of four.

2. The Small Business Super Clearing House Has Closed The ATO’s free Small Business Super Clearing House (SBSCH) has closed. If your business relied on it, you must now use a SuperStream-compliant clearing house or payroll platform that supports Payday Super. If you have not moved across yet, this is the most urgent action on your list.

 3. A New Calculation Base: Qualifying Earnings Super is now calculated on a new term called qualifying earnings (QE), which brings together ordinary time earnings and certain other payments. In many cases the amount aligns with the old basis, but not always, so it is worth checking your payroll is calculating it correctly.

 4. Tougher Penalties for Late Super If contributions are not received by the fund in time, the Superannuation Guarantee Charge (SGC) applies. The SGC is not tax deductible and includes interest and administrative components, so late super now costs your business more than ever.

Your Payday Super Compliance Checklist

 If you are not yet confident your business is compliant, work through these steps:

• Confirm your payroll software is Payday Super ready and calculating qualifying earnings correctly
• Replace the closed SBSCH with a SuperStream-compliant clearing house, and allow for its processing time
• Rebuild your super payment calendar so contributions leave with enough time to reach funds within 7 business days
• Review your cash flow, as super now leaves your account far more often than quarterly
• Check your Single Touch Payroll (STP) reporting is capturing the required per-pay super information
• Make sure super is paid for all eligible workers, including eligible contractors paid mainly for their labour

NOTE LINE: The ATO has indicated a risk-based, facilitative approach for the first year for employers who are genuinely trying to comply, but this is not a reason to delay. Deliberate or ongoing non-compliance is treated firmly.

The Cost of Getting It Wrong

Late or missed super is no longer just an administrative issue. Because the SGC is not tax deductible and carries interest, a late payment now hits your business twice, once in the charge itself and again because you cannot claim it. On top of that, unpaid super can raise workplace-law issues. Getting your systems and processes right is the cheapest form of protection.

How We Help Brisbane Employers Stay Compliant

We help business owners set up and run compliant payroll under Payday Super, from choosing and configuring the right systems to managing your ongoing bookkeeping, BAS and super obligations. If you are unsure whether your business is compliant, we can review your setup and fix the gaps. Explore our to see how we support employers across Brisbane.