by Tai Tran | Oct 3, 2026 | Small Business, Tax
The September quarter has closed, and your July–September 2026 BAS is next on the list. It’s also the first full quarter under Payday Super, so a few things look different this time.
Due dates
- 28 October 2026 if you lodge yourself.
- 25 November 2026, generally, if you lodge electronically through a registered tax or BAS agent.
Late lodgement can attract penalties and general interest charges, which are no longer tax deductible. If you can’t pay in full, lodge on time anyway and talk to us about a payment plan.
Pre-lodgement checklist
- Bank feeds reconciled to 30 September for every account and credit card.
- GST coding checked: no GST claimed on bank fees, insurance stamp duty, wages, super or overseas subscriptions without GST; GST-free sales coded correctly.
- Tax invoices on file for purchases over $82.50 (including GST) where you’re claiming GST credits.
- PAYG withholding (W1 and W2) agrees with your Single Touch Payroll reports for the quarter.
- Super paid every pay run: under Payday Super there’s no longer a quarterly catch-up date, so check nothing was missed from July onwards.
- Capital purchases recorded at G10, and flagged for the $20,000 instant asset write-off if eligible.
- Fuel tax credits claimed if you use fuel in heavy vehicles or machinery.
- PAYG instalment reviewed: if your income has dropped, you may be able to vary it.
Set aside GST as you go
A simple habit that saves a lot of stress: move the GST component of each sale into a separate savings account when you’re paid. When the BAS arrives, the money is already there.
Let us lodge it for you
Our Growth and Established packages include BAS review and lodgement, and lodging through us generally gives you the later November due date.
Book a free call →
This article is general information only and doesn’t take your circumstances into account. Speak to us before acting.
by Tai Tran | Oct 2, 2026 | Recent News, Tax
The ATO has stepped up its crackdown on the shadow economy: businesses that under-report cash sales, pay staff off the books or operate outside the tax system. In recent weeks, ATO officers have made unannounced visits to hospitality venues, following earlier visits this year to farms in regional NSW and hospitality businesses on the Gold Coast. The ATO has reported receiving around a thousand tip-offs a week.
The ATO’s stated aim is to protect the businesses that do the right thing from being undercut by those that don’t. If you run a café, restaurant, trade or retail business on the Northern Beaches, it’s worth checking you’d be comfortable if they walked in tomorrow.
What the ATO looks at
- Cash sales: are all takings going through the register and into your accounts? The ATO benchmarks businesses against others in the same industry, and figures well below the benchmark attract attention.
- Wages: are all staff paid through Single Touch Payroll, with PAYG withheld and super paid? Cash-in-hand wages are a key focus.
- GST registration: businesses with turnover of $75,000 or more must be registered for GST (for ride-share and taxi drivers, from the first dollar).
- Money taken out of a company: if you run a company and draw funds for personal use, Division 7A rules apply. The ATO has named this as a current small business focus.
Your quick readiness check
- Every sale, card or cash, recorded in your POS and banked or reconciled.
- All staff set up in payroll software with STP reporting.
- Super paid with every pay run under Payday Super.
- Records kept for five years, including cash register reports.
- Personal drawings from a company documented as wages, dividends or a compliant loan.
If something isn’t right
Coming forward voluntarily before the ATO contacts you generally leads to much lower penalties than being found in an audit. If you’re worried something in your books isn’t right, talk to us confidentially and we’ll help you fix it properly.
Book a confidential call →
This article is general information only and doesn’t take your circumstances into account. Speak to us before acting.
by Tai Tran | Oct 1, 2026 | Small Business
From 1 December 2026, you will no longer be able to pay your tax bill with a credit card. The ATO has confirmed it will stop accepting Visa, Mastercard and American Express credit cards after 30 November, following the Reserve Bank’s ban on card surcharges.
Why this matters for small business
For many small businesses, putting a BAS or income tax bill on the credit card has been a practical way to manage cash flow – buying up to 55 days of breathing space when a large tax payment lands at the same time as wages, rent and supplier bills. Small businesses make up a significant share of credit card payments to the ATO, so this change will be felt locally.
If you currently have an ATO payment plan or direct debit linked to a credit card, you’ll need to change your payment method before your first instalment due after 30 November. Missing this could put your payment plan at risk.
What you can do now
- Keep using your card – the smart way. Until 30 November, you can still pay the ATO directly by credit card. From 1 December, our partner pay.com.au lets you keep paying your tax on card: you pay pay.com.au by card, and they pay the ATO by bank transfer. You keep your card’s interest-free period and your points. Fees apply.
- Update payment plans linked to a credit card before December.
- Plan for your next BAS. Setting aside GST and PAYG in a separate account each week takes the pressure off when the bill arrives.
- Review your PAYG instalments if your income has dropped – you may be paying more than you need to.
- Talk to us before the due date, not after. Remember, ATO interest charges are no longer tax deductible, so carrying a tax debt is now more expensive than it used to be.
We can help
At TaxAssist Accountants Dee Why, we work with Northern Beaches businesses every day on cash flow and tax payments. Through our partnership with pay.com.au, we can set you up to keep paying your BAS, PAYG and income tax on your credit card after the ATO cut-off – so your cash flow doesn’t take a hit.
We can also help you set up an ATO payment plan, prepare a cash flow forecast so tax bills don’t catch you short, and review your PAYG instalments.
Don’t wait until your next BAS is due. Call us on (02) 9045 1511 or email [email protected] to book a chat.
TaxAssist Accountants Dee Why may receive a fee for referrals to pay.com.au. This article is general information only and does not take into account your personal circumstances.
by Tai Tran | Oct 1, 2026 | Recent News, Tax
After years of one-year extensions announced at the last minute, the $20,000 instant asset write-off is now a permanent part of the tax system from 1 July 2026. Announced in the May 2026 Budget, the measure has passed into law and the ATO has confirmed the details.
Who can use it
Businesses with an aggregated annual turnover under $10 million that use the simplified depreciation rules.
How it works
- You can immediately deduct the business-use portion of an eligible depreciating asset that costs less than $20,000.
- The limit applies per asset, so you can write off several assets in the same year as long as each is under $20,000.
- The asset must be first used, or installed ready for use, in the income year you claim it. Paying a deposit isn’t enough.
- If you’re registered for GST, the $20,000 test is on the GST-exclusive cost.
- Assets costing $20,000 or more go into the small business pool, depreciated at 15% in the first year and 30% after that. If the pool balance falls below $20,000 at year end, it can be written off too.
What it means for you
Because the threshold is now permanent, there’s no reason to rush a purchase before 30 June just in case the rules change. Buy equipment when your business needs it and your cashflow can support it.
A few reminders:
- A deduction isn’t a refund. A $10,000 laptop and software upgrade saves you tax at your marginal rate, not $10,000.
- Private use reduces the claim. Only the business-use portion can be written off, which matters for vehicles, phones and computers.
- Keep the invoice and a note of the date the asset was first used or installed.
Planning a purchase?
Talk to us before you buy. We can confirm eligibility, compare buying outright with financing or leasing, and work out the real after-tax cost.
Book a free call →
This article is general information only and doesn’t take your circumstances into account. Speak to us before acting.
by Tai Tran | Sep 30, 2026 | Recent News
NSW Small Business Month starts today and runs until 31 October. Run by the NSW Small Business Commission with councils, chambers of commerce and industry partners, it’s a month of free and low-cost workshops, webinars and networking events for small business owners across the state.
What’s on
This year’s program lists well over 200 events, both online and in person, including sessions nearby on the Lower North Shore. Topics include:
- Cash flow management: working out your cash position and tracking it month to month.
- AI for small business: practical, no-hype sessions on using AI tools for marketing and everyday admin.
- Sales, marketing and digital skills.
- Networking with other local business owners.
Browse and register through the NSW Government’s Small Business Month page at nsw.gov.au. Popular sessions fill quickly, so book early.
Our tip: pick one thing and act on it
It’s easy to attend a webinar and change nothing. Choose one area where your business is feeling pressure this year, whether that’s cash flow after Payday Super, pricing after the card surcharge ban, or simply getting your books up to date, and pick a session on that topic.
And a busy month for deadlines
October is also crunch time for tax. Keep these dates in mind:
- 28 October: September quarter BAS due if you lodge yourself.
- 31 October: individual and sole trader tax returns due if you lodge yourself. Get on our lodgement list before then and you’ll generally have until May 2027.
If you’d rather spend October on your business than your paperwork, we’re happy to help.
Book a free call →
