by Tai Tran | Sep 29, 2026 | Recent News, Small Business
From 1 October 2026, Australian businesses can no longer add a surcharge when a customer pays by card. The Reserve Bank’s reforms cover debit, credit and prepaid cards on the eftpos, Mastercard and Visa networks, and American Express and UnionPay are removing surcharging from the same date.
If you’re a café, retailer, tradie or professional services business on the Northern Beaches that currently passes on card fees, today is the day to get ready.
1. Switch surcharging off everywhere
- Card terminals: most banks and providers (Tyro, NAB, CommBank and others) are removing surcharge settings automatically, but check your own terminal on Thursday morning.
- Online invoices and payment links: if your Xero, MYOB or QuickBooks invoices use a “pass on the card fee” option through Stripe or another gateway, turn it off.
- Websites, menus and signage: remove any “card surcharge applies” notices.
2. Invoices already sent still count
The ban applies to the payment date, not the invoice date. If a client pays on or after 1 October, you can’t add a surcharge, even if the invoice went out in September.
3. Don’t rename it
Relabelling a card fee as a “service fee”, “admin fee” or “booking fee” is not a way around the ban and risks misleading-conduct issues with the ACCC. You can still offer a genuine discount for cash or bank transfer if you choose.
4. Protect your margin
The RBA is also lowering interchange fee caps from 1 October, so your merchant fees should fall. Now is a good time to:
- Compare your current merchant fees with the new rates, and ask your provider for a better plan if they haven’t passed on the savings.
- Work out what card fees cost you as a percentage of sales, and whether a small price adjustment is needed.
- Encourage bank transfer or PayTo for larger invoices.
Need a hand?
We can review your merchant fees, update your invoicing settings and model the effect on your cashflow.
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This article is general information only and doesn’t take your circumstances into account. Speak to us before acting.
by Tai Tran | Sep 29, 2026 | Superannuation, Tax
As businesses continue adjusting to Payday Super, we’re hearing a number of common questions and misconceptions. While some assumptions may seem harmless, misunderstanding the rules can lead to rejected contributions, payment delays and extra admin. We’ve separated fact from fiction to help you manage super contributions with confidence.
Fiction: “I can still pay super quarterly, as long as the total is right.”
Fact: Quarterly payments no longer meet the rules. Since 1 July 2026, employers must pay super so that the employee’s fund receives it, with enough information to allocate it to the employee’s account, within 7 business days after each payday. This is how you avoid the super guarantee charge. That applies whether you pay staff weekly, fortnightly or monthly.
Fiction: “Seven days means seven calendar days from when I send the payment.”
Fact: The deadline counts business days, and it runs from payday, not from when you make the transfer. The clock starts on the day you pay your employee’s qualifying earnings. The contribution must also be received by the fund within that window. Clearing houses and bank transfers can take several days, so leave a buffer. As one example, Xero says its auto super service typically gets contributions to funds within four business days.
Fiction: “Once I’ve pressed ‘pay’, my obligation is done.”
Fact: Your obligation is met only when the fund receives the contribution and can allocate it. Incorrect member details, a closed account or an invalid USI can all cause a rejection. Funds now have to return rejected contributions within 3 business days, down from 20.
Fiction: “If a contribution is rejected, I get a fresh 7 days to fix it.”
Fact: There is no reset. You need to fix the problem and resubmit the contribution within the original seven-day window to avoid penalties. This is why accurate employee super details matter more than ever.
Fiction: “New starters must be paid within 7 business days, just like everyone else.”
Fact: New employees get a little more time. Funds must receive the contribution within 20 business days of payday for new employees, employees who have recommenced employment, and employees who have changed super funds. After the first contribution, the standard 7 business day deadline applies. Collect super choice forms at onboarding so the extra time isn’t used up chasing paperwork.
Fiction: “A bonus paid between paydays needs super within 7 days of the bonus.”
Fact: If you pay qualifying earnings outside the normal pay cycle, such as a bonus between regular paydays, the super on that payment is due within 7 business days after the next regular payday.
Fiction: “Super is still calculated the same way, on ordinary time earnings.”
Fact: Super is now calculated on qualifying earnings, a new concept that replaces ordinary time earnings. Qualifying earnings include ordinary time earnings, commissions, eligible salary sacrifice amounts and payments to some contractors paid mainly for their labour. The super guarantee rate is 12% of qualifying earnings. You also need to report both qualifying earnings and super liability through Single Touch Payroll each payday, on a year-to-date basis.
Fiction: “I can keep using the ATO’s Small Business Superannuation Clearing House.”
Fact: The ATO’s Small Business Superannuation Clearing House closed on 30 June 2026, so employers need an alternative. Most payroll software, including Xero, now offers an integrated super payment option.
Fiction: “The ATO will penalise every late payment straight away.”
Fact: The super guarantee charge still applies to late payments, but the ATO has released PCG 2026/1, which sets out a risk-based compliance approach for the first year (1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027). If an employer has made a genuine effort to pay on time and in full, and a payment is delayed for reasons outside their control, the ATO will consider how quickly the employer fixes the problem. This is a transition allowance, not a free pass. Businesses should aim to comply fully now.
How we can help
Payday Super changes how cash flow, payroll and compliance fit together. At TaxAssist Accountants Dee Why, we can review your payroll setup, check your STP reporting of qualifying earnings, help you set up a reliable super payment process, and work through any rejected or late contributions with you. Contact our team to make sure your business is on track.
This article is general information only and does not take into account your specific circumstances. Please seek professional advice before acting.
by Tai Tran | Sep 28, 2026 | Small Business, Tax
Each year the ATO tells tax agents where it will be looking. For 2026 the message is consistent: declare all your income, claim only what you’re entitled to, and keep the records to prove it.
1. All income, not just the payslip
Side-hustle and gig income, interest, dividends, rental income, crypto disposals and foreign income are all pre-filled or data-matched. If you drive for a rideshare platform, sell online or freelance alongside a job, that income belongs in your return.
2. Work-related and business deductions
- Working from home: the fixed-rate method is 70 cents per hour for 2025–26, and you need a record of actual hours worked — not an estimate. Or use the actual-cost method with receipts.
- Car expenses: home-to-work travel is not deductible. For anything else, keep a logbook or a record supporting the cents-per-kilometre claim.
- Self-education: must relate to your current job or business, not one you’d like to have.
- ATO interest charges: no longer deductible from 1 July 2025 — another reason to lodge and pay on time.
3. Records, records, records
A bank statement line is not a receipt. For most claims over $300 in total you need written evidence showing the supplier, amount, date and what was bought. Depreciating assets need a schedule, and rental properties need loan statements and agent summaries.
4. Don’t take tax advice from social media
The ATO has flagged a rise in incorrect deduction “hacks” circulating online, and in impersonation scams. If a claim sounds too good to be true, ask us before you lodge.
Lodging yourself? Remember 31 October.
Self-lodgers must lodge by 31 October 2026. Engage a registered tax agent before then and you’ll generally have until May 2027, with someone checking you haven’t missed anything.
Get more time to lodge →
by Tai Tran | Sep 28, 2026 | Small Business, Superannuation
The biggest change to employer super obligations in more than a decade took effect on 1 July 2026. If you employ staff on the Northern Beaches, here is what you need to know.
What changed
- Super is paid with wages. Contributions must be received by the employee’s fund within 7 business days of payday. The old quarterly deadlines are gone.
- SG rate is 12% of qualifying earnings, which now explicitly includes ordinary time earnings, commissions and salary-sacrificed amounts.
- The ATO Small Business Superannuation Clearing House has closed. Employers who used it need another payment channel — for most of our clients that’s the auto super feature in Xero, MYOB or QuickBooks.
- Stapled fund lookups can now be requested earlier in the onboarding process, which helps you pay new starters on time.
What happens if you’re late
The Super Guarantee Charge has been redesigned. It now includes the shortfall, interest compounding daily at the general interest charge rate, and an administrative uplift. One upside: the redesigned charge is tax deductible, which the old SGC was not. It is still far cheaper to pay on time.
Three things to check this week
- Your pay run timing. If you pay fortnightly on a Thursday, super must be in the fund by the following Friday week. Processing on payday is the safest habit.
- Your clearing house. Confirm your software’s super payment is switched on and that fund details for every employee are current. Rejected payments don’t count as received.
- Cash flow. Super now leaves your account every pay cycle rather than every quarter. Adjust your cash-flow forecast accordingly.
If you’d like us to review your payroll setup or move you off the closed clearing house, book a call or phone (02) 9045 1511.
