Payday Super is Changing: What Small Businesses Need to Know

From 1 July 2026, Australia’s superannuation system is changing with the introduction of Payday Super — and small businesses will need to adjust how and when they pay super.

Under the new rules, employers must pay Super Guarantee (SG) contributions at the same time as wages, rather than quarterly. According to the Australian Taxation Office (ATO), super contributions must reach an employee’s fund within seven business days of each payday.

What This Means for Small Businesses
For small business owners, Payday Super will require some practical changes:

More frequent super payments aligned with each pay run (weekly, fortnightly, or monthly).
Payroll system updates to automate super payments and reporting.
Cash-flow planning, as super will be paid sooner instead of being held until the end of each quarter.

Why the Change?
The ATO and government say Payday Super is designed to:

Reduce unpaid or late super
Improve transparency for employees
Modernise payroll and compliance systems
For employees, this means super is received sooner and benefits from earlier compounding over time.

How to Prepare Now
Even though the start date is still ahead, small businesses should:

Talk to your bookkeeper or consider engaging a bookkeeper to ensure compliance requirements will be met
Review payroll software capabilities or engage payroll software
Start planning for the cash-flow impact

Final Takeaway
Payday Super is one of the biggest super changes in years. While it adds new obligations for small businesses, early preparation — and guidance from the ATO — will make the transition far smoother.

A skilled bookkeeper can facilitate all of these changes for you to allow you to focus on the parts of your business that bring in money.

Pretty Brilliant Bookkeeping can help keep you get compliant and maintain compliance. Give us a call today.