PAYDAY SUPER

Payday super will be a significant change to how employers must pay superannuation. From 1 July 2026, the current quarterly system will be replaced with a new legal requirement to pay super each pay cycle.

This means you must calculate and pay super at the same time as wages — whether you run payroll weekly, fortnightly or monthly.

What the new law requires

From 1 July 2026:

1. Super must be processed at the same time as each pay run.

2. Contributions must reach the employee’s fund within seven calendar days of payday.

3. Quarterly super payments will no longer be compliant.

What this means for your business

You will need to ensure your payroll system:

• automatically calculates super each pay cycle.

• integrates with a SuperStream-compliant clearing house.

• sends contribution data and payments together.

This change means your employee’s super contribution must arrive in your employees’ super fund account within seven business days. That’s a big shift from the 28 days employers currently have to send money to super funds every quarter.

Most modern payroll systems (such as Xero, MYOB and Reckon) are expected to support Payday Super before it commences. If you are using manual spreadsheets or older software, you will likely need to upgrade.

Because super will no longer be paid quarterly, you will also need to plan your cash flow carefully. Sufficient funds must be available to cover super at the same time wages are processed.

When engaging new employees, make sure you obtain their superannuation fund details as early as possible. Their first pay will also require super to be paid immediately.

We recommend speaking with your accountant or payroll provider well before 1 July 2026 to ensure your systems and processes are ready.