PAYDAY SUPER

New Legal Requirement for Paying Employee Superannuation: What You Need to Know

Starting 1 July 2026 employers are required to pay superannuation contributions at the same time they pay their employee wages.

Super guarantee is calculated as 12% of qualifying earnings (QE). QE is the new term that brings together ordinary time earnings (OTE) and other payments including salary sacrifice contributions.

• Employers must report both QE and super for each employee through Single Touch Payroll every pay cycle

• Contributions must reach the employee’s super fund within 7 business days of the pay day

• First time payments, including new employees have 20 business days after the first pay day to make sure the contribution was successful

• Failure to pay super on time will result in interest and penalties

This change benefits both employers and employees. Streamlining payroll and making it easier to monitor super contributions will help minimse the risk of penalties. Employees will be able to manage their super better as its paid more frequently and invested sooner with less risk of unpaid super

CHANGES: Prior to 1 July 2026 employers paid super contributions by quarterly due dates

You don’t need to wait until 1 July 2026 to start paying super at the same time as you pay wages - you can start now.