TITLE: Australia’s Key Tax and Compliance Dates for October
Australia’s key tax and compliance dates for October
Australian businesses face several practical compliance deadlines this month. For employers, the immediate priorities are Payday Super and the July–September Business Activity Statement (BAS). Other developments affect ATO payment options, trust reporting, property-loss rules, foreign resident capital gains tax (CGT) and privacy policies.
Whether your business operates in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide or regional Australia, use this update to identify what needs attention now, and what to monitor.
ATO credit card payments continue until 30 June 2027
The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) will continue accepting credit card payments for tax liabilities until 30 June 2027. The government funded a transition period after small business groups and crossbench MPs raised concerns about cash flow. The delay moves the change from its previously planned 1 December 2026 start.
The decision follows the Reserve Bank of Australia’s credit card surcharge ban, which took effect on 1 October 2026. The ATO had planned to stop accepting card payments rather than absorb the processing costs. The delay gives businesses more time to prepare; it does not guarantee that card payments will remain available after June 2027. Read the reports from Nine and the Housing Industry Association.
What to do: Review how you will pay ATO liabilities from 1 July 2027. Check the ATO’s current payment arrangements and plan ahead rather than relying on credit card access or a last-minute solution. That will help you protect working capital and avoid missed payment deadlines.
ATO explores taxpayer data-sharing with banks
The ATO has confirmed it is scoping a proposal, funded in the 2026–27 federal budget, that could let banks verify selected taxpayer-held information when assessing loan applications. The reported proposal would extend institutional access through the Consumer Data Right (CDR) and is intended to help address AI-enabled fraud.
This is work in progress, not a new requirement for businesses to share tax records with banks. The proposal’s design and safeguards are still being explored. The ATO confirmation reported by The Mandarin provides further context.
No immediate action is needed. Still, keep your ATO and accounting records accurate. Reliable income and business information can help prevent mismatches as data verification expands.
Payday Super: treat 28 October as a risk checkpoint
Payday Super began on 1 July 2026. Employers generally must now ensure super contributions reach an employee’s fund within seven business days of each payday. The timing requirement applies throughout the quarter; 28 October is not permission to hold contributions until a quarterly deadline.
The date matters for another reason. Under the ATO’s Payday Super compliance approach, employers with unresolved July–September super guarantee shortfalls after 28 October may be rated high risk and prioritised for investigation. Employers still paying quarterly rather than transitioning to payday payments are generally rated medium risk. Check the ATO’s Payday Super guidance and PCG 2026/1.
Employer checklist:
- Reconcile payroll, super contributions and fund receipt records for July to September.
- Identify unpaid, underpaid or misallocated contributions.
- Correct any shortfall promptly, and work to have first-quarter shortfalls cleared by 28 October.
- Check that your payroll process supports the seven-business-day payment window going forward.
The ATO also has a process for exceptional-circumstances determinations. In qualifying events, such as a natural disaster or widespread technology outage, an employer may be allowed 20 business days under the relevant determination. This is an event-specific process, not a routine extension. Do not assume it applies without checking the ATO’s compliance guidance.
Quarter 1 BAS is due on 28 October
The July–September 2026 BAS is the first quarterly BAS period since Payday Super began. The standard due date is 28 October 2026. Eligible businesses lodging electronically may receive a two-week concession, to 11 November. Eligible clients lodging through a registered agent may have a 25 November date under the agent lodgment program.
These concessions have eligibility conditions, so check the due date on your activity statement or with your agent. The ATO lists the relevant dates on its October 2026 due-date page.
Start gathering sales, expenses, GST and PAYG information now. A timely reconciliation helps you lodge accurately and reduces the risk of late payment.
Closely held trusts: update beneficiary TFN reporting
From 1 July 2026, trustees of closely held trusts no longer lodge quarterly TFN reports for beneficiaries. Instead, beneficiary TFNs must be reported in the statement of distribution, with additional labels in the trust tax return from 2027. The change alters the reporting process; it does not remove TFN withholding obligations. If a beneficiary has not quoted a TFN, withholding at the top marginal rate may still apply.
Review your beneficiary records and distribution reporting before preparing the next trust return. See the ATO’s guidance on closely held trust TFN reporting and trustee obligations.
Negative gearing amendments include targeted transfer exceptions
Schedule 4 to the Treasury Laws Amendment (Tax Reform No 2) Bill 2026 sets out exceptions to the new residential loss-quarantining rules. The rules apply to relevant net rental losses from 2027–28 onwards where an ownership interest was acquired on or after 7:30 pm on 12 May 2026.
The specified exceptions include interests acquired from a deceased spouse, as a surviving joint tenant or estate beneficiary in qualifying circumstances, and from a spouse following a relationship break
