Claim New Loss Carry-Back Relief From 1 July 2026
The refundable tax offset for eligible company tax losses is now law. It applies to revenue losses arising in income years starting on or after 1 July 2026.
Your company may carry back a loss against tax paid in either or both of the two previous income years. The first claims will generally be made in your 2026–27 company tax return.
To qualify, your company must generally:
- Be a corporate tax entity.
- Not be a significant global entity. This generally means aggregated turnover is below $1 billion.
- Have lodged tax returns for the previous five income years, unless a return was not required.
- Have paid tax in one or both of the previous two income years.
- Have a franking account balance at the end of the loss year.
- Have a revenue loss rather than a capital loss.
- Choose to claim the offset. It is optional.
The offset is capped by your available franking account surplus. This means the tax refund may be lower than the loss itself. You can also choose to carry the loss forward instead, depending on your cash-flow and compliance position.
Review your 2026–27 forecasts now. Accurate bookkeeping, tax calculations and franking account records will help you test eligibility before preparing the company return. Read the ATO’s loss carry-back announcement and eligibility guidance.
Remove Card Surcharges Before PayPal’s Monday Deadline
Card network no-surcharge rules started on 1 October 2026 for eftpos, Visa, Mastercard, American Express and UnionPay. PayPal’s equivalent rule starts on Monday, 5 October 2026.
The changes are enforced through merchant contracts and card network rules rather than directly by the ACCC. They affect online checkouts, payment terminals, recurring billing systems and invoices where the customer pays by card.
Take these steps before your next trading day:
- Remove card surcharge settings from your ecommerce platform.
- Check PayPal, Stripe, Square and other payment provider configurations.
- Review pricing pages, checkout notices and customer invoices.
- Confirm that automatic surcharge rules are disabled.
- Reconcile payment processing fees separately in your accounting system.
You can still offer a genuine discount for cash or PayID payments. A genuine booking or service fee may also be permitted where it applies independently of the customer’s payment method.
Do not simply rename a card surcharge as a “service fee”, “booking fee” or “handling fee”. The ACCC warns that this may be misleading where the fee only applies to card payments.
The RBA estimates that interchange reforms could save merchants around $910 million each year. The government estimates consumers could save $1.6 billion annually. Your immediate priority is to update your systems and make your displayed prices accurate.
Replace ATO Credit Card Payments Before 30 November
The ATO will stop accepting credit card payments after 30 November 2026. The ATO says it is not appropriate to pass credit card merchant fees to the community.
Only 2.3% of tax payments were made by credit card in 2024–25, with approximately 60% of those payments made by large organisations. However, the decision is creating concern for small businesses managing uneven cash flow.
On 2 October, Pauline Hanson and Allegra Spender called for the decision to be reversed. The Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry has also raised concerns. Industry Minister Tim Ayres defended the policy, while Opposition Leader Angus Taylor criticised its timing.
Regardless of the political debate, your payment arrangements need to work before the deadline. Move ATO payment plans and scheduled payments to an accepted method, such as:
- BPAY.
- Direct debit.
- Debit card.
- Another payment option approved by the ATO.
Update saved payment instructions now. This reduces the risk of a failed instalment, arrears, interest or payment-plan default. Read the ATO’s credit card payment announcement.
Lodge Around This Weekend’s ATO System Outage
ATO online services will be unavailable from 9:00pm AEST on Saturday, 3 October, until 12:00pm AEDT on Sunday, 4 October 2026.
The SBR1 and SBR2 production environments will be unavailable, and file transfers through ATO Online may be affected.
If you need to lodge a BAS, amend a return, submit a file or schedule a payment, complete it outside the maintenance window. Do not leave urgent compliance work until Sunday morning. Check the ATO system maintenance dashboard before attempting a submission.
Protect Your October Lodgment Dates
Because 31 October 2026 falls on a Saturday, self-lodgers of 2025–26 individual tax returns will generally have until Monday, 2 November 2026 to lodge without penalty.
However, the 31 October date is not extended for important tax agent requirements. Overdue prior-year returns must still be lodged by 31 October. New clients must also be added to an agent’s client list by that date to protect their lodgment program due date.
Allow up to three weeks for updated due dates to appear in ATO systems.
The PAYG withholding annual report for unfranked dividends, interest and royalties paid to non-residents is also due on 31 October. Check your payment records and withholding reports early so the deadline does not create a last-minute correction.
Review Super for Influencers and Contractors
The ATO has updated its guidance confirming that super guarantee may apply to payments made to:
- Social media influencers.
- Live streamers.
- Guest speakers.
- Performers and sportspeople.
- Yoga, Pilates and fitness instructors.
Super may apply even when the individual:
- Has an ABN.
- Calls themselves an independent contractor.
- Performs the work as a hobby.
- Is engaged for a one-off activity.
The main exception is where the payment is for a domestic or personal purpose. Super is generally not required where payment is made to a company, trust or partnership rather than directly to an individual.
Under Payday Super, qualifying contributions must reach the fund within
