Payday Super Deadline Calculator
From 1 July 2026, super guarantee contributions must be received by your employee's super fund within 7 business days of payday. Enter your payday to get the exact deadline — public holidays anywhere in Australia are handled automatically.
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How the deadline works
Your contribution is on time if it is received by the fund — with enough information to allocate it to the member account — within 7 business days after the day you pay qualifying earnings. A business day excludes weekends and any public holiday that covers an entire state or territory, anywhere in Australia. Because clearing houses can take several days to process payments, the ATO recommends paying super on payday itself.
Situations with longer deadlines: first contributions for new employees or new funds (20 business days), certain out-of-cycle payments (due with your next regular pay run's contribution), and ATO-declared exceptional circumstances such as natural disasters (20 business days).
FAQ
What is the payday super deadline from 1 July 2026?
From 1 July 2026, super guarantee contributions must be received by your employee's super fund within 7 business days after payday (the ATO calls this the QE day). Paying on payday itself is best practice, because clearing houses need processing time.
What counts as a business day for payday super?
Any day other than a Saturday, Sunday, or a public holiday that applies to the whole of any Australian state or territory. A state-wide holiday anywhere in Australia (for example NT Picnic Day) is not a business day, even if your business is in a different state. Part-state holidays still count as business days.
Do new employees have a different super deadline?
Yes. The first contribution for a new employee, or the first contribution to a new fund for an existing employee, must be received within 20 business days after the relevant payday.
What happens if I pay super late under payday super?
You become liable for the super guarantee charge (SGC). From 1 July 2026 the ATO assesses it automatically — it includes the shortfall calculated on qualifying earnings, daily compounding interest at the general interest charge rate, plus an administrative uplift. Penalties of 25% or 50% of unpaid SGC can also apply.
Does the super rate change under payday super?
No. The super guarantee rate stays 12%, but from 1 July 2026 it is calculated on 'qualifying earnings', which includes ordinary time earnings, all commissions, salary sacrifice contributions and certain other amounts.
Sources: ATO — About Payday Super; ATO — Payment deadlines for Payday Super. Verified 5 August 2026. This calculator reproduces the ATO's published worked examples exactly.