Payroll News, January 2026: Payday Super kicks off, and the SBSCH will close in July, so make sure you’re prepared!
- Brett Reed
- 2 days ago
- 6 min read
Updated: 2 days ago
Payroll News for January 2026
As we jump into 2026, the Payday Super challenge is coming up fast. From 1 July 2026, you must pay the Employer Superannuation Contributions at the same time as your employees receive their remuneration on pay day. The employee's Superannuation Fund must allocate the contribution within 7 business days. In specific situations, it can be up to twenty business days. We have published a complete Payday Super Employer Guide to get you started, available in this newsletter.
A number of our payroll features currently under development have been delayed due to resources being allocated to Payday Super, but they remain on track for completion in the first and second quarters of this calendar year.
Simplify your payroll processes with our new e-PayDay Go® Video Guides.
We have now finally found the time to create e-PayDay Go® Video Guides, which has been a long-term goal. Our aim is to provide you with resources that help you maximise the benefits of e-PayDay Go® in a clear, easy-to-understand way. We offer hundreds of features, and while payroll requirements can be complicated, we aim to simplify tasks by providing clear explanations of the functionality. Several have been highlighted in this edition of Payroll News, with many more to come.
We continue to enhance e-PayDay Go® by providing valuable features and functionalities that streamline payroll processing, offering significant benefits without any marketing spin.
We always strive to ensure that your pay days are enjoyable!
Brett
You can find me on LinkedIn.
Use our complete Payday Super Employer Guide to help you get started now.
We have been diligently refining and expanding the functionality of e-PayDay Go® to align with Payday Super's requirements. In addition, we have successfully integrated several superannuation features from the original release of e-PayDay Go®, enhancing the capabilities and delivering significant benefits tailored specifically for Payday Super. These improvements aim to streamline processes and improve your overall experience.
You can start reporting and paying Payday Super now. The earlier you get started, the sooner you minimise the risk of being subject to a Superannuation Guarantee Charge (SGC) for missed, incorrect or late payments.
We're excited to offer payroll tools to help you meet the Payday Super requirements. Just remember, ensuring your payroll software is set up correctly is key to meeting your employer obligations.
Payday Super is yet another government-designed solution, which makes implementation within payroll challenging.
To appreciate the challenges of implementing Payday Super, take a moment to read our post, What challenges does Payday Super present from the perspective of a Digital Service Provider (DSP), and what are the implications for Employers?
As a member of the Payday Super STP Data Improvements Technical Working Group, e-PayDay is engaged with the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) to assist with the technical aspects of the Payday Super implementation. Numerous milestones have been achieved with the primary goal of ensuring that the published ATO guidance aligns with the requirements. This is a key area, previously identified as having incomplete or non-existent guidance resulted in incorrect identification of Ordinary Time Earnings (OTE) and the miscalculation of Superannuation Guarantee (SG) amounts. This guidance has now been aligned with the Qualifying Earnings (QE) Payday Super requirements and serves as an invaluable reference, helping employers determine the configuration of their payroll software. Regrettably, the guidance on allowances in the QE documentation is lacking in completeness and clarity. This deficiency has yet to be addressed to ensure a complete understanding and effective PDS implementation, minimising the risk of inaccurate outcomes.
Although more work remains to be done, the new guidance is a significant step in the right direction, thanks to a small group of participants within the PDSTWG who worked diligently alongside ATO stakeholders to address the concerns.
What is the alternative now that the Small Business Superannuation Clearing House (SBSCH) is closing?
This is a common question, and the answer is simple regardless of your situation. With the introduction of Payday Super, it was announced that the Small Business Superannuation Clearing House (SBSCH) will permanently close on 30 July 2026.
To provide a comprehensive solution to employers' superannuation needs, we partnered with SuperChoice, Australia’s premier Clearing House service and trusted by the nation’s most prominent brands. We provide this seamless service at no additional cost, all within e-PayDay Go®, offering simple 'one click' processing of your superannuation obligations.
To get started with Payday Super, first determine your current situation:
I currently operate with fewer than four employees, yet I invest in software that exceeds $0.
If you have fewer than 4 employees and are paying more than $0 for your payroll software, you are overspending on your Single Touch Payroll (STP) and Payday Super reporting obligations. We provide 100% free payroll software with no hidden fees or bait-and-switch marketing tactics.
I have more than three employees and am currently using the SBSCH.
Our plans start at $99 per year for 4 employees and include essential payroll features suitable for businesses of all sizes, including those with hundreds of employees. Add up to 3 employees 100% free, then choose a plan that suits your needs when you need to add more.
I am not currently using any software.
If you do not have a payroll solution, then you can get started with 100% free payroll software, including Single Touch Payroll (STP) and Payday Super. Designed to scale, e-PayDay Go® efficiently supports businesses from small teams to hundreds of employees, with cost-effective plans that cover all 122 Fair Work Modern Awards.
Processing and paying super on pay day is easy with e-PayDay Go® and is a seamless experience. Simply select Process Super when the pay run is completed, and the STP report has been lodged to report and pay your superannuation contributions.
We provide a simple 'one click' process for reporting and payment of your Superannuation obligations.
Using Single Touch Payroll software such as e-PayDay Go® is essential to address the complexities of payroll requirements, automate reporting, and minimise the risk of errors. This will help streamline your payroll processes and make it easier to meet your Payday Super obligations.
You can now easily invite your Accountant or Bookkeeper (Tax Practitioner) to access e-PayDay Go®.
Now you can easily invite a Tax Professional to assist you with your payroll needs. By simply selecting the + Invite Tax Practitioner button and completing a few details (for security), an invitation email is automatically sent to your preferred Tax Practitioner, all completed directly within e-PayDay Go®. This seamless integration allows for a quicker response time from your Tax Practitioner, as they can actively engage with your payroll needs without unnecessary delays.
Everything required is within e-PayDay Go®, which is designed to make payroll management as efficient and straightforward as possible. With this feature, you can rest assured that you have the right professional support to navigate the complexities of payroll regulations and ensure compliance with Tax and Superannuation laws. This functionality not only saves you time but also provides peace of mind, knowing that your payroll needs are being handled by your chosen qualified expert.
The new Linked accounts Payroll Dashboard Widget allows you to manage multiple Organisations with ease.
Whether you are an Accountant, Bookkeeper, Payroll Bureau, or process payroll for many organisations within your group, our new Linked accounts Payroll Dashboard Widget allows you to securely switch between organisations with ease.
The Plan and Level are displayed clearly, ensuring easy visibility for each organisation and assisting with your subscription management.
Mood-a-Rater™ has had a facelift.
We have made some minor UI tweaks to our valued Mood-a-Rater™ Employer Sentiments tool, but don't take them at face value. Beneath the glamour, the substance remains the same.
Mood-a-Rater™ still provides all of the same great features (and benefits), but just looks more engaging:
Key benefits of e-PayDay's Mood-a-Rater™ live mood tracking:
Real-time visibility: See weekly updates on your Payroll Dashboard to stay informed about team morale and mood shifts.
Actionable insights: Identify patterns and address engagement challenges before they impact productivity.
Team well-being focus: Understand how your employees are feeling to support a healthier workplace culture.
We recommend reviewing our disclaimer regarding the content of this post to make informed decisions that are suitable for your individual circumstances.
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