Super at the end of the financial year¶

At year-end, super is usually one of the simpler jobs. Under the current rules, known as Payday Super, you pay super each time you pay your staff, so most of the year's super is already done. Your main job at the end of the year is to check that nothing is still outstanding.

The one thing to keep in mind is that super only counts for a financial year once the employee's super fund has actually received it. Sending it is not the same as it arriving.

In one line

Under Payday Super you pay super each payday, so at year-end you just check that every payment has reached each employee's fund and nothing is left outstanding.

Why this matters¶

Super is money you are holding on behalf of your employees. Getting it to the right fund, on time, is one of your key responsibilities as an employer. Checking it at year-end gives you confidence that everyone's super for the year is complete before you finalise your payroll.

What you will learn¶

What to check about super at the end of the financial year
Why super only counts once the fund has received it
How to spot a super payment that might still be outstanding

Understanding the concept¶

Since 1 July 2026, the ATO requires employers to pay super each payday rather than every three months. This is called Payday Super. Each time you pay your staff, you also pay their super.

The ATO explains that a super payment is on time when the employee's super fund receives it, with the information the fund needs to allocate it to the right member, within 7 business days after you pay your employee. Importantly, super is only treated as paid when it reaches the fund — not when you send it to a clearing house.

Because of this "received by the fund" rule, timing matters at year-end. A payment counts for the financial year in which the fund receives it. So a super payment you make right at the end of June may only reach the fund a few days later. That is normal under the 7-business-day window — the point is simply to make sure it does arrive and that nothing has failed or bounced back.

So at year-end, the check is short:

Has super been paid for every pay run in the year?
Has each payment been received by the employee's fund?
Is anything showing as failed, returned, or still outstanding?

For accountants & bookkeepers

The ATO's timing test is receipt by the fund, not the date the employer initiates the transfer. Where the ATO requires super to be received within 7 business days of payday, a payment made close to 30 June can be received early in the new financial year and still be on time — but it is received, and therefore counted, in the year the fund actually receives it. This is why late-June payments deserve a closer look during the year-end review.

Example¶

Priya runs a small café with three staff on a weekly pay cycle. All year, each time she runs a pay, super is paid at the same time. At the end of June she opens her payroll and works down the list: every pay run for the year has a matching super payment, and each one shows as received by the employee's fund. One payment from the last week of June is still on its way, which is expected because it was only just sent. Nothing has failed or been returned. Priya's super check is done — there is nothing outstanding to fix.

Common mistakes¶

Assuming super is "paid" the moment you send it — it only counts once the fund has received it.
Forgetting to check the last pay runs of June, where a payment may still be in transit.
Ignoring a failed or returned super payment — an unallocated payment is still outstanding until it reaches the fund.
Confusing sending money to a clearing house with the fund receiving it.

How this works in myaccountant¶

In the app — when you run a pay run, myaccountant works out the super for each employee and lets you submit it. Each contribution shows its status, so at year-end you can see which super payments have been sent and which have been received by the fund. Anything that failed or was returned is flagged, so you can spot an outstanding payment before you finalise.

Key points¶

Under Payday Super you pay super each payday, so most of the year's super is already done by year-end.
Super only counts for a financial year once the employee's fund has received it.
The ATO requires super to be received by the fund within 7 business days of payday.
A late-June payment can arrive in early July and still be on time.
At year-end, check that nothing is failed, returned, or still outstanding.

Learn next¶

General information only — not tax, super or financial advice.

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