Super Nice News

Tax and small business news, minus the jargon.

A short, plain English update every day on the Australian tax and small business changes that actually matter, with sources you can check. Every second day we add a practical tip for small business entities. Written by the Super Nice team.

The TPAR is due 28 August, and this year sole traders should watch the date too

If you paid contractors last year, your taxable payments annual report is due 28 August. And for the first time, that TPAR data will pre-fill contractor tax returns, so sole traders are better off lodging after the deadline passes.

Read more →

SBE tip: some of your contractors are employees for super, even with an ABN

The super guarantee does not stop at your payroll. If a contract is mainly for a person's labour, you probably owe them super, ABN or not. Here is the three part test.

Read more →

Rates on hold: what the RBA's August meeting means for small business

Economists broadly expect the cash rate to stay at 4.35 per cent, with cuts pencilled in for 2027 rather than this year. Plan on money staying expensive for a while yet.

Read more →

Scam season: fake ATO and myGov messages are everywhere right now

Tax time is peak season for impersonation scams, and this year's fakes are convincing. The rule that beats all of them: never open your tax accounts through a link in a message.

Read more →

SBE tip: stop paying personal bills from the business account

Mixed money makes your books fiction, your tax return risky and, if you run a company, can trigger Division 7A. One account for the business, one wage for you.

Read more →

New financial year, new numbers: the 2026-27 rates that matter

A lower bottom tax rate, a $130,000 non concessional cap, a $2.1 million transfer balance cap and the $1,000 instant work deduction. Your one page guide to the new year settings.

Read more →

Small business tax debt tops $50 billion, and the ATO is done waiting

Firmer action is the phrase of the year: director penalty notices, garnishees and credit bureau disclosure are all in play. The protected move is to engage before they call.

Read more →

SBE tip: check you are actually using your small business concessions

Turnover under $10 million unlocks a menu of concessions that plenty of eligible businesses never claim. Run through the list once a year, ideally before your return is lodged.

Read more →

The $20,000 instant asset write off: promised forever, not yet law

The May Budget made the $20,000 threshold permanent from 1 July 2026, but the legislation has not passed. Here is what you can rely on now, and what still needs Parliament.

Read more →

AUSTRAC enrolment closes today for accountants, lawyers and agents

The tranche 2 enrolment window shuts tonight. If your firm provides designated services and has not enrolled, enrol now and document everything. Late is better than never.

Read more →

SBE tip: rebuild your cash flow around payday super

Super leaving with every pay run changes the rhythm of your bank account. Price it into every quote, hold a payroll float, and stop treating super as a quarterly problem.

Read more →

Today is the last quarterly super deadline, ever

Super for the April to June quarter is due today under the old rules, even though payday super is already running. Miss it and the super guarantee charge applies, with no deduction.

Read more →

Division 296: the extra tax on big super balances starts this year

From 1 July 2026 the revised Division 296 design taxes realised earnings on total super balances above $3 million. Unrealised gains are out, and the threshold will be indexed.

Read more →

SBE tip: your PAYG instalments are not set in stone

The ATO bases your instalments on last year. If this year looks different, you can vary them on your activity statement. Just be honest with the estimate.

Read more →

The minimum wage rise is landing in pay packets right about now

Award minimums rose 4.75 per cent from the first full pay period after 1 July, and the national minimum wage is now $26.44 an hour. Flat rates and annual salaries need a fresh check.

Read more →

AUSTRAC and tranche 2: the 29 July enrolment deadline is four days away

Accountants, bookkeepers, lawyers and real estate agents captured by the new AML rules have until Tuesday to enrol with AUSTRAC. Missing the date is itself a breach.

Read more →

SBE tip: a 12 week logbook can pay for itself many times over

Twelve weeks of writing down your trips sets your business use percentage for up to five years. For anyone driving a lot for work, it is the highest paying paperwork there is.

Read more →

Where the ATO is looking in 2026: the small business watch list

Record keeping, income that never hits the return, and unmanaged tax debt. The ATO has been unusually clear about what it is checking this year, which makes it easy to stay off the list.

Read more →

Working from home claims: the ATO wants your hours, all of them

The 70 cent fixed rate looks easy until you read the record keeping rules. No full year record of your hours means the deduction can be denied on review.

Read more →

SBE tip: fifteen minutes a week beats a BAS panic

Poor record keeping is the number one avoidable problem the ATO sees in small business. A short weekly bookkeeping ritual fixes it almost for free.

Read more →

Payday super is live: how the first month is going

Since 1 July, super has to move with every pay run and land in the fund within seven business days. The clearing house is gone. Here is what employers are learning three weeks in.

Read more →

Tax time 2026 is here: five things to know before you lodge

Prefill data is landing, the fixed rate for working from home is 70 cents an hour, and the ATO has named its focus areas. Here is what actually matters for your 2025-26 return.

Read more →

SBE tip: pay your future tax bill every single payday

The simplest fix for BAS and tax bill shock is a separate savings account that gets fed a slice of every dollar that comes in, before you spend a cent.

Read more →