Skip to content
MJE Business Services

EOFY Checklist for St George Small Businesses

Last reviewed: 2026-06-15Business Tax

EOFY Checklist for St George Small Businesses

Short answer: before 30 June, reconcile your books, finalise payroll through Single Touch Payroll (STP), pay super so it lands in employees' funds in time, do a stocktake if you hold stock, review bad debts and asset purchases, and pull together a clean pack for your accountant. The rest of this page walks through each step in plain English, with the 2025-26 deadlines that matter.

The end of the financial year has a habit of sneaking up. If you run a small business around Mortdale, Hurstville, Kogarah or anywhere in the St George area, this checklist covers the jobs worth ticking off now - so your tax return is smoother, you avoid late penalties, and you catch a few last-minute ways to save.

One thing to flag early: big super changes land on 1 July 2026 (Payday Super), so the 2025-26 wrap-up is also the moment to get your payroll house in order. More on that below. If you want to do this properly, pair this checklist with our guide to tax planning before 30 June.

1. Finalise your payroll (Single Touch Payroll)

If you have employees, you report their pay to the ATO each payday through Single Touch Payroll (STP). At year-end you make a finalisation declaration so each employee's income statement shows "Tax ready" in their myGov account.

STP finalisation is due by 14 July each year. (Closely held payees - family members in the business - can be finalised by 30 September, but your arm's-length employees still need to be done by 14 July.)

Before you finalise, reconcile your payroll so gross wages, PAYG withholding and super line up with what you actually paid. Fixing a mistake now beats amending later.

2. Pay super on time

The super guarantee (SG) rate is 12% of ordinary time earnings for the 2025-26 year - this was the final scheduled increase, which took effect on 1 July 2025.

Two deadlines to watch:

  • June quarter super (1 April to 30 June) is due by 28 July. Super counts as "paid" on the date the fund receives it, not the day you send it - so allow a few days for processing.
  • To claim a deduction for super this financial year, the contribution must reach the employees' funds before 30 June. Paying in early-to-mid June is the safe play.

Miss the SG deadline and you may have to lodge a Super Guarantee Charge statement and pay the charge - which is not tax-deductible. Our bookkeeping and payroll team can help you stay on schedule.

Heads-up for 1 July 2026 - Payday Super is coming. From 1 July 2026, employers must pay super for each payday (not quarterly), and it must reach the employee's fund within 7 business days of pay day. At the same time, the ATO's free Small Business Superannuation Clearing House closes - existing users can use it until 11:59pm AEST on 30 June 2026, then it stops. If you rely on the clearing house, use this EOFY to download your records and line up an alternative (your payroll software's super function, or talk to us).

3. Do a stocktake (if you hold stock)

If your business carries trading stock, count it as close to 30 June as you can and record its value. Most small businesses can choose the method that gives the best result (cost, market selling value, or replacement value). A tidy stocktake feeds straight into your tax return and profit figure.

4. Reconcile your accounts

Before you hand anything over, reconcile (our year-end bookkeeping guide walks through this in detail):

  • Bank and credit card accounts to the actual statements
  • GST collected and paid against your BAS lodgements (see our BAS and GST page)
  • Loans, hire purchase and chattel mortgages
  • Petty cash and any director or owner drawings

Reconciling now means the numbers your accountant sees are the real numbers - not a snapshot that needs unwinding.

5. Review and write off bad debts

If a customer clearly is not going to pay, you may be able to write the debt off as bad before 30 June to claim the deduction this year. The debt must have been included in your income and genuinely written off in your accounts before year-end - so review your aged receivables now.

6. Bring forward expenses and review assets

A few sensible, legitimate moves before 30 June can reduce this year's tax:

  • Pay for deductible expenses (repairs, supplies, subscriptions) you were going to buy anyway
  • Review your asset register and scrap or write off equipment you no longer use
  • Check the instant asset write-off. For 2025-26, if your aggregated turnover is under $10 million you can immediately deduct the business portion of eligible assets costing less than $20,000 each (the limit is per asset, so multiple items can each qualify). The catch on timing: the asset must be first used or installed ready for use between 1 July 2025 and 30 June 2026. Assets costing $20,000 or more go into the small business pool instead.

The right timing depends on your situation - exactly what a quick tax planning chat before year-end can sort out.

7. Tidy up loans, trusts and company distributions

If you run a trust or a company, a couple of jobs must be done before 30 June, not after:

  • Trust distribution resolutions. Trustees generally need to decide and document how the year's income is distributed before 30 June. Missing this can have real tax consequences.
  • Division 7A loans. If you have drawn money from your company (or there are inter-entity loans floating around), get those balances documented or repaid - loans that are not on proper terms can be treated as taxable dividends. Our business advisory team can help before the deadline.

8. Get your pack ready for your accountant

When you bring your year-end information to us, the more complete it is, the faster (and cheaper) your return. A good handover pack includes:

  • Bank, loan and credit card statements covering the full year
  • Payroll reports and confirmation STP is finalised
  • Records of asset purchases and disposals (with invoices)
  • Stocktake figures, if relevant
  • A list of any bad debts written off
  • Details of any new loans, grants or one-off transactions
  • Logbooks and records for any motor vehicle or home-office claims

Not sure what applies to you? That is what we are here for. See our business tax services or just get in touch.

Frequently asked questions

When is the STP finalisation due? By 14 July each year for arm's-length employees. Closely held payees (such as family) can be finalised by 30 September, but your other staff still need to be done by 14 July.

What is the super guarantee rate for 2025-26? 12% of ordinary time earnings. The June quarter super contribution is due by 28 July, and to claim a deduction this year it must reach the fund before 30 June.

Do I need to do a stocktake? Only if your business holds trading stock. If you do, count and value it as close to 30 June as practical.

What is the instant asset write-off for 2025-26? If your aggregated turnover is under $10 million, you can immediately deduct eligible assets costing less than $20,000 each, as long as they are first used or installed ready for use between 1 July 2025 and 30 June 2026. Assets at $20,000 or more go into the small business pool.

What is Payday Super and when does it start? From 1 July 2026, super must be paid each payday and reach the fund within 7 business days, instead of quarterly. The ATO's Small Business Superannuation Clearing House also closes from 1 July 2026, so use this EOFY to download your records and line up an alternative.

Let's make this EOFY an easy one

You do not have to figure all this out alone. MJE Business Services has helped small businesses across Mortdale, Hurstville, Penshurst and the wider St George area through end-of-financial-year since 2000. Call us on (02) 9580 1167 or book a callback and we will walk through your checklist together.

Written by the team at MJE Business Services, a registered tax agent (No. 26313222) serving the St George area since 2000.

This is general information, not personal advice. Tax rules and dates change - please check your situation with us or at ato.gov.au.

Sources (ATO)

Have a question about your situation?

We would rather give you a straight answer than have you guess. Book a callback and we will help.

Book a callback(02) 9580 1167