With 30 June 2026 just weeks away, this is your practical guide to getting your trade business finances in order before the end of the financial year.
30 June is coming. And if the words “end of financial year” make your stomach drop a little, you are absolutely not alone.
For trade businesses, EOFY is one of the most stressful periods of the year. There are receipts to find, invoices to reconcile, BAS to finalise, super to sort and a tax return to prepare. When you are already flat out managing jobs, clients and everything else that comes with running a trade business, the last thing you need is a financial scramble on top of it all.
The good news is that with a few weeks still to go before 30 June 2026, there is still time to get organised. And even if this year feels like damage control, building better habits now means next year will be a very different story.
Here is what you need to know.
Your Key Dates for EOFY 2026
All dates below are sourced directly from the Australian Taxation Office at ato.gov.au.
30 June 2026 is the end of the 2025-26 financial year. Any expenses you want to claim as deductions, assets you want to write off or bad debts you want to write off must be addressed by this date.
14 July 2026 is the deadline for Single Touch Payroll finalisation for employers. This is how you confirm your employees’ income statements are tax ready so they can lodge their own tax returns. Missing this date means your employees cannot access finalised information.
28 July 2026 is the due date for the Quarter 4 BAS if you lodge quarterly. It is also the last date for your Quarter 4 superannuation guarantee contributions to be received by your employees’ super funds under the existing quarterly rules.
28 August 2026 is the due date for the Taxable Payments Annual Report for businesses required to lodge one. See the TPAR section below for more detail.
31 October 2026 is the tax return lodgement deadline for most small businesses lodging themselves. If you use a registered tax agent you may qualify for an extended deadline. Check with your agent.
Get Your Records in Order Now
The single biggest source of EOFY stress for trade businesses is disorganised records. Chasing receipts, matching invoices and trying to reconstruct months of transactions from memory is exhausting, and it almost always means deductions get missed.
According to the ATO, businesses are required to keep records for five years from the date of lodgement. Those records need to be accessible and readable whether stored physically or digitally.
Right now, before 30 June, work through the following:
Make sure all income has been recorded including cash jobs, partial payments and any other income streams relevant to your business.
Gather and categorise all business expenses for the year including materials, tools, vehicle costs, insurance, phone, subscriptions, protective clothing and any other costs directly related to running the business.
Check that all outstanding invoices are recorded in your books even if they have not been paid. Unpaid invoices that have genuinely become unrecoverable can potentially be written off as bad debts according to the ATO, but they must have previously been included as assessable income and you must be able to demonstrate the debt is genuinely unrecoverable. Check the ATO website for the specific requirements.
Reconcile your bank accounts and make sure your records match your bank statements.
The Taxable Payments Annual Report
If your business pays contractors to deliver certain services on your behalf, you may be required to lodge a Taxable Payments Annual Report with the ATO. This applies to businesses in a range of industries including building and construction, cleaning, courier and delivery, road freight, security and IT services among others.
The TPAR is due by 28 August each year and covers payments made to contractors during the previous financial year. You need to report each contractor’s ABN, name, address and the total amount paid.
The ATO uses TPAR data to match against contractor tax returns. Penalties apply for businesses that fail to lodge when required.
If you are not sure whether your business needs to lodge a TPAR, use the ATO’s online tool at ato.gov.au/tpar to check your obligations based on your specific business activities.
Superannuation: Two Important Things Before 30 June
There are two super-related actions to take before the end of this financial year.
First, your Quarter 4 superannuation guarantee contributions for April to June 2026 must be received by your employees’ super funds by 28 July 2026. The current super guarantee rate for the 2025-26 financial year is 12% of each eligible employee’s ordinary time earnings. If you use a clearing house to make payments, allow enough processing time for the funds to be received by the deadline, not just sent.
Second, and this is important: the Small Business Superannuation Clearing House closes permanently on 30 June 2026 according to the ATO. If your business currently uses this service to make super payments, you must switch to an alternative clearing house or pay funds directly before it shuts down. Do not leave this until the last minute.
Payday Super Starts 1 July 2026
This is the biggest change to superannuation in years and it affects every trade business that employs staff.
From 1 July 2026, employers are required to pay super guarantee contributions on each payday, at the same time as wages, rather than quarterly. Contributions must be received by the employee’s super fund within seven business days of payday.
This is now law, having passed Parliament in 2025. The ATO has published detailed guidance at ato.gov.au/paydaysuper including a compliance approach for the first year that acknowledges businesses will be transitioning.
The practical implication is that if you have employees, your payroll and cash flow processes need to be set up to accommodate more frequent super payments from 1 July. Now is the time to review your payroll software and payment processes to make sure you are ready.
Bad Debts
If you have outstanding invoices that you know are genuinely unrecoverable, writing them off as bad debts before 30 June can reduce your taxable income for this financial year. However, the ATO has specific requirements. The debt must have been previously included as assessable income, it must be genuinely bad rather than just overdue, and you must be able to demonstrate you have taken reasonable steps to recover it.
Check the current ATO guidance at ato.gov.au before writing off any bad debts to make sure you meet the requirements.
Stop the Scramble Next Year
If this EOFY feels like controlled chaos, the most useful thing you can do right now is commit to one habit from 1 July. Just one.
It might be categorising expenses as they happen. It might be sending invoices the same day a job is completed. It might be doing a monthly bank reconciliation so nothing builds up. It might be saving every receipt digitally the moment you receive it.
Small habits maintained consistently throughout the year eliminate the scramble at the end of it.
Get Advice From Someone Who Understands Trade Businesses
Tax obligations for trade businesses are genuinely complex, particularly when you factor in contractor payments, vehicle and tool deductions, super obligations, BAS requirements and your specific business structure. A registered tax agent or bookkeeper who works with trade businesses understands the specifics and can make sure you are not paying more tax than you need to or missing deductions you are entitled to.
The Tradie Wives community is full of experienced bookkeepers, accountants and tax professionals who work specifically with trade businesses. They are a great first port of call if you need support before 30 June.
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Looking for a trusted bookkeeper or accountant who understands the trade industry? Connect with experienced professionals recommended by our members in the Tradie Wives community at tradiewives.com.au
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Sources: All dates, rates and obligations referenced in this article are sourced directly from the Australian Taxation Office at ato.gov.au and are current as of May 2026.
This article is intended as general information only and does not constitute financial or tax advice. Tax obligations vary depending on your business structure, industry and individual circumstances. Always verify current requirements at ato.gov.au or consult a registered tax agent for advice specific to your business.
Published May 2026. This article contains time-sensitive information and should be reviewed after 30 June 2026.
