ACCI pushes government to postpone Payday Super amid ongoing Middle East conflict

The Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry has called on the federal government to push the Payday Super deadline to 1 January 2027 for all businesses with 25 or fewer employees.

The legislation currently mandates that all companies make superannuation payments within seven days of every pay cycle from 1 July 2026. Currently, small- to medium-sized businesses make up 98 per cent of all Australian businesses.

The chamber said that the legislation must be enacted for these businesses at the earliest, 1 January 2027, if the Middle East conflict is resolved within the next three months.

“Even if the conflict were to end tomorrow and the Strait of Hormuz is immediately reopened, it will take months for the effects of this shock to flow through and be resolved,” said Andrew McKellar, chief executive of the ACCI.

According to ACCI research conducted from February 2026 to March 2026, 45 per cent of businesses expressed concern that the Payday Super deadline would negatively impact their near-term cash flow. Further, the research revealed that 20 per cent of businesses were not aware of their Payday Super obligations, and only one in two (50 per cent) were prepared for the change.

Glen Hingley, chief executive of the NT Chamber of Commerce, said, “Small businesses are telling us they thought they were ready, but as the reality sets in, many are now worried they simply won’t cope”.

“Cashflow is already tight, costs remain high, and business owners are deeply concerned about what this change could mean for their staff and their ongoing viability. Chamber NT joins ACCI in calling on the Federal Government to review this deadline and provide small businesses with much-needed breathing space,” he added.

“We don’t want to unnecessarily see businesses being forced into insolvency simply because they’ve got to comply with yet another government regulation at this point in time,” McKellar said in an address to Parliament House on Monday (20 April).

“That’s something that we definitely don’t need at this time when many businesses are already facing significant increases in costs, whether that’s the direct cost of fuel or other costs in their supply chain,” he said.

McKellar said that ACCI’s proposal would give small businesses more time to prepare for the deadline, protecting cash flow for businesses that need to adjust their payment schedules.

“While ACCI is not opposed to the concept of payday super, we believe the timing will put small businesses at a greater disadvantage and under further pressure,” McKellar said.

“It will also add yet another layer of red tape on small businesses already buckling under endless paperwork.”

“We are asking that small businesses be given some breathing space as they navigate their way through the current fuel price shock.”