RBizz Corporate Accountants - Resources #business payroll

8 ways to save time (and money) in your business

Fri, 03 Jul 2026 00:57:15 +1000

8 ways to save time (and money) in your business

Like everyone, business owners are always looking for ways to save time.

Every minute spent on admin or fixing mistakes is a minute that could be spent on business-building work.

When time really is money, it’s worth finding ways to reduce those tedious and repetitive tasks – and technology is the answer.

Better billing - Billing can be a huge time-waster. Using a digital accounting system to extract data from supplier emails and auto-populate invoices can save hours each week.
Streamline expense claims - Use a digital solution to automate the expense claims process, and your team saves time submitting receipts, approving expenses and dealing with mistakes.
Reduce human error - Manual data entry is fraught with errors. Eliminate the issues by automating key admin tasks, and spend more time on data analysis, not data entry.
AI where appropriate - Make sure you're adding AI where it improves your outcomes and increases your business performance. Work out how you can use it to increase your velocity and performance without impacting quality or staff motivation.
Quicker invoicing - Invoices and late payments take up a huge amount of time. With an automated invoicing platform, that time is reduced significantly – and manual follow-ups for late payment are eliminated.
Payroll perfection - Use your accounting software to upload staff details and calculate tax contributions. You’ll not only save significant chunks of time, but you’ll avoid mistakes.
Quick, accurate taxes - Digitising the tax process can make a real difference. Instead of Excel spreadsheets, receipts and physical documents, everything is accessible through your software.
Better access to business data - With smart software, you get accurate business data wherever you are. No more going back to the office to check a number, getting back to clients with final details, or reworking quotes because the numbers were wrong.

Want to save time in your business? We’ll set you up with the software to make it simple.

Calculated Growth: Why Your "Ordinary Time Earnings" Are Changing

Wed, 06 May 2026 14:42:27 +1000

Calculated Growth: Why Your "Ordinary Time Earnings" Are Changing

As we move through May 2026, the ATO is preparing for a technical but critical shift in how superannuation is calculated. 1 July 2026, the focus moves away from "Ordinary Time Earnings" (OTE) toward a new standard: Qualifying Earnings (QE).

What are Qualifying Earnings?

For years, employers calculated the 12% super guarantee based on OTE. Payday Super regime, the base for calculation is being refined to Qualifying Earnings. This change is designed to simplify calculations for diverse pay structures—including bonuses, commissions, and certain allowances—ensuring they are captured more consistently across all payroll software.

The "7-Day" Compliance Window

It’s not just about how much you pay, but how fast it arrives. Along with the shift to QE, the ATO is strictly enforcing the arrival window. 7 business days of their payday.

What Happens if You Miss the Window?

The penalties in 2026 are becoming more automated. If a payment is late:

The SGC Charge: Unlike the old system, the new Superannuation Guarantee Charge (SGC) will compound daily at the General Interest Charge rate.
Administrative Uplift: Businesses with a history of late payments may face an additional "administrative uplift" penalty of up to 50% of the unpaid amount.

The "Payday Super" Countdown: What You Need to Know

Mon, 04 May 2026 11:11:34 +1000

The "Payday Super" Countdown: What You Need to Know

From 1 July 2026, the way Australian employers pay superannuation is fundamentally changing. The Federal Government’s "Payday Super" reform means that Superannuation Guarantee (SG) contributions must be paid at the same time as salary and wages, rather than the current quarterly system.

Why the Change?

The shift aims to ensure employees receive their entitlements faster and to help them track their super more easily. It also prevents the "super gap" that occurs when businesses fall behind on quarterly payments.

What This Means for Your Business

Cashflow Timing: Instead of a large lump sum every three months, your cashflow will need to accommodate super payments every pay cycle (weekly, fortnightly, or monthly).
Compliance Deadlines: Contributions must reach the employee's fund within 7 business days of payday.
Software Updates: You must ensure your payroll software is configured to handle these automated, frequent transfers well before the July deadline.

Preparing for the Shift

To avoid penalties and administrative stress, businesses should use the remainder of 2026 to audit their payroll processes. Your cash reserves now to reflect "real-time" super obligations will make the transition in July 2026 much smoother.

Could Junior Pay Rates Be Abolished?

Mon, 09 Mar 2026 10:42:20 +1100

Could Junior Pay Rates Be Abolished?

“It's about ensuring that anyone who's 18 years or older gets paid the adult rate of pay. They can drink, they can drive, they can vote — we as a community treat them as adults on every level, except when they walk in the door to work.”

Gerard Dwyer, National secretary for the SDA

The Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees' Association (SDA or ‘Shoppies’) most recent campaign focuses on the right for young Australian workers to be paid the same as their older colleagues.

Under the current wage rules for junior rates, workers under 21 years of age only get paid a percentage of the rate earned by older workers.

Workers under 20 are paid 90% of the adult award rate.
Workers who are 19 are paid 80% of the award rate.
Workers who are 18 get just 70% of the full award rates in retail, fast food and pharmacies.

There’s a growing weight of opinion from younger workers and their unions that people should earn the same wage, regardless of their age.

The Fair Work Commission held a hearing on the future of junior rates, but, at present, no decision has been handed down.

How could a change to junior rates affect your business?

If you employ a large number of younger workers under the age of 21, the abolishment of junior rates could have a significant impact on your payroll.

With the junior rates removed, all workers, regardless of their age, would be paid at the same standard rate. This would increase your payroll costs and impact your cashflow.

Talk to us about the impact of a change to junior wage rates

If you’re worried about the potential impact of the removal of junior rates, and the subsequent increase in wage costs, book some time for a chat with our team.

We can run scenarios to outline the potential costs and the overall impact on your cashflow.