{"id":4079,"date":"2026-04-22T14:28:58","date_gmt":"2026-04-22T04:28:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wiselinkaccountants.com.au\/eofy-2026-small-business-tax-checklist\/"},"modified":"2026-04-22T14:35:57","modified_gmt":"2026-04-22T04:35:57","slug":"eofy-2026-small-business-tax-checklist","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wiselinkaccountants.com.au\/zh-hans\/eofy-2026-small-business-tax-checklist\/","title":{"rendered":"EOFY 2026 Small Business Tax Checklist: 10 Things to Do Before 30 June"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>Your EOFY 2026 Small Business Tax Checklist: 10 Things Melbourne and Brisbane Business Owners Must Do Before 30 June<\/h2>\n<p>The end of the financial year is just 10 weeks away, and for <strong>small business owners in Melbourne and Brisbane<\/strong>, the actions you take now can mean thousands of dollars in tax savings \u2014 or thousands in missed opportunities.<\/p>\n<p>As experienced <strong>accountants in Melbourne<\/strong> and Brisbane, we see the same costly mistakes every year: deductions left unclaimed, records incomplete, super obligations missed. This comprehensive EOFY checklist will help you get organised, maximise your deductions, and start the new financial year with confidence.<\/p>\n<h2>1. Review Your Income and Expenses<\/h2>\n<p>Before anything else, reconcile your books. Ensure every transaction from 1 July 2025 to 30 June 2026 is recorded in your accounting software \u2014 whether you use Xero, MYOB, or QuickBooks.<\/p>\n<p>Key actions:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Reconcile all bank accounts and credit cards<\/li>\n<li>Follow up outstanding invoices \u2014 income received before 30 June is assessable this year<\/li>\n<li>Review accounts payable \u2014 expenses paid before 30 June are deductible this year<\/li>\n<li>Check for any personal expenses accidentally coded as business expenses<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>If your <a href=\"\/bookkeeping-and-payroll\/\">bookkeeping<\/a> is behind, now is the time to catch up. A few days of catch-up bookkeeping now could save you significant stress and money at tax time.<\/p>\n<h2>2. Maximise Your Deductions<\/h2>\n<p>The golden rule of EOFY tax planning: <strong>bring forward expenses and defer income<\/strong> where legitimate. For small businesses, consider:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Instant Asset Write-Off<\/strong> \u2014 Under the temporary full expensing rules, eligible businesses can immediately deduct the full cost of depreciable assets. If you need equipment, vehicles, or technology, purchasing before 30 June means a deduction this year<\/li>\n<li><strong>Prepaid expenses<\/strong> \u2014 Prepaying up to 12 months of rent, insurance, or subscriptions before 30 June can bring forward deductions<\/li>\n<li><strong>Bad debts<\/strong> \u2014 Write off any debts you genuinely cannot recover before 30 June<\/li>\n<li><strong>Repairs and maintenance<\/strong> \u2014 Complete any outstanding repairs to your business premises or equipment<\/li>\n<li><strong>Professional development<\/strong> \u2014 Training courses and professional memberships paid before 30 June are deductible<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>3. Superannuation \u2014 Pay Before 30 June<\/h2>\n<p>Super guarantee (SG) contributions must be <em>received<\/em> by the employee&#8217;s super fund \u2014 not just paid \u2014 by 30 June to be deductible this financial year. Given clearing house processing times, we recommend making your Q4 SG payment by <strong>mid-June at the latest<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>Also consider:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Concessional contributions<\/strong> \u2014 The cap is $30,000 for 2025-26. If you haven&#8217;t maximised your personal super contributions, you have until 30 June<\/li>\n<li><strong>Carry-forward contributions<\/strong> \u2014 If your total super balance was under $500,000 on 30 June 2025, you may be able to use unused cap amounts from previous years<\/li>\n<li><strong>Spouse contributions<\/strong> \u2014 A tax offset of up to $540 is available if your spouse earns under $40,000<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>For detailed <a href=\"\/superannuation\/\">superannuation advice<\/a>, our team can model the optimal contribution strategy for your situation.<\/p>\n<h2>4. Review Your Business Structure<\/h2>\n<p>EOFY is the right time to assess whether your current business structure is still the most tax-effective. Many Melbourne and Brisbane small businesses start as sole traders and should have transitioned to a company or trust structure as they grew.<\/p>\n<p>Key considerations:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Are you paying more tax than necessary as a sole trader?<\/li>\n<li>Could a company structure reduce your tax rate to 25%?<\/li>\n<li>Would a family trust help with income splitting?<\/li>\n<li>Is your structure providing adequate asset protection?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Structural changes take time to implement, so if this is on your radar, speak to our <a href=\"\/business-advisory\/\">business advisory team<\/a> sooner rather than later.<\/p>\n<h2>5. Lodge All Outstanding BAS<\/h2>\n<p>If you have any overdue BAS (Business Activity Statements), lodge them before 30 June. Outstanding BAS can trigger ATO penalties and interest, and they complicate your tax return preparation.<\/p>\n<p>Check that your GST reporting is accurate \u2014 the ATO has flagged <strong>GST on private expenses<\/strong> and <strong>incorrect GST credits<\/strong> as key audit focus areas for 2026.<\/p>\n<h2>6. Document Your Working From Home Claims<\/h2>\n<p>If you or your employees work from home, ensure you have records to support your deduction claims. The ATO&#8217;s revised fixed rate method allows <strong>67 cents per hour<\/strong> for working from home expenses, but you must maintain a record of hours worked from home (such as a timesheet or diary).<\/p>\n<h2>7. Stocktake (If Applicable)<\/h2>\n<p>If your business carries inventory, conduct a stocktake as close to 30 June as possible. This determines your closing stock value, which directly affects your taxable income. Write off any obsolete or damaged stock \u2014 this creates a legitimate deduction.<\/p>\n<h2>8. Review Your Motor Vehicle Claims<\/h2>\n<p>If you use a vehicle for business purposes, check that you&#8217;re using the most beneficial method:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Logbook method<\/strong> \u2014 claim the business-use percentage of actual expenses (requires a valid logbook maintained for a continuous 12-week period)<\/li>\n<li><strong>Cents per kilometre method<\/strong> \u2014 claim 88 cents per km for up to 5,000 business kilometres<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The ATO has noted that motor vehicle claims are a <strong>top audit target<\/strong> for 2026, so ensure your records are solid.<\/p>\n<h2>9. Check Your PAYG Instalments<\/h2>\n<p>Review your PAYG instalment amounts to make sure they reflect your current income. If your business income has dropped this year, you may be paying too much in instalments \u2014 you can vary your Q4 instalment to reduce cash flow pressure.<\/p>\n<p>Conversely, if income has increased significantly, consider whether you need to increase your instalments to avoid a large tax bill at return time.<\/p>\n<h2>10. Book Your Tax Planning Appointment<\/h2>\n<p>The single most valuable thing a <strong>small business owner in Melbourne or Brisbane<\/strong> can do before EOFY is sit down with a qualified accountant for a tax planning session. A good accountant doesn&#8217;t just do your tax return \u2014 they help you <em>plan<\/em> your tax position before the year ends, when you can still take action.<\/p>\n<p>At Wiselink Accountants, our <a href=\"\/accounting-and-tax\/\">tax planning consultations<\/a> typically cover:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Projected income and tax liability for 2025-26<\/li>\n<li>Strategies to legitimately reduce your tax bill<\/li>\n<li>Super contribution optimisation<\/li>\n<li>Business structure review<\/li>\n<li>Preparation for Payday Super (starting <a href=\"\/payday-super-changes-july-2026\/\">1 July 2026<\/a>)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Key EOFY Dates to Remember<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>30 June 2026<\/strong> \u2014 End of financial year. All deductions and contributions must be finalised<\/li>\n<li><strong>Mid-June 2026<\/strong> \u2014 Deadline to pay Q4 super guarantee (to ensure funds are received by 30 June)<\/li>\n<li><strong>21 July 2026<\/strong> \u2014 Q4 BAS due (if lodging monthly) <\/li>\n<li><strong>28 July 2026<\/strong> \u2014 Q4 super guarantee official due date<\/li>\n<li><strong>31 October 2026<\/strong> \u2014 Tax return due (self-lodging). Later if using a registered tax agent<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>How Wiselink Accountants Can Help<\/h2>\n<p>With offices in <strong>Melbourne (Camberwell)<\/strong> and <strong><a href=\"\/brisbane-accountants\/\">Brisbane (Eight Mile Plains)<\/a><\/strong>, Wiselink Accountants has been helping small businesses navigate EOFY since 2013. Our CPA-qualified team provides bilingual service in English and Chinese.<\/p>\n<p>Don&#8217;t leave your EOFY planning to the last minute. <strong><a href=\"\/contact\/\">Book your tax planning appointment today<\/a><\/strong> and make sure you&#8217;re claiming every dollar you&#8217;re entitled to.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Melbourne<\/strong>: <a href=\"tel:0396000803\">03 9600 0803<\/a><\/li>\n<li><strong>Brisbane<\/strong>: <a href=\"tel:0731888081\">07 3188 8081<\/a><\/li>\n<li><strong>Email<\/strong>: <a href=\"mailto:info@wiselinkaccountants.com.au\">info@wiselinkaccountants.com.au<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><em>This article was prepared by the team at Wiselink Accountants, a CPA-qualified accounting firm and registered tax agent with offices in Melbourne and Brisbane. We are members of the NTAA. This is general information only and does not constitute financial or tax advice. Please contact us for advice specific to your circumstances.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The end of the financial year is 10 weeks away. Here are 10 essential actions every Melbourne and Brisbane small business owner should take before 30 June to maximise deductions and avoid costly mistakes.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":4080,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16,17,61,18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4079","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all-topics","category-business-solutions","category-english-post","category-business"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wiselinkaccountants.com.au\/zh-hans\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4079","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wiselinkaccountants.com.au\/zh-hans\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wiselinkaccountants.com.au\/zh-hans\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wiselinkaccountants.com.au\/zh-hans\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wiselinkaccountants.com.au\/zh-hans\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4079"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/wiselinkaccountants.com.au\/zh-hans\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4079\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4081,"href":"https:\/\/wiselinkaccountants.com.au\/zh-hans\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4079\/revisions\/4081"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wiselinkaccountants.com.au\/zh-hans\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4080"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wiselinkaccountants.com.au\/zh-hans\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4079"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wiselinkaccountants.com.au\/zh-hans\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4079"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wiselinkaccountants.com.au\/zh-hans\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4079"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}