Behind on pays? Here's what's owed under payday super
Since 1 July 2026, super is tied to each payday. It has to reach each employee's fund within 7 business days of the day wages are paid, or 20 business days for a new employee's first contribution. If you've fallen behind on pays, that changes what you're catching up on.
The wages come first
The ATO calls the day wages are actually paid the “QE day”, and the 7 business days run from that day. So for a payday where the wages haven't been paid yet, the super isn't late yet. The wages are owed.
What's owed for each person
Super guarantee is 12% of what the ATO calls qualifying earnings: ordinary pay, not usually overtime. Under 18s only get super in a week they work more than 30 hours, assessed week by week.
If some super is already late
When super is paid late, the ATO applies the payment to the earliest unpaid payday first. A late payment still partly reduces the super guarantee charge, which the ATO now assesses itself.
If you used the ATO's free Small Business Superannuation Clearing House, it closed on 1 July 2026. If you pay through Xero, it can pay super automatically through what it calls Auto Super.
It happened to Komiti's founder
Payroll for the founder's own business fell weeks behind, and nobody noticed. It's easy to do when you're the one paying everyone, yourself included.
See every payday you've missed, in about a minute
Komiti's free payday catch-up lists every payday since the last one that was fully done, the wages and super for each person, and which super is already past its deadline. It applies the under-18 rule using the hours someone usually works each week and their age on each payday. It's a calculation using the ATO's rules, not AI. No account, and nothing you enter is stored.
Paydays before 1 July 2026 are listed but not calculated, because the old quarterly rules applied then.
So it doesn't happen again
Komiti is building a payday autopilot for Xero, in early access now. It emails you on payday and when a payday has passed with no pay run posted. It flags staff with no super fund set up, and it can prepare a draft pay run for you to check and post. You approve everything. Komiti never posts pay runs and never moves money.
Questions
- Is super late if I haven't paid the wages yet?
- Not yet. The 7 business days run from the day the wages are actually paid. Until then, it's the wages that are owed.
- Does Komiti pay the super or run payroll for me?
- No. The catch-up shows what's owed and what's late. Paying it is done the usual way, through your payroll software or your fund.
- Does the catch-up cost anything or need an account?
- No. It's free, needs no account, and nothing you enter is stored.
General information only, not legal, tax or financial advice.