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SA Compliance Calendar

The compliance rhythm for South Australian businesses — federal and state obligations in one view.

How to read this calendar

Running a business in South Australia means answering to two levels of government. Federal obligations (tax, super, employment) apply wherever you operate; state obligations run through RevenueSA, ReturnToWorkSA and SafeWork SA. This page maps the rhythm — what recurs, how often, and who it applies to. Deliberately, it doesn't quote due dates or rates: those change, and the authority's website is always the source of truth. Your obligations also depend on your structure and industry, so treat this as a map rather than advice for your specific situation.

Every pay run

  • Single Touch Payroll (STP) — report wages, tax withheld and super to the ATO on or before each payday. Applies to every employer.
  • Payday super — under the payday super rules now in force, superannuation guarantee contributions are due with each pay run and must reach the employee's fund within the short window the ATO sets after payday. The days of banking super quarterly are over — your payroll process needs to handle this automatically.

Monthly

  • RevenueSA payroll tax — if your Australia-wide wages exceed the current SA threshold (check RevenueSA), monthly returns are due shortly after each month ends, with an annual reconciliation after year end.
  • Monthly BAS or IAS — larger businesses, and those with bigger withholding obligations, lodge monthly rather than quarterly. The ATO sets your cycle and publishes the due dates.
  • Bookkeeping hygiene — reconcile bank accounts, chase debtors and review payables monthly. Not a statutory deadline, but it's what makes every statutory deadline painless.

Quarterly

  • Business Activity Statement — most SMEs lodge quarterly, covering GST, PAYG withholding and PAYG instalments. Each quarter's statement falls due about a month after quarter end; the ATO's published dates (and any tax agent extension) govern.
  • PAYG instalments — usually paid with the BAS if you're in the instalment system.

Annually

  • STP finalisation — declare each employee's year-end figures to the ATO soon after 30 June; the ATO publishes the deadline each year.
  • Income tax return — the due date depends on your entity type and whether a registered agent lodges for you.
  • RevenueSA annual reconciliation — payroll tax registrants reconcile the year's wages against monthly returns.
  • ReturnToWorkSA remuneration return — declare actual and estimated wages so your work injury insurance premium is set correctly. Every SA employer holds this cover.
  • Annual wage review — the Fair Work Commission's decision flows into minimum and award rates from the first full pay period in the new financial year. Check your award's current rates before the first July pay run.

SA-specific dates to watch

South Australia has its own public holiday list — including days and part-day holidays that other states don't observe — and public holidays change penalty rates and closure obligations. Check the SA Government's current holiday list at the start of each year and load it into your payroll and rostering systems. SafeWork SA also administers WHS duties, which are ongoing rather than dated: incident notification, consultation and record-keeping apply year-round.

Making the rhythm stick

A calendar only works if someone owns it. Assign each obligation to a named person, set reminders two weeks ahead of each authority-published date, and review the whole cycle every July when rates and rules reset. If deadlines keep slipping because everything routes through the owner, that's a capability problem, not a diary problem — see the coordination tax and how a connected back office keeps the cycle running without heroics.