Guide
Superannuation guarantee 2026-27: the 12% rate and payday super
Updated
Superannuation is the largest unavoidable on-cost an Australian employer carries. Two things changed on 1 July 2026, and both change how you budget.
The rate for 2026-27
The ATO's published super guarantee table gives 12.00% for the period 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027, and the same 12.00% for 1 July 2027 onwards (ATO: super guarantee). The rate reached 12% on 1 July 2025 after a decade of legislated increases, and the table shows no further step-up scheduled.
This matters because a payroll built on an older rate quietly understates every hire. At $90,000 the difference between 11.5% and 12% is $450 a year per employee.
Qualifying earnings replaced ordinary time earnings
For earnings paid from 1 July 2026, the guarantee is calculated on qualifying earnings. The ATO describes this as a new term for the payments included when calculating super guarantee, and says every payment that was included up to 30 June 2026 continues to be included, with commissions for work done entirely outside ordinary hours now added (ATO: what payments are qualifying earnings).
Annual leave loading is treated the same way it always was. The ATO's qualifying earnings list excludes annual leave loading that is clearly linked to a lost opportunity to work overtime, and includes all other annual leave loading (ATO: superannuation on annual leave loading). To exclude it you need the award, agreement or a documented policy saying the loading compensates for lost overtime.
The maximum contribution base is now annual
Super stops accruing once a year's qualifying earnings reach the maximum contribution base. From 1 July 2026 that base is an annual figure rather than the old per-quarter limit, and for 2026-27 it is $270,830 (ATO). For comparison, the 2025-26 limit was $62,500 per quarter.
| Gross salary | Superannuation guarantee | As a share of salary |
|---|---|---|
| $60,000 | $7,200 | 12% |
| $90,000 | $10,800 | 12% |
| $200,000 | $24,000 | 12% |
| $300,000 | $32,500 | 10.8% |
Payday super: the 7 business day rule
For employee earnings paid from 1 July 2026, contributions must be received by the employee's super fund within 7 business days of paying the employee (ATO: payment deadlines for payday super). The ATO sets out exceptions: 20 business days for a first contribution to a new employee or a new complying fund, and extended dates in exceptional circumstances such as natural disasters or IT outages.
Received by the fund, not sent. Clearing house transit time comes out of your 7 days, so build the buffer into your pay run rather than your bank transfer.