Single Touch Payroll is how you report wages, tax and super to the ATO every pay run. From 1 July 2026, it becomes the mechanism the ATO uses to monitor Payday Super compliance in near real-time. Here is what hospitality operators need to understand before the new financial year starts.

Super is one of the most common compliance failures in hospitality. Large casual workforces, high staff turnover and complex pay arrangements all create gaps. This article covers who is entitled to super, how to calculate it, the current deadlines and what changes completely on 1 July 2026.

New HIGA rates take effect from the first full pay period on or after 1 July 2026. The Fair Work Commission decision is expected in early June. Here is what the current rates are, what the increase is likely to look like, and what you need to do before your first July pay run.

Payroll is where most hospitality venues carry the highest compliance risk at EOFY. STP finalisation, award rate reconciliation, annualised salary reviews and Payday Super preparation all need to happen before or shortly after 30 June. This checklist covers each one.

EOFY lands on 30 June and this year brings more moving parts than usual. Payday Super starts 1 July, the ATO clearing house closes and new award rates take effect the same day. This checklist covers what hospitality venues need to do before the financial year ends and what needs to be in place before the first pay run in July.

A well-written AML/CTF program sitting in a folder does not protect your venue. Your staff do. Training is how the rules become something your team actually understands and acts on when it matters. Without that step, you have documentation. You do not have compliance.

From 1 July 2026, super must be paid within seven days of every pay run. No more quarterly float. For hospitality venues running large casual workforces with complex penalty rates, this is a bigger operational shift than most operators realise. Here is what needs to be in place before the deadline.

AUSTRAC isn't just checking whether your AML/CTF program exists anymore — they want to know if it actually reflects how your venue operates. Here's what a good one looks like, in plain English.

AUSTRAC Tranche 2 is now in effect.
After the March 2026 deadline, the focus has shifted from updating documents to applying AML/CTF obligations in day‑to‑day operations. This piece looks at what happens next, what applies to all gaming venues, and what AUSTRAC is paying attention to now.

2026 is shaping up to be a difficult year for hospitality operators. Two major law changes, Payday Super and the end of card surcharges—are landing at the same time as higher fuel costs and more cautious consumer spending. This article breaks down what’s changing, how it affects cashflow and pricing, and what venues should be doing now to stay in control.

Connecting your POS to Xero sounds like a simple win. Less manual entry, data flows automatically, done. The honest answer is: sometimes yes, sometimes no. If your POS data is not clean, the integration just means your errors arrive faster. Here is how to get the foundation right first.

Build your financial intelligence without the overwhelm. This plain‑English cheat sheet breaks down the accounting and bookkeeping terms every hospitality owner should understand to run a steadier, more profitable venue.

"AUSTRAC 2026 AML/CTF compliance manual for Australian gaming venue owners"

Most venues are not short on technology. POS, payroll, DTS, accounting, banking platforms, they are all there. The problem is rarely the individual systems. It is how information moves between them. When daily workflows are inconsistent, reporting suffers downstream and the accounting system becomes the place where problems are discovered, not where results are recorded.

Hospitality businesses move quickly. Sales flow across multiple systems, rosters shift weekly, and margins respond to small cost movements. Many venues still rely on accounting support designed for simpler businesses. The result is delayed numbers, reconciliations that need explaining, and reporting that does not reflect how the venue actually operates.