Fast funding for payroll and super

Payroll gaps are a timing problem with a hard deadline

Few bills feel as urgent as payroll. Staff have rent and mortgages; a late pay run damages trust instantly. Yet payroll gaps are common in perfectly healthy businesses, because wages go out on a fixed cycle while customers pay whenever they pay.

The typical causes:

• A large customer paying 30 or 60 days late.
• A new contract that needs extra staff weeks before the first invoice is paid.
• Seasonal businesses carrying staff through a quiet period.
• A BAS, insurance renewal or equipment repair landing in the same week as payroll.

Payday Super changed the rhythm

From 1 July 2026, the ATO’s Payday Super rules require super guarantee contributions to be received by employees’ funds within 7 business days after you pay them, with a longer window of 20 business days after the relevant qualifying earnings day for a new employee or a new fund. The ATO also notes super is now calculated as 12% of qualifying earnings and reported through Single Touch Payroll.

For many employers that’s a significant cash-flow change. Super used to be a quarterly lump that could be planned around BAS. Now it follows every pay run. A business paying weekly effectively has a super outflow every week. When you plan a payroll facility, plan for wages and super together.

The ATO also points out that the super guarantee charge that applies when contributions are late includes interest compounding daily and additional penalties. Missing super to cover wages is not a shortcut.

Choosing the right payroll funding

Situation	Suggested pathway	Speed possible
One-off gap, established business, modest amount	Unsecured business loan	Same day for smaller sums
Gap every month or pay cycle	Line of credit	Few days to set up, then instant
Large gap from a new contract	Fast working capital or secured loan	Depends on size and security
Payroll plus ATO debt plus supplier arrears	Fast secured business loan	Same day $20k–$250k; 24–48 hrs to $5m

For a gap that’s this week’s problem and next month’s problem too, a standing facility almost always beats repeated one-off loans.

What lenders want to see for payroll funding

1. Business bank statements showing regular deposits and the wages pattern.
2. A payroll summary for the upcoming run, including super.
3. Evidence of what’s owed to you — aged debtors, invoices, or a contract.
4. A repayment source — usually the specific customer payments you’re waiting on.
5. Photo ID for directors.

If the pay run is tomorrow, enquire now and mention the date. A specialist can tell you straight away whether same-day funding is realistic.

Timing: when to apply

Same-day funding depends on completing the steps inside east-coast business hours. If your pay run is processed early in the morning, the practical deadline is the afternoon before. Businesses in Perth or Darwin should allow for the time difference — the funding cut-off checker shows how much of today’s east-coast window is left.

Preventing the next payroll gap

• Forecast 13 weeks ahead with wages, super, BAS and major bills on the same page. Our forecast guide shows how.
• Invoice faster and chase earlier. A week shaved off debtor days can cover a pay run.
• Ask for deposits or progress payments on large jobs.
• Set up a facility before you need it. A line of credit approved in a calm week is far easier than a loan sought on a Thursday afternoon.
• Talk to staff early if a pay date is at risk. Honesty usually buys more goodwill than silence.

Mistakes to avoid

• Skipping super to fund wages. Under Payday Super, late contributions surface quickly and carry charges and penalties.
• Using the GST set-aside. It solves this week and creates a BAS problem next month.
• Taking a daily-repayment loan for a monthly problem. The repayments can create the next gap.
• Borrowing without a repayment source. If no customer payment is coming to clear it, the issue is profitability, not timing.

An illustrative example

A Perth commercial electrical contractor adds eight staff for a hospital fit-out. Wages and super run weekly, but the head contractor pays progress claims monthly and usually 10 days late. The business sets up a line of credit sized to about five weeks of the extra wages and super, draws it as each pay run lands, and repays when progress claims clear. Illustrative only.

A quick payroll funding checklist

Before you enquire, jot down:

• The date and size of the next pay run, including super.
• How many pay runs the gap is likely to cover.
• Which customer payments will close the gap, and when they’re due.
• Whether the gap is new or has happened before.
• Whether you or a director own property with equity.

Those five answers let a specialist decide quickly between a one-off loan, a facility and a secured option — and give a realistic view on whether funds can land before payday.

Make payday certain

Your team shouldn’t wait because your customers do. Enquiring takes about a minute, involves no credit check and keeps your details with one team rather than broadcasting them to many lenders. A real person will tell you whether a one-off loan or a standing facility fits better. Please enter your pay-run size and turnover accurately so the first answer is the right one. See if you qualify.