The Answer
12 May: Budget | 1 July: New FY | 31 Oct: Tax deadline
Every key financial date for 2026 in one place. Federal Budget 12 May, new financial year 1 July, tax deadline 31 October, plus RBA meetings, indexation dates, and more.
Key Dates — 2026
Every date that matters for Australian tax, super, government payments, and personal finance. Bookmark this page — we update it throughout the year.
February 2026
| Date | Event | What to Do |
|---|
| 4 Feb ✓ | RBA hiked cash rate to 3.85% (+25bp) | First RBA hike since November 2023, ending the 2025 easing cycle. Inflation re-acceleration cited as trigger. |
March 2026
| Date | Event | What to Do |
|---|
| 18 Mar ✓ | RBA hiked cash rate to 4.10% (+25bp, 5–4 split) | Second consecutive hike. Tight Board vote signalled genuine uncertainty. |
April 2026
| Date | Event | What to Do |
|---|
| 1 April | Health insurance premiums change | Check if your premium increased. Compare policies and switch if needed. |
| 1 April | Private health insurance rebate tiers update | Higher income thresholds may change your rebate percentage. |
May 2026
| Date | Event | What to Do |
|---|
| 5 May ✓ | RBA hiked cash rate to 4.35% (+25bp, 8–1 split) | Third consecutive hike of 2026 (after 4 Feb and 18 Mar). Effective 6 May. Inflation 4.6% in March quarter cited as trigger. Variable mortgage rates expected to rise within days. |
| 12 May ✓ | Federal Budget 2026–27 handed down | Treasurer Jim Chalmers delivered the budget at 7:30pm AEST. Headline measures: 16%→15% bracket cut on 1 Jul 2026, $1,000 instant deduction, negative gearing reform 1 Jul 2027 (grandfathered), Help to Buy expansion. Full Budget analysis → |
June 2026
| Date | Event | What to Do |
|---|
| 15–16 June | RBA Monetary Policy Board meeting | Cash rate decision announced 2:30pm AEST 16 June. Watch closely after the May hike. |
| 30 June | End of 2025–26 financial year | Last day for: tax deductions, super contributions (current caps), donation receipts, EOFY sales deductions for small business. EOFY checklist → |
| 30 June | Unused 2020–21 carry-forward super caps expire | Permanently lost if not used. Check your myGov → ATO → Super for unused amounts. |
| 30 June | Temporary $20,000 instant asset write-off ends | Small businesses — last day under the temporary measure. The Budget makes a $20,000 instant asset write-off permanent from 1 July 2026 (turnover up to $10M), so the benefit continues. |
July 2026
| Date | Event | What to Do |
|---|
| 1 July | New financial year begins | Everything changing July 1 → |
| 1 July | Tax rate cut: 16% → 15% | Your payslip should reflect the change within 1–2 pay cycles. |
| 1 July | Minimum wage rises 6% to $1,004.90/week ($26.44/hour) | The Fair Work Commission's 2026 Annual Wage Review lifted the National Minimum Wage (+6%) and award rates (+4.75%). Applies from the first full pay period on or after 1 July. |
| 1 July | Payday super begins | Employers must pay super within 7 days of each payday. Check your super fund for more frequent contributions. |
| 1 July | $1,000 standard deduction available | New flat deduction for work expenses — no receipts needed (for 2026–27 returns). |
| 1 July | Division 296 commences | Additional 15% tax on super earnings above $3M balance. First assessment at 30 June 2027. |
| 1 July | PPL extends to 26 weeks | For births/adoptions from 1 July 2026. |
| 1 July | Super contribution caps increase | Concessional and non-concessional caps rising with CPI indexation. |
| 1 July | Transfer balance cap: $1.9M → $2.1M | Affects how much you can transfer to a tax-free retirement pension. (Separate from the Total Super Balance threshold for non-concessional eligibility, which steps $2.0M → $2.1M the same day.) |
| 1 July | LISTO: $500 → $810 | Income threshold rising to $45,000. More low-income workers eligible. |
| 1 July | Solar Sharer scheme starts | Free electricity for 3 hours/day in NSW, SE QLD, and SA. |
| 1 July | myTax opens for 2025–26 returns | Pre-fill data available from mid-July. Most info pre-filled by late August. |
August 2026
| Date | Event | What to Do |
|---|
| 10–11 Aug | RBA Monetary Policy Board meeting | Cash rate decision announced 2:30pm AEST 11 August. |
September 2026
| Date | Event | What to Do |
|---|
| 17 Sep | Australian Citizenship Day | Citizenship ceremonies held across the country. |
| 20 Sep | Centrelink payment indexation | Age Pension, JobSeeker, DSP, and other payments adjusted for CPI. |
| 28–29 Sep | RBA Monetary Policy Board meeting | Cash rate decision announced 2:30pm AEST 29 September. |
October 2026
| Date | Event | What to Do |
|---|
| 20 Oct | VIC off-the-plan concession expires | Last day for expanded stamp duty concession for all buyers on off-the-plan apartments in VIC. |
| 31 Oct | Tax return deadline | Lodge your 2025–26 return by this date (or engage a tax agent for an extension to May 2027). Tax deadline guide → |
November 2026
| Date | Event | What to Do |
|---|
| 2–3 Nov | RBA Monetary Policy Board meeting | Cash rate decision announced 2:30pm AEST 3 November. |
| 30 Nov | Single Touch Payroll finalisation due (employers) | Your employer must finalise your income statement in ATO systems. Check yours is marked 'Tax ready' in myGov before lodging. |
December 2026
| Date | Event | What to Do |
|---|
| 7–8 Dec | RBA Monetary Policy Board meeting | Last cash rate decision for 2026. Announced 2:30pm AEST 8 December. |
Recurring Dates
| When | Event |
|---|
| 21st of each month | BAS due (quarterly) — for GST-registered businesses |
| 28th after quarter | Super guarantee due date (current rules — changes to 7 days from 1 July 2026) |
| March & September | Centrelink payment indexation — Age Pension, JobSeeker, DSP, rent assistance adjusted |
| 1 July each year | National Minimum Wage & award wage increases take effect (Fair Work Commission Annual Wage Review — decision announced early-to-mid June, applies from the first full pay period on or after 1 July) |
Set Your Reminders
The dates that cost people the most when missed: 30 June (end of financial year — last day for deductions and super contributions), 31 October (tax return deadline), and 1 July after your 31st birthday (health insurance loading deadline). Set calendar alerts now.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is the federal budget?
12 May 2026. Treasurer Jim Chalmers delivered the 2026–27 budget at 7:30pm AEST. Headline measures: 16%→15% bracket cut on 1 July 2026, $1,000 instant deduction, negative gearing reform from 1 July 2027 (grandfathered at Budget night), expanded Help to Buy. Read our plain-English Budget analysis.
When is my tax return due?
31 October 2026 for the 2025–26 financial year (if self-lodging). If you use a registered tax agent, you typically get until May 2027.
When does the new financial year start?
1 July 2026. New tax rates, payday super, $1,000 standard deduction, and Division 296 all commence on this date.
What Changed
31 May 2026
Corrected the recurring minimum-wage date (takes effect 1 July, not 1 January) and clarified the temporary $20,000 instant asset write-off becomes permanent on 1 July 2026.
Apr 2026
Page created