What should WA business owners sort before Christmas?
The silly season is nearly here, and this year it lands with a few extra curveballs. The ATO drops credit cards after 30 November, super now goes out every pay run, and the summer BAS dates are coming. Here is what to sort before Christmas, so you can actually enjoy the break.
Short answer: a handful of money jobs, sorted now, so the break is actually a break. This year the silly season comes with a few extra curveballs. The ATO stops taking credit cards after 30 November, super now goes out with every pay run, and the summer BAS dates are not far behind. None of it is hard to handle if you get in front of it before Christmas. Leave it until the week before the shutdown and it gets a lot less festive. Here is the list, and how we can help you tick it off.
What should WA business owners sort before Christmas?
Short answer: five things. A backup for the credit card before the ATO cutoff on 30 November. Cash flow to carry you through the shutdown. A plan for Payday Super over the holiday pay runs. The summer BAS dates in your diary. And a chat about finance before everyone downs tools, so it is all in place before the break.
Every year, December has the same rhythm. Work gets busier, clients want everything finished before the break, and then the money goes quiet for a few weeks while the bills keep coming. This year there is more to juggle than usual, with three government changes all landing in the same twelve months.
The good news is that every one of these has a simple fix. Most business owners just need one conversation and the right setup in place, and that is exactly what we do. Here is the full rundown.
Is the credit card still your plan for paying the ATO?
Short answer: it can’t be after 30 November. The ATO will stop accepting credit cards after that date, so card payments will simply fail. If your BAS or ATO payment plan runs through a card, you need another way to pay before your next payment falls due, ideally before Christmas. A business line of credit is the most common replacement.
For a lot of owners, the ATO bill was the best points-earner of the year. Put it on the card, collect the rewards and enjoy a few weeks of breathing room. You can read the ATO’s announcement for the detail, but the short version is that it is ending.
You might lose the points, but you don’t have to lose the buffer. Our guide on using a line of credit to pay the ATO, BAS and suppliers shows how it works, and if you are carrying an ATO balance, our guide to paying ATO debt now credit cards are ending covers that too.
Should I set up a cash-flow buffer before Christmas?
Short answer: yes, and have it in place before you close. Over the break, invoices slow down or stop, but wages, leave, rent, insurance and supplier accounts keep coming. A line of credit covers that gap and gets paid back down once the work and the payments start flowing again in the new year.
Most WA businesses know the pattern. The last few weeks before Christmas are flat out. Then the clients close, the invoices sit in someone’s inbox until mid-January, and your bank balance does a slow slide while you are trying to enjoy a few days off.
For businesses tied to mining, the timing can be even trickier, with site shutdowns, planned maintenance windows and contract cycles all landing around the same time. Our guide for WA mining services businesses covers the finance that suits that rhythm.
The best Christmas present you can give your business is a buffer that is already in place before you close the doors.
Does Payday Super keep going over the holidays?
Short answer: yes. Under Payday Super, super has to be paid with wages every pay run, and that includes the pay runs over Christmas and New Year. Holiday pay and leave still come with super attached. So the quieter weeks still need the cash to cover wages and super together.
This is the first Christmas under Payday Super, so it will catch a few people out. In previous years, super for December could wait until the quarterly due date. Now it goes out alongside every pay run, including the ones that land while the business is quiet.
If the timing feels tight, our guide on funding Payday Super without wrecking cash flow explains how a buffer keeps every pay run on time.
When are the BAS dates over summer?
Short answer: monthly lodgers have their November BAS due on 21 December, right before the break. Quarterly lodgers have the October to December BAS due on 28 February, which will be the first quarterly BAS most businesses pay without a credit card. Both are worth planning for now, not in a January rush.
Key dates for the silly season
| Date | What happens | What it means for you |
|---|---|---|
| Every pay run | Super is due with wages under Payday Super. | Holiday pay runs need cash for wages and super together. |
| After 30 November 2026 | The ATO stops accepting credit cards. | Card-linked BAS and payment plans need another way to pay. |
| 21 December 2026 | November BAS due for monthly lodgers. | Lands right before the break, so plan the cash early. |
| 28 February 2027 | October to December BAS due for quarterly lodgers. | The first quarterly BAS most businesses pay without a card. |
All the official dates are on the ATO’s BAS due dates page. The February date already includes a built-in extension, so there is no extra time on top of it.
Can you help me get it all sorted before Christmas?
Short answer: absolutely, and the earlier we chat, the easier it is. Tell us what is going on in your business and we will work out what makes sense, whether that is a line of credit, equipment finance, a business loan, refinancing or clearing an ATO balance. We compare our 60+ lender panel and handle everything for you.
Not sure what you need?
You don’t need to have it all figured out before you call. Most of our best conversations start with “I’m not sure what I need, but something has to change.” That is completely fine. We will talk it through, ask the right questions and point you in the right direction, even if the answer is that you are already in good shape.
- Have a chat. Tell us about your business, your busy and quiet months, and what is on your mind.
- We work out the options. Line of credit, equipment, business loan, refinance or ATO, whatever fits.
- We handle the application. Paperwork, lenders and follow-ups are all on us.
- You enjoy the break. Everything is in place before you close the doors.
From the broker’s desk: lenders and their teams take holidays too, and December fills up fast. The owners who have the smoothest Christmas are the ones who sort their finance well before Christmas, in October or November, not the week before the shutdown. Get in early and it is one less thing on the to-do list.
Whether you have just started out or you have been at it for decades, we would love to help you finish the year strong and start the next one with breathing room. Looking at new gear before the new year? Our guide to equipment finance in WA is a good place to start. We are WA based, work with business owners right across Australia, and do it all remotely. Give us a call before Christmas and let’s get you sorted.
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Start with a chatThis guide is general information for the Australian market, not advice about your situation. Lender credit policy changes, and what applies to you depends on your circumstances. Pilbara Finance is a credit representative (478535) of Mortgage Specialists Pty Ltd, Australian Credit Licence 387025.