What has changed in business finance for WA owners this year?
Credit cards are out at the ATO, super goes out every pay run, ATO interest costs full price and card surcharges are gone. It has been a big year for WA business owners. Here is every change in one place, what it means for your business finance, and how we help you handle it.
Short answer: quite a lot, and most of it landed in the same twelve months. Credit cards are on the way out at the ATO, super now goes out with every pay run, ATO interest costs full price and card surcharges are gone. Any one of those would be enough to rethink your business finance. All of them together? That is a year worth talking about. We spent Business Loan Week working through each change, and this is the round-up: what happened, what it means, and how to handle it.
What has changed in business finance for WA owners this year?
Short answer: four big things. ATO interest stopped being tax deductible from 1 July 2025. Payday Super moved super to every pay run from 1 July 2026. Card surcharges were removed from 1 October 2026. And the ATO stops accepting credit cards after 30 November 2026. Each one takes away a little breathing room.
This year’s changes at a glance
| Change | When | What it means for your business |
|---|---|---|
| ATO interest no longer deductible | From 1 July 2025 | Late tax costs full price, with interest compounding daily. |
| Payday Super | From 1 July 2026 | Super leaves the business with every pay run, not every quarter. |
| Card surcharges removed | From 1 October 2026 | Most businesses now wear card fees on eftpos, Mastercard and Visa themselves. |
| ATO stops accepting credit cards | After 30 November 2026 | The card can no longer be the backup for BAS and ATO bills. |
None of these is a disaster on its own. The tricky part is that they all chip away at the same thing: the cash-flow buffers business owners quietly relied on. The good news is that every one of them has a clean business finance fix, and we covered each one in detail this week.
This year took a few buffers away from business owners. The right business finance puts them back.
What should I do about ATO debt now credit cards are ending?
Short answer: compare your options before the card cutoff. ATO interest is 11.51% a year for October to December 2026, compounding daily, and it is not deductible. A business loan can clear the debt, and interest on borrowing used in your business may be deductible. Your accountant confirms the tax side, and we compare the panel.
This was the piece that kicked off the week, and it struck a chord. You can read the full breakdown, including how the compounding adds up and the interest-free exception, in our guide to paying ATO debt now credit cards are ending. The ATO’s own announcement has the official detail on the card cutoff.
Can I still get a business loan after my first year?
Short answer: yes, and 12 months trading is a milestone that opens a lot more of the market. Most business loans at that stage can be assessed on your business bank statements, so there is no waiting on your accountant. And if there is an ATO balance in the mix, it can often be paid out as part of the loan.
Our guide to a business loan with 12 months trading covers what lenders look for and how to make your first year count. Not there yet? There are still options, and we work with business owners at every stage.
If you work in or around the resources sector, our guide to finance for WA mining services businesses covers everything from yellow gear and trucks to invoice finance and commercial property.
What business finance replaces the credit card as my buffer?
Short answer: for most businesses, a line of credit. It is an approved limit you draw on when the BAS, an ATO bill or a big supplier invoice lands, then repay as your customers pay you. It won’t earn points, but it gives you back the breathing room, and the same limit can cover payday too.
You might lose the points, but you don’t have to lose the buffer. Our guide to using a line of credit for the ATO, BAS and suppliers explains how it works and when your first BAS without a card will fall due.
Card surcharges have changed the picture on the other side of the counter too. Since 1 October, the Reserve Bank’s surcharging decision means most businesses can no longer pass eftpos, Mastercard and Visa fees on to customers. That is one more cost coming out of margins, and one more reason a buffer helps.
How do I handle Payday Super without the squeeze?
Short answer: with a buffer that moves with your pay cycle. Super now has to reach each employee’s fund within 7 business days of payday, instead of quarterly. You are not paying more, just sooner. A line of credit covers wages and super on payday and gets repaid as your invoices are paid.
Late super is now expensive, with the new super guarantee charge applying per payday. Our guide to funding Payday Super without wrecking cash flow covers the costs and the fix, and the Fair Work Ombudsman’s Payday Super page has the official rules.
What should I sort before Christmas, and how do you help?
Short answer: sort your card backup, your shutdown cash flow, Payday Super over the holidays and your summer BAS dates, then have a chat with us about your business finance. We look at your whole business, compare our 60+ lender panel and handle the application, so everything is in place before you close the doors.
Our guide on what to sort before Christmas has the full checklist and the key summer dates. And if you’re not sure what you need, that’s completely fine. Most of our best conversations start with “something has to change, I’m just not sure what.”
- Have a chat. Tell us about your business and what has been on your mind this year.
- We work out the options. The business finance that fits: line of credit, business loan, equipment, refinance or ATO.
- We handle the application. Paperwork, lenders and follow-ups are all on us.
- You get back to business. With the breathing room back where it belongs.
From the broker’s desk: the theme we kept coming back to this week is timing. Not one of these changes is unmanageable, but every one of them is easier to handle a month early than a week late. If something in this round-up made you think of your own business, now is the best time to talk.
Thank you to everyone who read, shared and reached out during Business Loan Week. WA business owners have had a lot thrown at them this year, and we are genuinely in your corner. We are WA based, help business owners right across Australia, and do it all remotely. Whatever your business finance needs, give us a call and let’s get it 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.