August 2026 ATO Deadlines – Have You Kept Your Head Above Water?
We’re finally heading out of the end of financial year craziness.
How did you fare? Have you managed to keep your head above water?
For business owners, bookkeepers and BAS agents, June and July bring a fairly relentless run of deadlines. There’s STP finalisation, payroll tax annual returns, super, June BAS preparation, year-end tidy ups and everything else that comes with closing off another financial year.
Then August arrives.
Unfortunately, it’s not quite time to put your feet up yet.
Key August 2026 ATO and QRO dates
There are a few important dates for Queensland businesses to have on the calendar this month.
7 August – Queensland payroll tax
The July 2026 monthly payroll tax return and payment is due to the Queensland Revenue Office.
21 August – July monthly BAS and IAS
If your business lodges a monthly BAS, the July activity statement is due.
For businesses reporting PAYG withholding monthly but GST quarterly, the July Instalment Activity Statement (IAS) also falls due on 21 August.
25 August – June quarter BAS
For eligible businesses lodging through a registered BAS or tax agent, the June quarter BAS has an extended lodgement and payment date of 25 August.
And yes, that means the monthly BAS/IAS deadline and quarterly BAS deadline are only four days apart.
A nice little August double whammy for bookkeepers and business owners.
Don't forget TPAR – 28 August
The Taxable Payments Annual Report (TPAR) is also due on 28 August.
This one catches businesses out because it only comes around once a year.
Depending on the services your business provides, you may need to report payments made to contractors during the 2025–26 financial year.
Industries covered by TPAR reporting include:
Building and construction services
Courier services
Road freight services
Information technology (IT) services
Cleaning services
Security, investigation and surveillance services
If you operate in one of these industries and use subcontractors, don't assume there's nothing to report just because they're registered for an ABN or send you an invoice.
It's worth checking your contractor payments properly before deciding whether they belong on the TPAR.
August is a good month to get the systems back in order
EOFY has a habit of exposing the cracks.
Receipts that haven't made it into Xero. Supplier bills sitting in inboxes. Payroll accounts that haven't been checked. Contractor details that are incomplete. BAS information arriving at the last minute.
Once the major June and July deadlines are out of the way, August is a good time to get back into a regular bookkeeping routine.
I’m a big fan of lists and strong procedures. When the same jobs need to happen every week, month or quarter, having a process in place means you're not relying on someone remembering them at the last minute.
And there is something very satisfying about crossing a deadline off the list.
Need help keeping your bookkeeping on track?
If BAS, payroll, Xero and compliance deadlines are taking up too much of your time, outsourcing your bookkeeping can take some of that pressure off.
JH Bookkeeping Solutions provides Xero bookkeeping and BAS services to businesses across Queensland and Australia, from our bookkeeping office on the Sunshine Coast.
Keeping the books up to date throughout the month makes BAS time a whole lot easier – and means fewer surprises when the next deadline rolls around.
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