The Australian financial year ends 30 June. The federal compliance year for fringe benefits tax ends 31 March. The corporate tax return is due 15 May. State payroll tax annual reconciliations are due 21 July. The parent's year-end is almost certainly none of these.
Running an Australian subsidiary means navigating a compliance calendar that rarely aligns with the parent's reporting rhythm. This guide is the reference calendar that keeps a foreign-owned subsidiary on track, month by month, with notes on which deadlines matter most for parents in different jurisdictions.
Published: April 2026
The Australian compliance year sits across three parallel calendars:
Income tax year: 1 July to 30 June. This is the financial year for income tax, statutory accounts, GST, and most state taxes.
Fringe benefits tax year: 1 April to 31 March. This is a federal tax that runs on a different cycle, catching foreign parents off guard if they think the Australian "tax year" is one thing.
Calendar year: Used for some industry reporting and for parent-driven calendar-year reporting (for example, German, French, US, and Singaporean parents who run on calendar year).
The deadlines below assume a 30 June year-end and use a registered tax agent for income tax (which gives extended deadlines compared to self-lodgement).
The start of the new financial year, and the heaviest single month for compliance.
Every Australian company has an annual review date based on its incorporation anniversary. ASIC sends a notice approximately 1 month before, and the annual review fee plus any updates to company details are due by the review date.
This is one of the most commonly missed deadlines because it is anniversary-based, not calendar-based, and easy to overlook if the registered office is offshore or unattended.
Western Australia, South Australia, Tasmania, ACT, and NT each have their own payroll tax and workers compensation regimes with similar but not identical deadlines. A multi-state employer needs to track each state separately.
Foreign parents typically run on one of these year-ends, which creates a permanent reporting mismatch with the Australian sub:
The practical solution is a parallel reporting calendar: monthly numbers go to the parent in the parent's format, on the parent's calendar. The Australian sub closes on 30 June for its own statutory and tax purposes, and reconciles to the parent's group reporting at the parent's year-end through a separate translation and consolidation step.
The UK parent's year-end falls in the middle of the Australian quarterly cycle. Most UK parents want a 31 March hard close on the Australian numbers for group reporting, even though the Australian financial year continues through to 30 June.
Watch-points: the FBT year also ends 31 March, which creates a double-close for that month. UK parents often miss the 30 June Australian close because their attention has moved on.
The US parent's year-end falls mid-Australian financial year. Most US parents want full year-end audit-quality numbers at 31 December, plus another hard close at 30 June for the Australian statutory accounts.
Watch-points: the audit timing for the parent's Form 10-K typically requires audit-ready numbers by mid-February. The Australian sub's audit (where required) typically completes in October to November after the 30 June close. Aligning these requires either an interim audit at 31 December or audit reliance procedures.
Similar to US parents on year-end alignment. German parents often have stricter reporting cadence requirements (monthly numbers by working day 5 to 7), and may want IFRS-conformant numbers rather than the Australian Accounting Standards equivalents that smaller subsidiaries typically prepare.
Watch-points: HGB reporting requirements for the parent group can drive specific account treatments that need to be reflected in the local books, particularly around provisions, lease accounting, and revenue recognition.
Asian parents often have the cleanest interaction because GST and corporate tax mechanics are conceptually similar. Watch-points: Australian payroll obligations are richer than Singapore CPF or Hong Kong MPF, and the FBT year-end at 31 March creates a separate cycle to manage.
NZ parents often run on 31 March (the NZ tax year), which means the Australian 30 June year-end is offset by 3 months. This is the easiest to manage because the rhythms are similar.
The cost of missing a deadline depends on which one:
BAS late lodgement: Failure to Lodge penalty of $330 per 28-day period for small entities ($1,650 maximum), scaling to $1,650 per 28-day period for medium entities. General interest charge on unpaid amounts, currently around 11.36% per annum.
Income tax late lodgement: Same FTL framework. The penalties are based on entity size rather than tax owed.
Super guarantee shortfall: Super guarantee charge includes the shortfall amount, interest, and an administration component. Notably, late or unpaid super becomes non-deductible for the employer, which is a material penalty even if remitted later.
Payroll tax: State-based penalties, typically 5% to 10% interest plus penalty tax up to 25% of unpaid amounts.
ASIC late fees: $99 for up to 1 month late, $412 for over 1 month late on most filings. Annual review failure can lead to deregistration after 12 months.
STP late lodgement: Penalties similar to BAS FTL framework.
For a comprehensive walkthrough of BAS lodgement timing and the consequences of late lodgement, see our BAS due dates guide.
The cleanest way to manage the calendar is:
For the full list of compliance deadlines for an Australian business, including the underlying ATO and Fair Work obligations, see our Australian tax calendar.
When is the income tax return for an Australian company due?
For a self-lodging company: 31 October following the end of the financial year. For a tax-agent-lodged company: typically 15 May the following year (so for the year ended 30 June 2025, the return is due 15 May 2026).
What happens if my Australian sub misses BAS lodgement?
The Failure to Lodge penalty is $330 per 28-day period for small entities, capped at $1,650. General interest charge accrues on unpaid GST, PAYG withholding, and PAYG instalment amounts at around 11.36% per annum. The ATO is generally responsive to genuine catch-up scenarios but does not waive penalties without a remission application.
Why does the FBT year run on a different calendar?
Historical reasons. FBT was introduced in 1986 with a 1 April to 31 March year, and the change to align with the income tax year has been considered but not implemented. The practical effect is two separate annual cycles for federal tax purposes.
How do I align my parent's calendar year reporting with the Australian financial year?
Run a parallel reporting calendar. Monthly numbers go to the parent on the parent's cycle in the parent's format. The Australian books close on 30 June for tax and ASIC purposes, with a reconciliation back to the parent's calendar-year numbers at 31 December. Most accounting platforms (Xero, NetSuite, etc.) handle this cleanly when set up correctly from day one.
Do I need to lodge a tax return if my Australian sub had no income?
Yes. Every Australian company is required to lodge an income tax return each year, regardless of whether it had taxable income. Dormant or pre-revenue subsidiaries lodge nil returns.
What is the payroll tax annual reconciliation?
Each state requires an annual reconciliation of payroll tax paid against the actual full-year wage liability. Differences are paid (or refunded) at reconciliation. Most states require the reconciliation by 21 July following year-end.
When is the ASIC annual review due?
On the company's incorporation anniversary each year. ASIC sends a notice approximately 1 month before. Late payment triggers late fees, and the company can be deregistered if the review is not completed within 12 months.
Do I need an Australian-resident tax agent?
To lodge BAS on behalf of the company, yes: only a registered Australian BAS Agent or Tax Agent can lodge. To lodge income tax returns, yes: a registered Tax Agent. Most foreign-parent subsidiaries engage a local provider for the registered functions and centralise reporting offshore.
What does it cost to outsource the full compliance calendar?
For a low-volume subsidiary: $1,500 to $3,000 per month for monthly bookkeeping, BAS, payroll, and management accounts, plus $4,000 to $8,000 per year for the annual statutory accounts and tax return. For a mid-volume subsidiary: $3,500 to $6,500 per month with $6,000 to $12,000 per year in annual costs. To compare these numbers against an internal hire, use our hire vs outsource calculator.
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We review and check this guide periodically. At the time of writing (April 2026), all information was current. Scale Suite is a registered BAS Agent, not a licensed tax advisor or financial advisor. This content is general information only and does not constitute professional tax, financial, or legal advice. Some details may change over time.
Scale Suite is a Sydney-based provider of outsourced finance and HR services for Australian SMEs. We deliver bookkeeping, financial reporting, payroll processing, fractional CFO support, recruitment, employee onboarding, people and culture support, and fractional HR oversight, all as a fully embedded team that works inside your business.
Employment Hero Gold Partner, CA-qualified, and Xero Certified, we replace fragmented finance and HR processes with one responsive, senior-level function at a fraction of the cost of full-time hires. We serve growing businesses across Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, and Perth, with packages starting from $1,500 per month and no lock-in contracts.
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