The April Payroll & Compliance Checklist for Small Business
April is a funny month in the small‑business calendar. The Easter long weekend has come and gone, the year finally feels like it’s in full swing, and EOFY is close enough that it’s starting to appear on the horizon — but not close enough to cause panic.
That’s exactly why April is the ideal time to get ahead of your payroll and compliance housekeeping. A few small checks now can save hours of stress in June and prevent those last‑minute scrambles that no one enjoys.
Here’s a practical, no‑drama checklist to help you start EOFY prep early and set yourself up for a smooth finish to the financial year.
1. Give Your STP Data a Quick Health Check
STP finalisation becomes a lot easier when the data is clean well before June.
A few things worth reviewing now:
- Are employee details correct (TFNs, DOBs, addresses)?
- Are allowances mapped correctly?
- Are termination payments showing as expected?
- Have any manual adjustments been made during the year that need reconciling?
Think of this as tidying the cupboard before you try to close the door.
2. Review Leave Balances and Liabilities
April is a great time to look at:
- Excessive annual leave balances
- Long service leave approaching entitlement
- Personal leave patterns
- Whether your payroll system is accruing correctly
These checks help with cash‑flow planning and reduce the risk of incorrect payouts later.
3. Spot‑Check Award Classifications and Pay Rates
Awards change, roles evolve, and sometimes the classification someone started with isn’t the one they should still be on.
A quick review now can prevent:
- Underpayments
- Incorrect penalty rates
- Misaligned allowances
- Classification disputes
You don’t need to audit every role — just pick a few and make sure they still line up with the work being done.
4. Make Sure Super Is Up to Date Before the Final Quarter
With payday super starting 1 July, April is the perfect time to:
- Confirm all SG payments are up to date
- Check for any late or missed contributions
- Review how your payroll system handles bonuses, backpay, and allowances
- Test your super clearing house timing
Fixing super issues early avoids SG Charge headaches later.
5. Review Your Payroll System Settings
A lot can change over a year — new staff, new pay items, new rules.
April is a good moment to check:
- Pay categories
- Leave accrual rules
- Overtime settings
- Rounding rules
- Default super funds
- Termination settings
These small tweaks often prevent the biggest EOFY errors.
6. Start Thinking About the Annual Wage Review
We don’t know the outcome yet, but we do know:
- It will apply from 1 July
- It affects budgeting and cash flow
- It’s easier to plan early than react late
Encourage business owners to start scenario planning now — even a rough estimate helps.
7. Clean Up Your Employee List
EOFY is smoother when your employee list is tidy.
April is the time to:
- Terminate inactive employees
- Finalise any outstanding payments
- Check casuals who haven’t worked in months
- Ensure new starters are set up correctly
A clean employee list means fewer surprises when you hit “finalise”.
8. Map Out Your EOFY Timeline
A simple timeline helps everyone stay calm.
Encourage businesses to plan:
- When they’ll run their final payroll
- When they’ll reconcile STP
- When they’ll complete super for the quarter
- When they’ll finalise STP
- Who is responsible for each step
EOFY becomes much easier when it’s not all happening in your head.
Final Thought
April isn’t about doing everything — it’s about doing the right things early. A few small checks now can save hours of work later, reduce compliance risk, and give business owners the confidence that EOFY won’t be a mad scramble.
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