How to Master Employer Obligations in 2025

Taxpayers who employ staff should remember the following important dates and obligations throughout the year “to set (themselves) up for success”.

Fringe Benefits Tax (‘FBT’)

31 March 2025 marks the end of the 2024/25 FBT year. Employers should remember the following four key steps to ‘nail’ their obligations for FBT tax time:

  1. They should identify if they have provided a fringe benefit.
  2. They should determine the taxable value to work out if they have an FBT liability.
  3. They should lodge an FBT return and pay any FBT owed (if they have a liability) by 21 May 2025. If their registered tax agent lodges electronically for them, they have until 25 June 2025.
  4. They should keep the right records to support their FBT position.

Super Guarantee (‘SG’)

  • 28 January, 28 April, 28 July and 28 October are the quarterly due dates for making SG payments.
  • The SG rate is currently 11.5% of an employee’s ordinary time earnings. From 1 July 2025, the SG rate will increase to 12%.
  • Taxpayers should ensure SG for their eligible employees is paid in full, on time and to the right super fund. If they fail to do so, they will need to lodge a super guarantee charge (‘SGC’) statement and pay the SGC to the ATO.

Pay As You Go (‘PAYG’) Withholding

Taxpayers need to withhold the right amount of tax from payments they make to their employees and other payees, and pay those amounts to the ATO. This will help their employees meet their end-of-year tax liabilities.

Their accounting or payroll software, and the ATO’s online tax tables or tax withheld calculator will help them do this.

Single Touch Payroll (‘STP’)

Employers should finalise their STP data by 14 July 2025 for the 2024/25 financial year. This will ensure their employees have the right information they need to lodge their income tax returns. Employers that have any closely held payees may have a later due date for those payees only.

Employers should remember to finalise their STP data for all the employees they have paid during the financial year.

Ref: ATO website, Small Business Newsroom, 7 February  2025