Outsourced payroll, AustraliaA university-qualified graduate accountant, employed by FreeMyCloud, prepares each pay run, its Single Touch Payroll report and the super payment inside your own payroll software, for your approval on payday. Awards, state payroll tax and the 7 business day super deadline are built into the pay calendar. Typically 50 to 70% less than a local payroll officer, no lock-in contract, no setup fee.
The short answer
Checked against the ATO, the Fair Work Ombudsman and the state revenue offices on 1 October 2026. Every rule, rate and deadline on this page links to its official source.
Outsourced payroll services means a person outside your business prepares your payroll inside your payroll software: timesheets and leave collected, award rates and allowances applied, the pay run and the Single Touch Payroll report prepared, super worked out at 12% of qualifying earnings and the payment prepared so the fund receives it within 7 business days of payday, PAYG withholding reconciled, and wages tracked against each state's payroll tax threshold. You approve each pay run before it goes.
With FreeMyCloud the person is one dedicated graduate accountant, based in our Manila office and working Australian business hours, who learns your awards, your people and your pay calendar and runs every cycle. The same accountant can also do your bookkeeping, so payroll reconciles to the general ledger every month without a second supplier.
FreeMyCloud is not a registered BAS agent or tax agent. Your accountant prepares the figures and reports for your approval; your registered agent reviews and lodges anything that needs an agent (Tax Practitioners Board, BAS services).
Scope
| Stage | What your payroll accountant does | What you do |
|---|---|---|
| Before payday | Collects timesheets, leave and new starters; applies award or agreement rates, overtime, penalty rates and allowances; prepares the pay run and the Single Touch Payroll report | Approve the pay run |
| Payday | Prepares the super contribution through your clearing house so the fund receives it within 7 business days; prepares the pay file for your bank | Release the payments |
| New starter | Tax file number declaration, choice of fund or stapled fund request, award classification, the 20 business day window for the first super contribution | Sign the engagement |
| Each month | Reconciles wages, PAYG withholding and super to the general ledger; tracks wages against the payroll tax threshold in each state and prepares the return if registered | Approve the return |
| Each quarter | Reconciles PAYG withholding to the BAS figures prepared for your registered agent | Nothing extra |
| Year end | STP finalisation after the last pay of the year, leave balances reconciled, payroll tax annual reconciliation prepared | Approve the finalisation |
| Any time | Leave balances, pay queries, separation certificates and final pays prepared on request | Ask |
2026-27 rules
These are the obligations every pay run has to satisfy. Each is linked to the page it comes from, as at 1 October 2026.
| Obligation | What applies | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Single Touch Payroll | Each pay event is reported to the ATO from your payroll software on or before payday, with income disaggregated under STP Phase 2 | ATO, Single Touch Payroll |
| Super guarantee rate | 12% of qualifying earnings | ATO, Payment deadlines for Payday Super, updated 29 September 2026 |
| Super due date | Received by the fund within 7 business days of payday; 20 business days for a new starter's first contribution; whole-of-state public holidays anywhere in Australia do not count as business days | Same source |
| Late super | The ATO assesses a super guarantee charge for each late payday: the shortfall, interest compounded daily, an administrative uplift of up to 60%, and a choice loading | ATO, What happens if you don't pay super correctly |
| Modern awards | Minimum rates, overtime, penalty rates and allowances for the award that covers each employee | Fair Work Ombudsman, Awards |
| Payroll tax | A state tax on wages above a threshold that differs by state (table below) | Each state revenue office |
Every 2026-27 non-business day and eight worked super examples are on the super due dates page.
Get in touch
Tell us a little about your business and what you need looked after. We reply within one business day, Australia-wide, and fifteen minutes on the phone is enough to say whether a dedicated bookkeeper suits you and what it would cost.
Prefer to talk? 1300 66 88 14
State by state
Payroll tax is worked out state by state on where the work is done. These are the four states where most FreeMyCloud payroll clients employ; each links to its revenue office.
| State | Annual threshold | Rate | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| New South Wales | $1,200,000 | 5.45% | Revenue NSW, Payroll tax thresholds and rates, updated 1 July 2026 |
| Victoria | $1,000,000 | 4.85% (lower regional rate; surcharges above $10 million) | State Revenue Office Victoria, Payroll tax current rates, updated 4 August 2026 |
| Queensland | $1,300,000 | 4.75% on Australian taxable wages up to $6.5 million a year, 4.95% above that | Queensland Revenue Office, Rates and threshold, updated 3 July 2026 |
| Western Australia | $1,000,000 (tapering to $7.5 million) | 5.5% | RevenueWA, Payroll tax employer guide (calculation), updated 2 June 2026 |
City pages: Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth. South Australia, Tasmania, the ACT and the Northern Territory are handled the same way; ask on the call.
Awards
The award decides the rate, the overtime, the penalty rates and the allowances. These are the ones most often seen in FreeMyCloud payrolls; yours is identified on engagement.
Cafes, restaurants, bars and hotels. Penalty rates, split shifts and the public holiday calendar.
Builders and trades. Allowances, RDOs and travel.
Office staff in most industries.
Medical, dental and allied health practices.
NDIS and disability support providers. Broken shifts, sleepovers and travel.
Retail and franchise stores. Weekend and evening penalty rates.
Enterprise agreements and the WA state system are handled the same way. For hospitality detail see hospitality payroll and penalty rates.
Choosing
| In-house payroll officer | Payroll bureau (per payslip) | Dedicated FreeMyCloud accountant | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who does the work | One employee | A processing team | The same graduate accountant every pay run |
| Knows your awards and people | Yes | Partly | Yes, from the first pay run |
| Also does the bookkeeping | Sometimes | No | Yes, if you want it |
| Cover for leave | You arrange it | Built in | Arranged by FreeMyCloud |
| Cost | Salary plus on-costs | Per employee per pay | Typically 50 to 70% less than a local payroll officer |
| Suits | Large headcount, complex agreements, cash wages | Simple payroll with no bookkeeping | Payroll plus bookkeeping in cloud software |
When outsourcing is not the better choice. If you run an enterprise agreement with hundreds of staff, pay cash wages, or need paper timesheets handled on site, an in-house payroll officer suits you better.
Software and security
Your accountant works in Xero Payroll, MYOB, QuickBooks Payroll or Reckon, or the payroll module of your industry system, with a user account you create at the permission level you choose. No change of platform is needed.
Every engagement starts with a signed non-disclosure agreement. Employee data stays in your payroll software, and every change is recorded against the user who made it.
Manila is two hours behind Melbourne and Sydney for most of the year and on the same time as Perth. Your accountant is at work when your employees are.
Payroll prepared inside the software you already use.
User permissions set by you, removable by you.
In place before any pay data is shared.
No pay run or super payment leaves without it.
Your payroll accountant is a university-qualified graduate accountant with Australian experience, employed by FreeMyCloud and based in our Manila office. The same person prepares every pay run and learns your awards, your people and your calendar.
FreeMyCloud is Australian owned and was founded in 2010. We work with Australian businesses from individual operators to ASX-listed companies, with offices in Melbourne and Manila.
A dedicated FreeMyCloud payroll accountant typically costs 50 to 70% less than a local payroll officer. The figure depends on headcount, pay frequency and whether bookkeeping is included, and the cost page sets out how it is worked out.
Getting started
Most clients are running within three business days of the first call.
You describe the headcount, the award, the pay cycle and the software.
We match a graduate accountant to your payroll software and workload.
The NDA is signed and you invite your accountant into your payroll file.
Prepared for your approval, with the super due date already in the calendar.
Related pages
Frequently asked questions
Timesheets and leave collected, award rates and allowances applied, the pay run and Single Touch Payroll report prepared, super worked out at 12% and the payment prepared so the fund receives it within 7 business days of payday, PAYG withholding reconciled, wages tracked against each state's payroll tax threshold, and year-end finalisation. You approve each pay run before it goes.
A dedicated FreeMyCloud payroll accountant typically costs 50 to 70% less than a local payroll officer, with no setup fee and no lock-in contract. The figure depends on headcount, pay frequency and whether bookkeeping is included. The savings calculator gives an estimate.
Your FreeMyCloud accountant prepares the pay run and the Single Touch Payroll report inside your payroll software for your approval; the report goes to the ATO from your software when the pay run is finalised. FreeMyCloud is not a registered BAS agent and does not lodge on your behalf.
Within 7 business days of each payday, received by the employee's fund, for wages paid from 1 July 2026. A new starter's first contribution has 20 business days. Whole-of-state public holidays anywhere in Australia do not count as business days. The super due dates page lists every 2026-27 date.
For paydays from 1 July 2026 the ATO assesses a super guarantee charge for that payday: the unpaid super, interest at the general interest charge rate compounded daily, an administrative uplift of up to 60%, and a choice loading if the choice of fund rules were not followed. Paying the outstanding super to the fund as soon as the gap is found reduces the charge.
Xero Payroll, MYOB, QuickBooks Payroll and Reckon, and the payroll module of most industry systems. No change of platform is needed.
Wages are tracked against the threshold in each state where your staff work, and the monthly return and annual reconciliation are prepared for your approval if you are registered. Thresholds and rates for NSW, Victoria, Queensland and Western Australia are in the table above.
Yes. Most FreeMyCloud payroll clients have the same dedicated accountant do the bookkeeping, so wages, PAYG withholding and super reconcile to the general ledger every month without a second supplier.
Most clients are running within three business days of the first call: a 30-minute call, an accountant matched to your payroll software and workload, the NDA signed, and your accountant invited into your payroll file before the next pay run.
This page is general information about Australian payroll obligations, current as at 1 October 2026. It is not tax, financial or legal advice. FreeMyCloud is not a registered tax agent or BAS agent and does not lodge on your behalf. Rates, thresholds and dates change. Confirm your own position with your registered tax or BAS agent.
Fifteen minutes on the phone is enough to tell you whether a dedicated payroll accountant suits your business, and what it would cost.
