If you run a small business in Western Australia, it’s time to start preparing for three key regulatory changes coming in 2026.
These changes will affect how you pay superannuation, communicate with customers via SMS and how certain food products need to be labelled.
Here’s what you need to know and how to get ready before these new rules take effect on 1 July.
Payday super
The Federal Government has passed legislation that will require superannuation guarantee payments to be paid to employees at the same time as their salary and wages.
Known as ‘payday super’, this change is likely to have a big impact on small business owners, particularly those that have been paying super on a quarterly basis.
The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) is encouraging employers to start preparing now so they’re ready to pay super contributions on payday from 1 July 2026.
Find out how to prepare for payday super.
SMS Sender ID regulations
The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) is introducing sender ID registration for SMS messages to help protect consumers against SMS scams. As part of these changes, SMS Sender IDs need be registered and verified to confirm the messages are genuinely sent from those organisations.
An SMS Sender ID is the name which appears as the sender each message. For example, you might be familiar with receiving texts from ‘ATO’, the name of your bank or accounting software such as ‘Xero’ or ‘MYOB’.
If your business sends SMS reminders, you must act now to register your SMS Sender ID to ensure your messages don’t get blocked from 1 July 2026.
Find out more about SMS Sender ID regulations.
New seafood labelling laws for hospitality businesses
Hospitality businesses selling food containing seafood that is served for immediate consumption (including dine in, take away or delivery) will need to comply with new Country of Origin labelling rules.
The origin of seafood needs to be labelled clearly to customers before they order to indicate if the seafood used is:
- Australian
- Imported
- Mixed
There are three label methods you can choose from, and the labels must be clear, accurate and written in English.
Find out more about Country of Origin labelling rules for seafood.
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