Payday Super – What We All Need to Know

From 1 July 2026, Payday Super changes the way superannuation is paid, with super contributions required to be paid more frequently and generally reach an eligible worker’s super fund within seven business days of payday.

For those of us working across the arts and creative industries – whether you're an artist, performer, sole trader, producer, presenter, venue, festival, arts organisation or creative business – now is a good time to understand how superannuation applies to the way we work and engage others.

Super isn't just relevant to permanent employees. It can apply to full-time, part-time and casual employees, and importantly for our sector, some people engaged as contractors may also be entitled to super.

The arts sector relies heavily on freelance and contract work. You might engage an artist to deliver a workshop, a musician for a performance, a designer for a project, a technician for an event or another creative practitioner for their skills and expertise.

Having an ABN, submitting an invoice or calling someone a “contractor” does not automatically mean that super isn't payable.

There are also specific superannuation rules that can apply to people paid to perform or present music, theatre, dance, entertainment and other activities, making this particularly relevant to the creative industries.

This isn't only something larger organisations need to think about. If you are an individual artist or sole trader who engages another person to perform or provide creative services, you may also need to consider whether you have superannuation obligations. Likewise, if you're an artist or performer working as a contractor, it's worth understanding whether you may be entitled to receive super in addition to your fee.

The key message for our sector is: contractor + ABN + invoice does not automatically equal no super.

With the recent Australian Government changes to superannuation, it's a good time for everyone working in the creative industries to understand both their obligations when engaging others and their entitlements when being engaged.

Superannuation and contractor arrangements can be complex, and individual circumstances vary. Arts North West is not a financial, taxation or legal adviser, so we encourage artists, creative workers, sole traders, presenters and organisations to seek their own professional advice.

For further clarification, Creative Workplaces is presenting Superannuation in the Creative Industries, an information session specifically focused on understanding super in our sector.

Superannuation in the Creative Industries
More information and registration: https://events.humanitix.com/superannuation-in-the-creative-industries

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