Quick answer
Public holidays shift business deadlines in three ways: they remove a business day from payment and processing timelines, they push Payday Super's 7-business-day window later, and they can move ATO due dates to the next business day. From October 2026 to December 2027, the key clusters are early October, Christmas–New Year, Easter, and state-specific Mondays in March, June and October.
Key points
- Christmas 2026 falls on a Friday and Boxing Day on a Saturday, so Monday 28 December is a holiday in every state and territory.
- Easter 2027 runs from Good Friday 26 March to Easter Monday 29 March.
- Under Payday Super, public holidays for the whole state don't count as business days, so the 7-day window stretches.
- The ATO lets you lodge or pay on the next business day when a due date falls on a weekend or a public holiday for the whole of any state or territory.
Most business owners know when the public holidays are. Fewer have noticed how those holidays quietly move their money. A long weekend shaves a business day off every payment timeline. A holiday in the middle of a Payday Super window pushes the deadline later in the calendar. And a due date that lands on a holiday can move a BAS payment to the next business day — sometimes for the whole country, even if your state is working.
This guide lists the statewide public holidays from October 2026 to December 2027, then walks through what each cluster means for payroll, super, tax and suppliers. Pin it next to your cash plan.
Which public holidays fall between October 2026 and December 2027?
These are the holidays that apply to the whole of each state or territory, taken from the Fair Work Ombudsman’s published 2026 and 2027 lists. Part-day holidays (such as Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve evenings in some states) and regional holidays (such as show days that apply only in part of a state) aren’t included; check your state’s full list for those.
| Date | Holiday | States and territories |
|---|---|---|
| Mon 5 Oct 2026 | Labour Day / King’s Birthday | NSW, ACT, SA (Labour Day); QLD (King’s Birthday) |
| Tue 3 Nov 2026 | Melbourne Cup | VIC |
| Fri 25 Dec 2026 | Christmas Day | All |
| Mon 28 Dec 2026 | Boxing Day, or additional day for it | All |
| Fri 1 Jan 2027 | New Year’s Day | All |
| Tue 26 Jan 2027 | Australia Day | All |
| Mon 1 Mar 2027 | Labour Day | WA |
| Mon 8 Mar 2027 | Labour Day / Canberra Day / Adelaide Cup / Eight Hours Day | VIC, ACT, SA, TAS |
| Fri 26 Mar 2027 | Good Friday | All |
| Mon 29 Mar 2027 | Easter Monday | All |
| Mon 26 Apr 2027 | Additional day for Anzac Day (which falls on a Sunday) | NSW, ACT, QLD, NT, WA |
| Mon 3 May 2027 | Labour Day / May Day | QLD, NT |
| Mon 31 May 2027 | Reconciliation Day | ACT |
| Mon 7 Jun 2027 | WA Day | WA |
| Mon 14 Jun 2027 | King’s Birthday | NSW, VIC, SA, TAS, ACT, NT |
| Mon 2 Aug 2027 | Picnic Day | NT |
| Mon 27 Sep 2027 | King’s Birthday | WA |
| Mon 4 Oct 2027 | Labour Day / King’s Birthday | NSW, ACT, SA (Labour Day); QLD (King’s Birthday) |
| Tue 2 Nov 2027 | Melbourne Cup | VIC |
| Mon 27 Dec 2027 | Additional day for Christmas | All |
| Tue 28 Dec 2027 | Additional day for Boxing Day | All |
In 2027, Anzac Day falls on a Sunday; South Australia, Victoria and Tasmania don’t list an additional Monday. Victoria’s AFL Grand Final Friday for 2027 was still to be confirmed when these lists were checked. Our business day counter uses these statewide dates.
How do holidays change payment timelines?
Most business funding, settlements and bank processing run on business days. A holiday removes one, and a holiday next to a weekend removes three calendar days in a row.
The effect is biggest when money has to arrive somewhere by a fixed time:
- Paying the ATO. The ATO says payments can take up to 4 business days to be received and appear on your account. A holiday inside that window pushes the arrival date later.
- Paying suppliers by standard transfer. Fast payments through the New Payments Platform can move 24/7, including weekends and public holidays, according to AusPayPlus. Older-style transfers and batch payment runs generally wait for business days.
- Arranging funding. Approvals, signing and settlement generally happen on business days. A request that would be possible the next business day on a Thursday may land on Tuesday if Friday and Monday are holidays.
If you’re arranging funds near a long weekend, treat the last business day before it as your real deadline. Our page on Friday and long-weekend funding explains how to use the weekend to prepare.
What do holidays do to Payday Super deadlines?
Since 1 July 2026, the ATO requires super contributions to be received by the employee’s fund within 7 business days after payday. It defines a business day as any day other than a Saturday, Sunday or a public holiday that applies to the whole of the relevant state or territory.
That means holidays stretch the calendar. Here’s an illustrative example for a business in NSW that pays staff on Thursday 24 December 2026:
| Day | Business day? | Count |
|---|---|---|
| Fri 25 Dec | No (Christmas) | — |
| Mon 28 Dec | No (Boxing Day holiday) | — |
| Tue 29 Dec | Yes | 1 |
| Wed 30 Dec | Yes | 2 |
| Thu 31 Dec | Yes | 3 |
| Fri 1 Jan | No (New Year’s Day) | — |
| Mon 4 Jan | Yes | 4 |
| Tue 5 Jan | Yes | 5 |
| Wed 6 Jan | Yes | 6 |
| Thu 7 Jan | Yes | 7 |
On this count, super for the 24 December pay run must be received by the fund by Thursday 7 January 2027. The extra calendar days help, but the Christmas period is also when clearing houses, funds and your own team may be running at half speed. Aim to send contributions well before the last day. Our page on super due this week covers the rules, and the business day counter does the arithmetic for your state.
If cash for a holiday-period pay run looks tight, it’s worth talking to someone before the break rather than after. A 60-second enquiry now can save a scramble on 29 December.
How do holidays move BAS and other ATO dates?
The ATO’s standard quarterly BAS due dates are 28 October, 28 February, 28 April and 28 July, and monthly BAS is due on the 21st of the following month. The ATO says that if a due date falls on a weekend or public holiday, you have until the next business day to lodge and pay. Its guidance for tax professionals adds that a public holiday for the whole of any state or territory counts, so the extension applies across the country.
Some dates in this period to note:
- Wednesday 28 October 2026 — July–September quarterly BAS. A normal business day.
- Sunday 28 February 2027 — October–December quarterly BAS falls on a weekend. Monday 1 March 2027 is Labour Day across WA, and because the ATO counts a public holiday for the whole of any state, the next business day under that rule would appear to be Tuesday 2 March 2027. Check the ATO’s own due-date information closer to the time before relying on it.
- Wednesday 28 April 2027 and Wednesday 28 July 2027 — ordinary business days.
Remember the extension changes the due date, not the payment processing time. If you plan to pay on the last possible day, the money may still take days to appear on your ATO account. See BAS due tomorrow for options if the cash isn’t there.
How should suppliers and customers fit into the calendar?
Holidays affect the money you receive as much as the money you pay.
- Customers’ payment runs. Many larger businesses pay suppliers on fixed days. If a payment run falls on a holiday, it may move — often later. Ask your big customers now how the Christmas period affects their runs.
- Suppliers’ trading days. Some suppliers close for a week or more over Christmas. Order and pay early, and confirm who can take calls if something goes wrong.
- Interstate differences. A Monday holiday in your state may be a business day for your supplier, and the reverse. Melbourne Cup, WA Day and Reconciliation Day are good examples.
A simple routine for holiday-proofing your cash
At the start of each month, spend fifteen minutes on this:
- Mark the month’s statewide holidays for your state and for any state you trade with.
- Mark every fixed outflow: pay days, super deadlines, BAS, rent, loan repayments.
- Mark expected receipts, and move any that fall on or just after a holiday a day or two later.
- Look for weeks where outflows cluster and receipts slip. Those are your pinch points.
- Decide now whether to adjust timing, ask a supplier for different terms, or arrange a buffer.
Our ten-day cash calendar turns this into a rolling, practical habit. If the pinch point is Christmas, the Christmas close-down cash plan goes into more detail.
When a holiday catches you short
Even the best plan gets caught out by a slow customer or an unexpected bill just before a long weekend. If that’s where you are, the fastest move is to get your enquiry in before the break, so a specialist can start the moment business resumes — or the same day if there’s still time.
It takes about 60 seconds and there’s no credit check when you first enquire. Your details aren’t circulated to a list of lenders; one team reads your situation and a real person calls you back. Please enter your state and the date the money is needed accurately — with holidays in the mix, those two details decide the timeline.
Frequently asked questions
Which public holidays apply everywhere in Australia?
New Year's Day, Australia Day, Good Friday, Easter Monday, Christmas Day and Boxing Day apply in every state and territory, although substitute days and dates for Anzac Day and the King's Birthday vary.
Do public holidays affect Payday Super deadlines?
Yes. The ATO defines a business day as a day other than a Saturday, Sunday or a public holiday for the whole of the relevant state or territory. Holidays therefore push the 7-business-day deadline later in calendar terms.
What happens to a BAS due on a public holiday?
The ATO says that if a due date falls on a weekend or public holiday, you have until the next business day to lodge and pay. It treats a public holiday for the whole of any state or territory as qualifying.
Where can I check my state's full list?
The Fair Work Ombudsman publishes public holiday lists for each year and state, including part-day and regional holidays. State governments publish their own lists too.
How do I count business days around a holiday?
Use our business day counter. Choose your state and a start date, and it skips weekends and statewide public holidays automatically.