How a SAP works
Taxpayers who have been granted leave to adopt a substituted accounting period (SAP) must meet the following lodgment requirements. For:
- individuals, partnerships and trusts, the due date for lodgment is the last day of the fourth month after the close of the accounting period
- companies and super funds (excluding not full self-assessment taxpayers (NFSA)), the due date for payment is the first day of the sixth month after the close of the accounting period
- companies and super funds (excluding NFSA), the due date for lodgment is the 15th day of the seventh month after the close of the accounting period.
Not a full self-assessment taxpayer
The lodgment concession available to SAPs does not apply where the SAP entity is not a full self-assessment taxpayer.
Lodgment deferral
You can request a lodgment deferral for taxpayers with a SAP. Requests for companies and super funds will be escalated for manual assessment as an ATO assessed deferral.
Identifying clients operating under approved SAP
You can identify clients operating under an approved SAP from the codes shown in the SAP column on your income tax client report.
|
SAP code |
Approved balance date |
Term used in lodgment program |
|---|---|---|
|
A |
31 Dec 2025 |
Early December balancer For information about the availability of a lodgment concession to 31 July, see early December balancing company and super fund clients. |
|
B |
31 Jan 2026 |
January balancer |
|
C |
28 Feb 2026 |
February balancer |
|
D |
31 Mar 2026 |
March balancer |
|
E |
30 Apr 2026 |
April balancer |
|
F |
31 May 2026 |
May balancer |
|
G |
31 July 2026 |
July balancer |
|
H |
31 Aug 2026 |
August balancer |
|
I |
30 Sep 2026 |
September balancer |
|
J |
31 Oct 2026 |
October balancer |
|
K |
30 Nov 2026 |
November balancer |
|
L |
31 Dec 2026 |
Late December balancer You can no longer request a late December balance date. |
Regardless of the actual date the entity balances, it is deemed to have a financial year ending on the last day of the relevant month.
Concession for an early December balancer
A lodgment concession is available to 31 July for early balancing December SAP clients if they lodge electronically. A full self-assessment company or super fund that is an early December balancer must lodge a tax return no later than the 15th day of the seventh month after the end of their year of income. The due date for lodgment for these entities is 15 July.
However, we will grant a lodgment concession to 31 July if you lodge your client’s tax return electronically by 31 July. We have granted this concession in response to feedback from tax practitioners that tax time software availability makes it difficult to meet the lodgment due date of 15 July.
This is a lodgment concession only. Payment, if required, is still due on the first day of the sixth month after their year of income, which is 1 June. We will not apply a failure to lodge (FTL) penalty to early December balancing SAP clients when their tax return is lodged by 31 July.
What tax return form to use
Tax returns for taxpayers using a SAP should be made on the tax return form for the year in lieu of which the accounting period has been adopted. For example, you should prepare an early balancing 2026 tax return on the 2026 tax return form.
We make every effort to release tax time stationery as early as possible. However, if the relevant form has not been produced by the date the taxpayer wishes to lodge, they must use the 2025 tax return form. In these cases, whether lodging electronically or by paper, you must both:
- enter the year of income that the SAP replaces on page one of the tax return – failure to do so may result in us rejecting the lodged tax return
- provide us with the information requested under any new labels on the 2026 tax return form – you must do this shortly after we release the 2026 form.
Applying for a SAP
Applying for a substituted accounting period (SAP) explains how to:
- apply for a SAP
- change back to a normal accounting period.
Our Privacy notice – Application for a substituted accounting period contains important information about your privacy.