QuickBooks adds HeroClear for Payday Super compliance

Intuit QuickBooks has integrated Employment Hero's HeroClear into QuickBooks Payroll for Australian small businesses ahead of the introduction of Payday Super on 1 July.

The change links superannuation processing directly to payroll as employers prepare for rules requiring contributions to reach employees' super funds within seven business days of payday. It also comes as the Australian Taxation Office's Small Business Superannuation Clearing House, used by about 250,000 businesses, is due to close on 30 June.

Research cited by Employment Hero suggests many businesses are not ready. Its Inside the Future of Super 2026 Report found 58% of businesses were unaware of the changes, even though 75% of employees are paid weekly or fortnightly and only 39% receive super on the same schedule.

Under the new framework, super shifts from a quarterly obligation to one tied to each pay cycle. That increases payment events from four times a year to as often as employers run payroll, while shortening the window to process payments and correct mistakes.

Compliance pressure

A key issue for employers is that the seven-day deadline is based on when money reaches a super fund, not when it is sent. Many existing clearing houses take three to five business days to settle payments, according to the companies, leaving businesses little time to identify invalid member details or other errors before risking penalties.

HeroClear is designed to handle those tasks within the payroll run. Once payroll is finalised, the system validates employee super fund details through SuperStream, processes contributions through the New Payments Platform, and returns payment confirmation to the QuickBooks Payroll dashboard.

The integration removes the need for file uploads, separate portals and manual reconciliation, the companies said. QuickBooks Payroll customers can also use Employee Self Setup, which lets new staff enter their own tax file number, super fund and bank details directly into the payroll system.

Employment Hero said incorrect member data accounts for more than 90% of super contribution errors. That makes accurate data capture at the start of employment a significant compliance task for smaller employers and payroll advisers.

Wider impact

The shift is likely to affect accountants and bookkeepers as well as business owners, particularly those managing payroll for multiple clients. More frequent super payments and tighter deadlines could increase the administrative burden for firms still relying on older clearing systems or manual processes.

QuickBooks and Employment Hero are positioning the integration as a way to keep validation, payment and confirmation in a single workflow. The move reflects a broader trend in business software towards embedding compliance tasks within routine payroll and finance processes rather than treating them as separate back-office steps.

Suzy Nicoletti, Regional Vice President, Intuit APAC, said the reform would reshape payroll compliance for many employers.

"Payday Super changes the compliance equation for every Australian business," Nicoletti said. "QuickBooks already gives businesses a real-time view of their cash position. By bringing HeroClear into the pay run, we have closed the loop: businesses can see what is coming, pay on time, and confirm it is done, without ever leaving the platform."

Employment Hero said the integration is intended to make super compliance part of the normal payroll process rather than an additional task handled after wages are paid.

"Compliance shouldn't be a second job on top of payroll," Dunn said. "HeroClear was built so compliance becomes a by-product of running payroll, not a separate task. Putting it inside QuickBooks means small businesses get there automatically."