Summary of what changed in Australia for Brazilians and Latinos — with sources and before/after comparisons.

💼 Minimum wage rises 4.75%

The Fair Work Commission announced on 2 June the largest increase in recent years. Effective from the first pay period after 1 July 2026.

BeforeFrom 1 July
Per hourA$25.24A$26.44
Per week (38h)A$960.00A$1,004.90

This applies to workers on award minimum rates. If your salary is already above the minimum, your employer isn't required to increase it automatically — but it's a good time to have that conversation.

🏦 Super now paid with every pay run

The biggest workplace change in years. Currently employers pay superannuation quarterly. From 1 July 2026, Payday Super changes that.

BeforeFrom 1 July
Payment frequencyQuarterlyEvery pay run
Maximum time after pay—7 business days
Super rate (SG)12%12% (no change — final rate reached)

In practice: it becomes much easier to track whether your super is being paid correctly. If the deposit doesn't appear with your salary, you have grounds to question your employer or lodge a complaint with Fair Work.

🛂 Sponsored work visa — minimum salaries increase

The 482 visa (Skills in Demand) has legally required minimum salaries, updated every 1 July. From this year:

StreamBeforeFrom 1 July
Core SkillsA$76,515/yearA$79,499/year
Specialist SkillsA$141,210/yearA$146,717/year

If you're in a sponsorship or renewal process, confirm with your agent whether your role's salary is above the new minimum. Source: Home Affairs.

🧾 Income tax — rate cut and deadline approaching

Tax cut from 1 July:

Income rangeRate beforeFrom 1 July
A$18,201 – A$45,00016%15%

If you're in this range, you save up to A$268 per year. It's automatic — no action needed. Source: ATO.

Tax return deadline 2025–26: 31 October 2026.

If you've never lodged or don't know where to start, MyTax is the simplest option — directly through myGov, no accountant needed. Those using a tax agent have until 15 May 2027.

ATO matching more data in 2026 This year's focus is on home office and work-related expense deductions. The ATO is cross-referencing data from banks, employers and digital platforms. Keep your receipts.

🏠 Rent: prices stabilised but at record highs

2025May–June 2026
Median rent — houses~A$760/weekA$800/week
Median rent — units~A$710/weekA$750/week
National vacancy rate~1.0%0.7% (historic low)

The good news: prices have stopped rising in most cities. The bad news: they stopped at very high levels. With vacancy at 0.7%, there are almost no rentals available — if you're looking for a place, be prepared to compete with multiple applicants for the same property. Source: Domain Rental Report — March 2026.

💱 BRL/AUD exchange rate — May and June

PeriodRange
May 2026R$3.57 – R$3.64 per A$1
Early June~R$3.62 per A$1

The Brazilian real remains weak against the Australian dollar. Those sending money to Brazil get more reais per dollar. Those receiving from Brazil get less in AUD. Source: Wise.

🏘️ SMSF — no new loans to buy residential property

On 23 June, the Labor government and the Greens agreed to ban new limited recourse borrowing arrangements (LRBAs) inside self-managed super funds (SMSFs) for purchasing residential property. The bill received Royal Assent on 26 June — the ban takes effect ~10 August 2026 (45 days after assent).

What changes in practice:

  • Existing LRBAs are fully protected — current arrangements continue unaffected
  • Refinancing an existing LRBA remains permitted
  • Commercial property inside an SMSF is not affected
  • Contracts signed before ~10 August are protected, even if settlement occurs after the ban

Anyone planning to buy residential property through an SMSF using borrowed funds needs to act before ~10 August — or reassess the strategy with a financial adviser. Source: Parliament of Australia — Treasury Laws Amendment (Tax Reform No. 1) Bill 2026

💰 Super above A$3 million — extra tax now in effect

From 1 July 2026, Division 296 introduces an additional tax on earnings for those with high super balances:

Total super balanceAdditional tax on earnings
A$3M to A$10M+15%
Above A$10M+25%

Thresholds will be indexed to inflation in future years. This mainly affects those with an SMSF holding property or a large investment portfolio. Source: ATO — Better Targeted Superannuation Concessions

🏡 Property investment — negative gearing and CGT rules change in 2027

The May budget introduced the largest property investment reforms in decades, taking effect from 1 July 2027. Buying decisions made today are already affected.

Negative gearing: deducting rental losses against other income (such as wages) will be restricted to new builds. Those who already own a property before the budget remain under the old rules. Those who buy an established property after the budget will only be able to deduct losses against rental income — not wages.

CGT discount: the flat 50% capital gains discount will be replaced by inflation indexation plus a minimum 30% tax on gains realised after 1 July 2027.

What doesn't change: the main residence exemption (your own home), properties purchased before the May 2026 budget announcement, and new builds — which remain favoured under the new rules. Source: ATO — Reforming Negative Gearing and Capital Gains Tax

📌 What took effect on 1 July

  • Minimum wage rises to A$26.44/hour (first time above A$1,000/week)
  • Payday Super begins — super paid with every salary
  • Visa 482 — new mandatory minimum salaries
  • Tax rate on income between A$18,201 and A$45,000 drops from 16% to 15%
  • Division 296 takes effect — extra 15–25% tax on super balances above A$3M

📌 Upcoming changes to watch

  • ~10 August 2026: ban on new SMSF loans (LRBA) for residential property
  • 1 July 2027: negative gearing restricted to new builds + new CGT rules