Appropriation Act (No. 5) 2025-2026: What it means for small businesses

Overview

The Australian Parliament has passed Appropriation Act (No. 5) 2025-2026 (Act No. 51 of 2026). The Act came into force on 26 June 2026.

What the Act does

The Act authorises the Commonwealth government to draw money from the Consolidated Revenue Fund. The spending covers departmental, administered, and corporate entity expenses as listed in Schedule 1 of the Act. This is a standard parliamentary mechanism for approving government spending.

Relevance to small businesses

This Act governs internal Commonwealth government spending. It does not create any new obligations or compliance requirements for small businesses or employers.

Tracking future appropriations

Businesses that want to monitor future appropriation acts or government funding changes can register for alerts at legislation.gov.au.

This is a plain-English summary for information only, not legal or compliance advice. Always check the official source or consult a qualified professional.