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Queensland Government payments to small businesses
If your small business supplies goods or services to the Queensland Government, our On-time Payment Policy (formerly the Late Payment Policy) will benefit you.
This guide explains how the On-time Payment Policy operates, how your business can register and what exemptions are in place.
Queensland Government On-time Payment Policy
From 1 July 2020, the On-time Payment Policy ensures that small businesses supplying to the Queensland Government are paid within 20 calendar days.
Should the small business not receive payment within 20 calendar days they can submit a claim for penalty interest. This only applies to correctly rendered undisputed invoices.
Register your details on the On-time Payment Small Business Register to enable your business to be paid within 20 calendar days.
Contact us if you need help completing the form.
Who is eligible?
A small business is defined as an entity that employs less than 20 employees.
Make a claim for penalty interest
To claim interest on a late payment, you will need to submit an on-time payment claim form.
A late payment claim can only be made against a Queensland Government department. Read the Queensland Government On-time Payment Policy for more information.
How penalty interest is calculated
Interest will be paid at the unpaid tax interest (UTI) rate, which is 11.9% for the 2023–24 financial year.
Interest is applicable after 20 calendar days up until payment is made. For example, if payment is made 25 calendar days after the invoice date, interest is owed for the 5 calendar days that the payment was late.
The minimum payment that will be made for penalty interest is $20.
Exemptions to the On-time Payment Policy
There are some general exemptions to the policy, including reporting and penalty interest requirements.
Read the Queensland Government On-time Payment Policy for more information.
Department-specific exemptions
Some Queensland Government departments have specific exemptions from the On-time Payment Policy. As these exemptions become available, they will be listed on this website.
Read the current list of department-specific exemptions.
Reporting and publishing payment information
Queensland Government departments are required to publish payment performance data on the Open Data Portal each quarter. No information that will identify you or your business will be listed.
Also consider...
- View an example of a standard invoice – including all relevant information will ensure your invoice is processed efficiently when supplying to government.
- Read the Queensland Government On-time Payment Policy for more information on eligibility, exemptions, and calculating the interest penalty.
- Read the Queensland Small Business Procurement Commitment – Action statement to find out more about how the Queensland Government is supporting small businesses to supply to government.
- Learn more about Queensland Government billing enquiries.
Department-specific On-time Payment Policy exemptions
The following department-specific exemptions from the On-time Payment Policy have been provided to date.
Department of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships
Exemptions | Reason for exemption |
---|---|
Arrangements where there is agreement with vendors for bulk payments (for example, on a monthly basis) | Local arrangements between suppliers and the department where suppliers issue invoices for goods and services during a month but forward for payment at end of month trading. Where the payment of the bulk account is reliant on the supporting information being provided by the supplier in a timely manner. |
Grant and Service Procurement Agreement payments, contracts, donations, sponsorships | Terms and conditions of payments are established and administered via individual Grant or Service Procurement agreements, or other contractual Agreements. These terms and conditions allow for payments to be made when milestones have been achieved in line with the requirements of the agreement, when acquittals submitted have been reviewed and accepted, and other agreement or contractual conditions (e.g. supply, costings, delivery, retentions, completeness of works performed etc.) have been met. |
Department of Agriculture and Fisheries
Exemptions | Reason for exemption |
---|---|
Payments from Research Development Corporations | Terms and conditions of payments are established and administered via individual contractual arrangements. |
Payments related to National TSEs Surveillance Program | Terms and conditions of payment are established and administered via individual criteria. |
Department of Child Safety, Seniors and Disability Services
Exemptions | Reason for exemption |
---|---|
Arrangements where there is agreement with vendors for bulk payments (for example, on a monthly basis) | Local arrangements between suppliers and the department where suppliers issue invoices for goods and services during a month but forward for payment at end of month trading. |
Arrangements where there is agreement with vendors for bulk payments (for example, on a monthly basis) | Local arrangements between suppliers and the department where suppliers issue invoices for goods and services during a month but forward for payment at end of month trading. Where the payment of the bulk account is reliant on the supporting information being provided by the supplier in a timely manner. |
Backdated invoices (goods or services, delivered or completed in the past with the date of completion of supply or delivery greater than 30 days) | Invoices must be provided in time to be paid on time. |
Grant and Service Procurement Agreement payments, contracts, donations, sponsorships | Terms and conditions of payments are established and administered via individual Grant or Service Procurement agreements, or other contractual Agreements. These terms and conditions allow for payments to be made when milestones have been achieved in line with the requirements of the agreement, when acquittals submitted have been reviewed and accepted, and other agreement or contractual conditions (e.g. supply, costings, delivery, retentions, completeness of works performed etc.) have been met. |
Invoices paid using a government corporate credit card | Invoice details are not recorded within a distinct data field in the Corporate Card system, thereby limiting the extraction of data for review purposes. |
Department of Education
The Department of Education (DoE) has exemptions that apply to particular entities (e.g. universities) and certain payment transactions.
Read the full list of DoE exemptions to the On-time Payment Policy.
Department of Energy and Public Works (DEPW)
Exemptions | Reason for exemption |
---|---|
Subsidy payments | Subsidy and incentive payments are made on the basis of agreements which contain specific terms and conditions. In addition, funding agreements also reference service delivery and program specific obligations that the department must be satisfied have been met before payment can be made. |
Payments made under the following Acts and arrangements to the extent that they apply to the procurement of government buildings:
|
The stated Acts and arrangements to the extent that they apply to procurement of government buildings, should take precedence over the On-time Payment Policy with respect to government building procurement. Specifically:
|
Arrangements where there is agreement with vendors for bulk payments (for example, on a monthly basis) | Local arrangements between suppliers and the department where suppliers issue invoices for goods and services during a month but forward for payment at end of month trading. Where the payment of the bulk is reliant on the supporting information being provided by the supplier in a timely manner. |
Department of Housing
Exemptions | Reason for exemption |
---|---|
Arrangements where there is agreement with vendors for bulk payments (for example, on a monthly basis) | Local arrangements between suppliers and the department where suppliers issue invoices for goods and services during a month but forward for payment at end of month trading. |
Department of Justice and Attorney-General (DJAG)
Exemptions | Reason for exemption |
---|---|
Coronial payments | Coronial investigations and associated costs are often dated from time of death, rather than the date the invoice is raised. |
Invoices paid using a government corporate credit card | Invoice details are not recorded within a distinct data field in the Corporate Card system, thereby limiting the extraction of data for review purposes. |
Payments through upload of bulk accounts | Local arrangements between suppliers and the department where suppliers issue invoices for goods and services during a month but forward for payment at end of month trading. |
Recipient-created tax invoices | The invoice date for these invoices is often determined by the agency at the time of payment. |
Department of Resources
Exemptions | Reason for exemption |
---|---|
Arrangements where there is agreement with vendors for bulk payments (for example, on a monthly basis) | Local arrangements between suppliers and the department where suppliers issue invoices for goods and services during a month but forward for payment at end of month trading. Where the payment of the bulk is reliant on the supporting information being provided by the supplier in a timely manner. |
Department of State Development, Infrastructure, Local Government and Planning
Exemptions | Reason for exemption |
---|---|
Land compensation payments | Claims are governed by legal processes, beyond 30 days. |
Grant and Contractual Agreements | Terms and conditions of payments are established and administered via individual Grant or contractual Agreements. These terms and conditions allow for payments to be made when milestones have been achieved in line with the requirements including acquittals submitted to be reviewed and accepted. The department must be satisfied that all obligations have been met before payment can be made. |
Department of Transport and Main Roads
Exemptions | Reason for exemption |
---|---|
Contractual disputes (supply, costings, delivery, retentions, completeness of works performed etc.) | Invoices presented after dispute resolution must have a current date. |
Backdated invoices (goods or services, delivered or completed in the past with the date of completion of supply or delivery greater than 30 days) | Invoices must be provided in time to be paid on time. |
Queensland Health
Queensland Health has exemptions that apply to certain payment transactions.
Read the full list of Queensland Health exemptions to the On-time Payment Policy.
Queensland Treasury
Exemptions | Reason for exemption |
---|---|
Invoices submitted via a bulk account arrangement with the supplier | An arrangement between the department and a supplier results in invoices being provided over a defined period (e.g. monthly) for charges incurred during that period. |
© The State of Queensland 1995–2024
- Last reviewed: 08 Sep 2021
- Last updated: 08 Sep 2021