EOFY: the commercial broking opportunity season

The end of financial year drives many businesses to pursue transactions that leverage discounts, bring spending into this tax year and support working capital.

And that means businesses rely on critical help from their commercial broker to get the right finance deals over the line before the window closes.  

EOFY opportunities for commercial brokers

As commercial brokers map out the path to EOFY, they typically group EOFY opportunities into three categories:

1. Asset acquisitions and taking up the instant asset write-off

Businesses that are upgrading equipment or buying extra inventory will often target June 30 to lower this year’s taxable income or take advantage of short-term opportunities such as dealer discounts.

And for businesses turning over less than $10 million, the instant asset write-off concession provides an immediate tax deduction for eligible depreciating assets costing less than $20,000. The concession allows businesses to deduct the full cost of assets in the FY2026 financial year instead of depreciating over several years. Assets purchased to take advantage of the concession must be first used or installed ready for use before 30 June 2026.[1]  

2. Improving working capital

Demand for working capital facilities and overdrafts remains strong as higher seasonal spending drives a need for liquidity support.

Staffing costs often increase in the EOFY lead up as staff work more shifts to handle higher trading volumes and wrap-up year-end tasks such as stocktakes and obsolete stock disposal. Working capital may also be needed to pay outstanding FY2026 Business Activity Statement (BAS), Instalment Activity Statement (IAS), Fringe Benefit Tax obligations or staff entitlement adjustments.

3. Planning for FY2027 finance needs

This is the time of year many businesses map out FY2027. Brokers are valued advisers who can help businesses explore options to refinance and restructure loans to reduce borrowing costs or improve cash flow.

For businesses in a growth phase, brokers can help plan finance that may be needed to support expansion in the year ahead.

Capital spending trends

When you look across industry sectors, EOFY capital spending characteristically falls into three buckets.

1. Business equipment

Angel Ye (pictured, left), Premium Business Banking Manager, ANZ, supports a lot of businesses in the June 30 lead-up, including the retail and hospitality industries.

“Dealers and equipment vendors sometimes have end of financial year specials on fridges, kitchen equipment, large coffee machines and point of sale systems.

“For these clients, cash flow can be volatile at the end of the financial year, so there’s demand for overdraft facilities and equipment finance,” she says.

Ben Goulding (pictured, right), Senior Relationship Manager, ANZ, also sees an uptick in equipment purchases, particularly for logistics and civil construction industries.  

“New or replacement equipment may be required to fulfil new contracts. Or the business may have aged equipment that they need to replace, especially if they're in a growth phase,” he says.

2. Vehicles

Goulding sees higher demand for finance for cars and trucks this time of year as EOFY expense reviews highlight aging assets that are costing more to maintain. The running costs of petrol may also prompt replacement with electric vehicles.

“So, if dealer sales discounts are on offer and tax incentives such as the ability to deduct depreciation are available, year-end presents a motivating deadline,” Goulding notes.  

Ye also helps businesses swap out aging vehicles. As she explains, “transportation and courier businesses will often upgrade their fleets in the EOFY lead up”.  

3. Commercial property

Ye has seen an increase in commercial property purchases at this time of year, particularly where EOFY reviews show strong business growth and the owners want to capture a tax advantage and start the next year with expanded capacity.

“As an example, logistics businesses that have grown due to the continued growth of online shopping may be seeking to purchase a warehouse for owner occupation or for investment purposes,” she says.

Finance opportunities ahead of Payday Super reforms

Goulding suggests commercial brokers start conversations now with their clients about Payday Super reforms kicking off 1 July 2026.[2]

“Businesses will have to pay super at the time that they pay their staff. If a client pays their staff weekly, then they'll have to pay super weekly,” he explains.

Unpaid super provides a short-term liquidity buffer, which, Goulding explains, will disappear going forward – significantly impacting business cash flow from 1 July 2026.

“For businesses with free cash flow, now is the time to consider funding fit outs, equipment and other business investment as free cash flows may be tighter next year,” he says.

And looking to FY2027, brokers can help businesses smooth the effects of the reforms.

“Brokers can ask, ‘what impact will the reforms have on your business's cash flow? Do you need assistance with that?’” Goulding says.

Brokers demand fast, simple solutions to meet EOFY deadlines  

According to Ye, streamlined lending processes and fast approvals are key because any delays could cost a business thousands of dollars due to a missed tax deduction opportunity. Goulding is also adamant that meeting deadlines is critical.

“On the 23rd of June, the broker might receive a call from the client who says, ‘I need to get this thing settled within a week. Here's the invoice’,” Goulding explains.

When the pressure is on, ANZ GoBiz and Streamlined Lending make securing finance a lot smoother, not only for the broker, but also the client.

ANZ GoBiz applications take 20 minutes to complete online. Data is drawn from the client’s accounting software, with full approval provided within two business days. ANZ GoBiz offers unsecured lending up to $200,000 and up to $500,000 for secured lending.

For larger loans, ANZ offers Streamlined Lending up to $1.5 million with security and up to $300,000 without. Approval is generally within two days and only two documents are needed to apply.

Working with a banker who’s as committed as you are

For brokers, having fast and simple products is critical. But so is having a finance partner who does whatever it takes to get the deal over the line.

Peta Clark, Senior Asset Finance Broker Manager, ANZ, explains what this looks like in practice.

“I've worked till midnight on June 30 to get things sorted for clients. Supporting brokers and their clients really matters to us,” she says.

Clark provides an example of how she was able to help a broker and their client when timing was down to the wire.

“Last year a construction client was buying an excavator through a broker, and a truck through a dealer. I asked the broker why the truck was going through the dealer and if we could quote on it. The broker said the deal was too far down the track. So, I said, ‘if the dealer can't support the client, come back to me because we're ready to go’ – we had a lending limit in place.”

“Then, on 30 June, the dealer couldn't finance the truck. We were able to turn that deal around and settle it same day,” she says.

Goulding agrees that seeing deals through is critical this time of year.

“When it comes to the end of financial year, the whole bank comes together to make sure that we meet the needs of brokers and clients,” he says.

How brokers can make the most of the opportunity

To get asset finance deals done quickly, Clark makes two suggestions.

“Talk to your client to understand their needs coming into June 30 and get a lending limit ready to roll well before the client needs it. That way the client knows how much they've got available, can negotiate and draw down straight away.

“Clients should also have a good conversation with their accountant to make sure that they’ve got all their deductions sorted and that they're on track for where they need to be within their business.”

Goulding explains that for large transactions, clients should ensure their financial records are current. “We sometimes get a request to fund a large piece of equipment urgently, but the financials aren't up to date,” he says.

However, for smaller transactions brokers don’t need to rely on accountant-prepared financials if they use ANZ GoBiz. This is because ANZ GoBiz taps into the client’s accounting software and pulls through live data.

Key takeaway

To get in pole position for EOFY season, brokers need fast and simple lending solutions coupled with the support of expert bankers who are as committed to getting the deal over the line as they are.      

Learn more 

ANZ has the products, expertise and commitment to help brokers succeed this EOFY season. Contact your ANZ business account manager or contact us here. 

(Disclaimer)

This is general information. ANZ is not giving advice or recommendations, and we haven’t taken into account your clients’ needs, financial circumstances or objectives. You and your clients should carefully consider which ANZ products are appropriate for them and should seek appropriate independent advice (which may include property, legal, financial, taxation and accounting advice) before making any decisions, investing, or acting on it. Terms and conditions, fees and charges, and credit approval and eligibility criteria apply to ANZ products.