The EOFY deadline lands on 30 June 2026, leaving Australian operators roughly seven weeks to lock in equipment finance, take delivery, and have an asset installed ready for use. That last point is where most claims fall over. The $20,000 Instant Asset Write-Off does not care when you ordered the truck, the excavator or the trailer. It cares whether the asset was operational by midnight on 30 June.
If you are still weighing up a purchase, this is the practical timeline you need to follow, plus the lender realities shaping approvals across May 2026.
The $20,000 Instant Asset Write-Off threshold applies for the 2025-26 financial year and is legislated to drop back to $1,000 from 1 July 2026 unless Parliament extends it. For transport, civil, agriculture and earthmoving operators, that is a meaningful tax outcome on a single piece of gear bought under the cap.
The RBA also lifted the cash rate to 4.35% on 5 May 2026, the third rise this year, and lender appetite has tightened in response. Approvals are still moving, but documentation and asset selection now matter more than they did six months ago.
For an asset to qualify for the instant asset write-off in this financial year, it must be installed ready for use by 30 June. Working backwards, this is what a clean run looks like.
A finance broker submits your ABN, identification and bank statements to suitable lenders. For low doc applications, that is often all that is needed up front. For full doc deals, financials or BAS statements are added. With Equifund, decisions typically come back inside 24 hours and there is no impact on your credit score during this stage.
Pre-approval is conditional on the asset. Once you sign the supplier or dealer quote, the finance application is matched to that specific piece of equipment, including VIN, serial number and PPSR check. New equipment from a dealer is usually faster here. Private sale settlements involve a few more verification steps.
Loan contracts are issued, signed, and funds released to the seller. Settlement only moves once every signature, registration document and bank account detail is correct. Small errors at this stage are the most common reason a deal slips past EOFY.
This is the make or break stage. The ATO requires the asset to be installed and ready for use in your business by 30 June, not just paid for. A truck sitting at a dealership awaiting registration on 1 July does not qualify. Earthmoving plant still on a transporter does not qualify. Factor freight, fit-out, ROPS, signage and registration into your timing.
From what we are seeing across the lender market in May 2026, these are the issues delaying deals right now:
Most of these are fixable in 24 to 72 hours if caught early. Caught late, they push delivery into July.
Lender appetite shifts with the cash rate environment. In May 2026, the strongest signals lenders want to see are:
Equifund works with 80+ lenders, which means a knockback from one funder rarely ends a deal. Different lenders have very different appetites for ABN age, asset age and industry.
New prime mover and trailer orders should be confirmed with the dealer this week to have any chance of registration and delivery before 30 June. Used trucks from a dealer or auction can still move faster if finance pre-approval is in place.
Excavators, skid steers, posi-tracks and tippers are in steady demand as the infrastructure pipeline runs through FY26. Stock availability is the bigger constraint, not finance. Pre-approve, then secure a unit.
For broadacre and livestock operators, harvest preparation drives a lot of EOFY buying. Tractors, headers, balers, spreaders and chaser bins are common write-off candidates where the individual asset cost is under the threshold, with anything above depreciated through the normal pool.
Wheel loaders, dozers, graders and rollers tend to involve longer transport and commissioning windows. Lock in finance early so the transporter can move once the deal settles.
Most ABN holders receive a pre-approval decision inside 24 to 48 hours. Full settlement on a clean deal typically lands in 5 to 10 business days from accepted quote to funds released.
Yes, but the window is closing. Pre-approval should be in place by mid-May for new orders and by mid-June for used assets that are ready to ship.
The asset must be first used or installed ready for use by 30 June 2026 to qualify under the instant asset write-off in this financial year. Payment alone is not enough.
The threshold is legislated to drop back to $1,000 from 1 July 2026 unless Parliament extends it. Plan accordingly.
No. Equipment finance is secured by the asset itself, so no property security is required for most commercial applications.
Equifund works with 80+ lenders across Australia. We are a fully licensed broker (ACN 647 510 790, CRN 530270), meaning we work for you, not the bank. Get a decision in as little as 24 hours with no impact on your credit score. Apply now →
Disclaimer: This article is intended as general information only and does not constitute financial, tax, or legal advice. Figures and thresholds are current at time of publication and may change. Please consult a qualified financial adviser or accountant before making any financial decisions. Equifund Financial Group Pty Ltd | ACN 647 510 790 | CRN 530270 | Authorised under Australian Credit Licence Number 389328.