The Commonwealth Department of Education has announced an extension to the lodgement deadline for Financial Accountability (FA) and Financial Questionnaire (FQ) submissions.
In recognition of the challenges posed by this year’s compressed timeframes due to system upgrades, the Department has revised the due date. All approved authorities are now required to submit their FA and FQ by Friday, 24 July 2026.
As a reminder, the Financial Accountability (FA) component requires independent auditor sign-off, so it is important to ensure that your processes are underway to ensure completion ahead of this new deadline.
The Financial Accountability and Financial Questionnaire is submitted through the new Education Funding System (EFS) – the Department of Education’s online platform used by approved authorities of non-government schools.
Lodgement by independent accountants
To facilitate timely lodgement, education providers should ensure their independent accountant has been successfully onboarded to the Education Funding System (EFS). Accountants must be registered in EFS before they can submit financial accountability acquittals on behalf of your organisation.
Onboarding is completed via Relationship Authorisation Manager (RAM) and myID, consistent with onboarding requirements for other EFS users. Updated guidance is available in the Managing Users section of the EFS user guide to support this process.
Similar to the previous SchoolsHUB process, independent accountants are required to submit their credentials within EFS. Supporting materials are available to assist accountants in meeting these requirements.
Please note that the independent accountant role is a standalone role for audit and compliance purposes. To preserve independence, this role must not be combined with any other EFS user roles.
Act now to stay compliant
While the reporting deadline has been extended to 24 July 2026, organisations should not delay preparation. It is critical that you are actively working with your independent accountant now to ensure they are onboarded, familiar with EFS requirements and progressing the Financial Accountability and Financial Questionnaire reporting.
Don’t forget your State Recurrent Grant Funding Acquittal Certificate is still due 30 June 2026 to be sent via email.
Early and ongoing engagement with your accountant will help ensure all requirements can be completed within EFS in time for submission, including securing the necessary auditor sign-off. Leaving preparations too late may result in delays despite the extended deadline.
Action now is key – confirm your accountant’s EFS access, align on submission timelines, and begin preparing your FA and FQ without delay to ensure compliance by the revised due date.
If you need support with onboarding or submission requirements, please reach out to our team.
