Updated on 26 November 2024
3 minute read
Super is your money, so it's important to keep track of your balance and whether your employer is paying you correctly. If they fail to make these payments, it becomes unpaid super.
If you work in Australia and meet the requirements, your employer must make super payments to you at least 4 times a year (at the end of each financial quarter).1 Here's how to check if you have unpaid super and what steps you can take before reporting unpaid super to the ATO.
As part of the Superannuation Guarantee requirements, your employer must pay 11.5% of your salary and wages (excluding overtime hours) into your super account.
Employees working in Australia qualify for super if they are:
18 years or older
under 18 and work more than 30 hours a week
a domestic or private worker who works more than 30 hours a week (e.g. a housekeeper, nanny, gardener or cook working within the home).
If you meet the criteria, your employer must pay you super. It doesn't matter if you work full-time, part-time, contract, or casual. Even if you're a temporary resident of Australia, you can still get super payments.
Tip: Find out if you're eligible to get super contributions from your employer by using the ATO super eligibility tool.
Unpaid super means your employer hasn't paid you the super guarantee. And if you've got unpaid super, you could be missing out on growing your money to spend in retirement.
Follow these steps to check if you're missing super payments and claim any unpaid super.
Calculate how much super you should be getting, based on your salary and wages. If you already know how much unpaid super you have, you can go to the next step.
Remember: every employer must contribute 11.5% of your before tax wages (excluding overtime hours) into your super account. Before 1 July 2024, the percentage was lower, so you may need to take that into account.
Tip: Get an estimate of the super payments you should get by using the ATO super calculator.
It's time to compare the amount you're entitled to with the amount you've actually been paid. Your payslip should have information about how much and which fund your super payments are paid into. Make sure your super payments aren't going into a different fund from the one you expected.
Then compare the amounts on your payslips with your super contributions history. Most funds have an app or desktop login where you can see all of your super contributions for the past financial year (for past financial years, you'll need to look at your statements).
If the numbers don't add up, it's time to take the next step and find out how to report unpaid super.
Tip: If you think you might have multiple accounts with different super funds, you can use the ATO online services website to find any super funds that are in your name and how much is in them.
Log in to Member Online to check your super account history and compare the super payments you’ve received with the amount you're entitled to.2
If you're already an ART Super Savings account holder but don't have online access to get into the Member Portal yet – you can register in 3 simple steps.
Noticed missing or unpaid super contributions? Start by speaking with your employer. This is usually the fastest way to resolve any issues, without having to report unpaid super. You may find it helpful to ask them to confirm which super fund your contributions are sent to, as mistakes can happen.
If that doesn’t work, you can report unpaid super to the ATO and they will look into it for you. When reporting unpaid super, remember the ATO may not be able to help if it's been longer than 5 years – that's how long employee records must be kept.
If you decide to report unpaid super with the ATO, make sure to include:
Your Tax File Number (TFN)
The dates you’re enquiring about
Details about your employer, including their ABN (Australian Business Number).
We're working with our employers all over Australia to help them understand:
Our financial advice team can help you understand your super, plan your retirement, and manage your income in retirement.
Book an appointmentWe’re open to all Australians, whether you’re just starting out working, or already in retirement.
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1. In the 2023-24 Budget, the Government announced a reform to align employers’ payment of Superannuation Guarantee (SG) contributions with salary and wages, instead of the current quarterly requirement. This will take effect from 1 July 2026. (Payday Super factsheet, 17 September 2024)
2. Super contribution records on Member Online go back to 1 July of the most recent financial year. For earlier years, refer to your Annual Statements.
