Employee complaints about unpaid super¶

Sometimes an employee worries their super has not been paid, has been paid late, or has gone to the wrong fund. There is a clear path for sorting this out. This lesson looks at it from both sides — what an employee can do, and why an employer should step in and fix any concern quickly.

Most of the time the answer is simple, and clear records settle it fast.

In one line

An employee can check their super via myGov, raise it with their employer, and report it to the ATO if needed — so employers should resolve concerns quickly.

Why this matters¶

For an employee, super is their money for retirement, so it is fair to want to know it is being paid. For an employer, an unhappy employee who reports unpaid super to the ATO can trigger a review. Answering the concern early — with records to back it up — is far easier than sorting it out after the ATO gets involved.

What you will learn¶

How an employee can check whether their super has been paid
The steps an employee can take, ending with reporting to the ATO
Why an employer should resolve super concerns quickly and keep records

Understanding the concept¶

For the employee — check first. Before assuming super is missing, the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) suggests checking two places:

Your super fund. Log in to your fund to see the contributions paid in and when.
ATO online services through myGov. Link the ATO to your myGov account, then view the employer contributions reported for you. This shows what the ATO has on record.

Checking these often clears things up — super can take a little while to show up in a fund after a pay, so what looks missing may just be on its way.

Raise it with your employer. If it still looks wrong, the ATO suggests talking to your employer next. Ask which fund your super is being paid to and when it was paid. Many issues are simple, such as an out-of-date fund detail, and are fixed with a quick conversation.

Report it to the ATO. If the concern is not resolved, an employee can report unpaid super to the ATO. The ATO has an online tool to tell them if an employer has not paid super, paid it late, or paid it to the wrong fund. The ATO then looks into it and, where it can, collects the unpaid super and passes it to the employee's fund.

For the employer — resolve it fast. If an employee raises a concern, treat it seriously and check your records. If the super was paid, your records show the fund and the date it was received, and you can reassure the employee. If something was missed, fixing it early is far better than waiting for an ATO review.

For accountants & bookkeepers

The ATO points employees to their fund and to ATO online services via myGov to view reported employer contributions before referring a matter. Its online tool lets an individual report super that is unpaid, late, or paid to the wrong fund, and asks for details including the person's tax file number. Clear employer records — amounts, payment dates, fund-received dates, and choice forms — are what let a concern be answered quickly and, if referred, resolved with evidence.

Example¶

Sam notices their super does not look right for the last quarter. Following the ATO's suggestion, Sam first checks their super fund, then logs in to ATO online services through myGov to see the employer contributions reported. It still looks short, so Sam asks their employer.

The employer checks the records, finds an old fund detail was used for one payment, corrects it, and shows Sam the payment confirmations. Because the employer kept clear records and acted quickly, the concern is settled without Sam needing to report it to the ATO.

Common mistakes¶

Assuming super is missing before checking the fund and myGov — it may just be on its way.
Confusing myGov (an individual's account for government services) with a business or agent login. Employees check their own super through myGov.
As an employer, brushing off a concern instead of checking the records — that is what pushes an employee to report it to the ATO.
Not keeping records, so you cannot show whether super was paid.

How this works in myaccountant¶

In the app — myaccountant keeps a super record for each employee, so if someone raises a concern you can see what was worked out, paid, and reported in one place. Employees can view their super and payslips in the employee portal, which often answers the question before it becomes a complaint.

Key points¶

An employee can check super via their fund and ATO online services through myGov.
The next step is to raise it with the employer.
If unresolved, the employee can report unpaid super to the ATO.
The ATO can look into it and collect unpaid super for the employee's fund.
Employers should treat concerns seriously and check their records quickly.
Clear records let an employer answer or fix a concern fast.

Learn next¶

General information only — not tax, super or financial advice.

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