Frequently asked questions¶

Here are short, plain-English answers to the super questions we hear most often. Each answer is grounded in the ATO's guidance. If your question isn't here, the last answer tells you where to get help.

In one line

Super counts as paid when the fund receives it, you have 7 business days after payday to get it there, and both you and your employee can check it and get help from the ATO.

Why this matters¶

Most super worries come from a few common questions. Clear answers save time, stop small issues turning into shortfalls, and let you reassure an employee quickly.

What you will learn¶

When super counts as paid and how long you have to pay it
What to do about missing or returned contributions
Where employees and employers can get help

Understanding the concept¶

When is super counted as paid?¶

Super is counted as paid only when the employee's fund receives it — not when you send it and not when it leaves your bank. The ATO is clear that the money reaching the fund is what matters. So if a payment is still with a clearing house or in transit, it does not yet count as paid.

How long do I have to pay super now?¶

Under Payday Super, from 1 July 2026, you pay super each payday. The ATO says your contribution must reach the employee's fund within 7 business days after you pay your employees, with enough information for the fund to allocate it to the right member. Some situations, such as a new employee, can allow longer.

My employee says their super is missing — what do I do?¶

Stay calm and check in order. First, check whether the fund has received the payment and when. Then check the fund and member details for a mismatch. Then look for a returned or duplicate payment. The super troubleshooting checklist walks through each step. Often the money is simply in transit or was returned for a small detail you can correct and re-send.

A contribution was returned — what now?¶

A fund returns a contribution when it can't match it to a member — usually a wrong fund number (USI), member number, name, date of birth or TFN. Compare what you sent against the employee's own details, correct the mistake, and send the contribution again promptly. The rejected SuperStream payments and incorrect super fund details lessons go deeper.

I underpaid super in the past — how do I fix it?¶

If super was late or short, the ATO works out the super guarantee charge and issues you a notice of assessment. Under Payday Super you do not lodge a quarterly statement yourself. The important thing is to sort it out rather than leave it — see correcting historical super.

How can an employee check their super?¶

An employee can check the super their employer has paid by logging in to ATO online services through myGov. There they can see the contributions reported for the year. If super looks missing or wrong, they can contact their employer first, and they can also report unpaid super to the ATO using its online tool.

Who do I contact for help?¶

For a payment that won't match a member, the employee's super fund can help. For an assessment, a shortfall, or a payment you can't trace, the ATO can help. An employee can also use myGov to check their super and report a problem to the ATO.

Example¶

Priya gets three messages in one week. An employee asks when super counts as paid — she explains it is when his fund receives it, within 7 business days of payday. Another says his super looks missing — she opens the checklist and finds it in transit. A third, a former employee, asks how to check for herself — Priya points her to ATO online services through myGov. Three common questions, three calm answers.

Common mistakes¶

Thinking super is "paid" the moment it leaves your bank — it counts when the fund receives it.
Telling an employee to wait when they should check their super in myGov.
Believing you must lodge a quarterly statement — the ATO issues a notice of assessment instead.
Re-sending a returned payment without fixing the detail that caused the return.

How this works in myaccountant¶

In the app — myaccountant tracks the super you have paid for each employee and shows the status of each contribution, flags returned or at-risk payments, and helps you reconcile and re-send when something needs fixing. It keeps a record of each payment for your files. The super guarantee charge is worked out and assessed by the ATO, not in the app.

Key points¶

Super counts as paid only when the fund receives it.
You have 7 business days after payday to get super to the fund.
For missing super, check the fund received it, then the details, then for returns.
Correct the detail and re-send a returned contribution promptly.
For late or short super, the ATO issues a notice of assessment.
Employees can check their super and report problems through myGov.

Learn next¶

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

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