As an employer you are required by law to pay your employees super contributions. This compulsory contribution is called the Superannuation Guarantee (SG). You must pay 10% (as at 1 July 2021) of employees earning base for your employees super to their nominated super fund by the cut-off date each quarter.
As a rule, if you pay an employee $450 or more (before tax) in salary or wages in a calendar month, you must also pay SG. Salary or wages include any overtime earned by the employee.
Generally, all employees are eligible for super. It doesn’t matter if the employee is:
Yes. Your employees are entitled to a choice of fund. Both you and your employees must fill out the Standard Choice form provided by the Australian Tax Office (ATO). Alternatively, you and your employee can also complete the Freedom of Choice Standard Choice form located on our website.
To avoid paying the superannuation guarantee charge (SGC) to the ATO, please pay the correct amount of super before the following dates:
| Quater | Date | Quarterly payment cut-off date |
|---|---|---|
| Quarter 1 | 1 July - 30 September | 28-Oct |
| Quarter 2 | 1 October - 31 December | 28-Jan |
| Quarter 3 | 1 January - 31 March | 28-Apr |
| Quarter 4 | 1 April - 30 June | 28-Jul |
Important Notes
There are significant penalties for not paying contributions to the employee’s nominated fund. The SGC is more than the super you would have otherwise paid to the employee’s fund and is not tax deductible. If you miss making a super guarantee payment on time and to the right fund, you have legal obligations to lodge a SGC statement by the due date and paying the SGC to the ATO.
