Alex is Sprintlaw’s co-founder and principal lawyer. Alex previously worked at a top-tier firm as a lawyer specialising in technology and media contracts, and founded a digital agency which he sold in 2015.
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Superannuation is more than a payroll line item - it’s a legal obligation and a core part of the employment relationship in Australia. Paying the right amount, to the right fund, at the right time is essential for keeping compliant and looking after your team’s future.
If you’re hiring your first employee or scaling a growing workforce, this guide breaks down who you must pay super to, how much you need to contribute, how and when to pay, and what to do if you’ve missed a deadline. We also cover practical documents and processes to help you stay compliant from day one.
What Is Superannuation For Employers?
Superannuation (or “super”) is compulsory retirement savings. Under the Superannuation Guarantee (SG), most employers must contribute a minimum percentage of an employee’s earnings to a complying super fund.
In simple terms: when you hire an employee in Australia, you’ll generally need to pay SG contributions for them in addition to their wages. This includes full-time, part-time and casual staff - and, in some cases, contractors who are effectively working like employees.
Your obligations sit alongside other employment law requirements, like providing a clear Employment Contract, paying on time, and issuing compliant payslips. Getting super right is one of the most important parts of your payroll compliance.
Who Must You Pay Super To?
Most workers you engage as employees are entitled to super. Key points:
- Employees aged 18 and over are generally entitled to SG contributions, regardless of how much they earn in a month (the previous $450 per month threshold was removed from 1 July 2022).
- Employees under 18 are entitled to SG if they work more than 30 hours in a week.
- Casual, part-time and full-time employees are covered.
- Contractors may also be entitled where they’re paid wholly or principally for their labour (even if they invoice you) - the ATO can treat them as employees for SG.
- Temporary residents and visa holders working in Australia are generally entitled unless a specific exemption applies.
If you’re unsure whether someone is an employee or a contractor for SG purposes, take extra care. Misclassifying a worker can create significant back-pay liabilities if the ATO later finds SG should have been paid.
Do Casuals Get Super?
Yes. Casual employees are usually entitled to SG contributions in the same way as permanent staff (subject to the under-18 weekly hours rule).
What About Contractors?
Some contractors are “employees” for SG purposes if their contract is principally for their labour. If in doubt, it’s wise to get specific advice from an employment lawyer and ensure your contracts reflect the intended relationship.
How Much And When Do You Have To Pay?
The SG rate is 11.5% of a worker’s ordinary time earnings (OTE) from 1 July 2024, rising to 12% from 1 July 2025. OTE generally includes base pay, commissions and shift loadings (but typically excludes overtime that’s specifically paid for work outside ordinary hours under an award or agreement).
- Bonuses and commissions: Many common bonuses are part of OTE. If you pay incentives, check whether SG applies using this guide to superannuation on bonuses.
- Maximum Contributions Base: SG is only required up to a quarterly cap on OTE (known as the maximum contributions base). Most small businesses won’t hit the cap, but it’s worth knowing it exists.
- Payment frequency: You must pay at least quarterly by the ATO deadlines. The law is changing to “payday super” (from 1 July 2026), which will require contributions on or before payday - so plan now for that shift.
- Choice of fund: Employees can choose their own fund. If they don’t, you must check for a stapled fund (more below) before using your default fund.
Missing a due date triggers the Superannuation Guarantee Charge (SGC), which is more expensive than simply paying on time (and not tax-deductible). Build SG due dates into your payroll calendar and cash flow planning.
Paying, Reporting And Record-Keeping
The process is straightforward once you set it up well.
How To Pay
- Collect each new employee’s fund details and Tax File Number (TFN).
- Offer fund choice using the ATO’s standard choice process as part of your onboarding.
- Pay via your payroll software or a super clearing house to each employee’s fund.
Stapled Super Rules
Since November 2021, if a new employee doesn’t choose a fund, you must request their stapled super fund (the fund linked to them) from the ATO. Only if no stapled fund exists can you pay to your default fund. This step is now a core part of onboarding and should be built into your hiring checklist.
Reporting And Payslips
- Report payroll through Single Touch Payroll (STP) - you don’t issue separate “payment summaries” at year end anymore.
- Include superannuation details on payslips so employees can track contributions.
- Keep records (payments, elections, correspondence) for at least five years.
Final Pays And Termination
When employment ends, you still need to ensure SG is paid for any OTE in the final period. This often aligns with your next super cycle. If you’re unsure about inclusions, these guides on calculating final pay and super on termination payments can help you sense-check your process.
Common Questions
Are SG contributions tax-deductible? Compulsory SG contributions are generally deductible; however, the SGC (if you pay late) is not deductible.
What if a super fund “goes broke”? Super funds are regulated by APRA and operate under trust law. While there’s no government guarantee like bank deposits, your obligation as an employer is to contribute to a complying fund (including stapled funds). If the regulator steps in, member balances are typically transferred to another fund. Keep paying into the correct fund on time - that’s your responsibility.
What Happens If You Don’t Pay Correctly?
The ATO treats unpaid or late super seriously. If you miss a deadline or underpay, you may have to:
- Pay the Superannuation Guarantee Charge (SGC), which includes the shortfall, nominal interest (calculated at a set rate) and an administration fee per employee per quarter.
- Lodge an SGC statement and potentially face penalties for failing to lodge on time.
- Undergo an ATO audit and rectify several years of contributions if there’s a systemic issue.
- Deal with director penalties in serious or persistent non-compliance cases.
If you’ve identified an error, act quickly: calculate the shortfall, lodge the SGC statement, pay the amount due, and review your processes so it doesn’t happen again. It’s also a good time to review your Employment Contract templates and payroll settings to ensure the OTE field and contribution rate are correct.
Key Documents And Practical Tips
Clear documents and simple processes go a long way to keeping your superannuation compliance tight.
Essential Documents And Policies
- Employment Contract: State the employee’s remuneration, that SG will be paid at the applicable rate on OTE, and how bonuses and allowances are treated - a tailored Employment Contract helps avoid disputes.
- Workplace Policies: A concise payroll or benefits policy can set expectations about super choice, onboarding steps and compliance checks; a practical starting point is a Workplace Policy that fits your operations.
- Onboarding Checklist: Make “collect super details,” “issue choice form,” and “request stapled fund (if no choice)” standard steps when hiring.
- Payroll Settings: Configure the SG rate (currently 11.5%) and ensure OTE pay items are correctly mapped - review at the start of each financial year.
Practical Tips To Stay Compliant
- Automate payments via your payroll software or clearing house to hit deadlines - and set reminders for the quarterly cut-offs.
- Audit your OTE mapping annually. Double-check allowances, loadings and bonuses against OTE rules so contributions are accurate.
- Track rate changes (moving to 12% from 1 July 2025) and adjust budgets and offer letters accordingly.
- Use checklists for hires and exits to capture fund choice, stapled fund requests, and final-period calculations.
- Train your payroll admin on STP, stapled fund requests and SG deadlines so the knowledge isn’t held by one person.
- Clarify variable pay (commissions/bonuses) in writing, and sanity-check SG treatment with your adviser, especially for incentive-heavy roles - see superannuation on bonuses for common scenarios.
If you’re introducing rosters, penalty rates or different allowances across roles, it can help to revisit the OTE rules alongside your payroll setup and your employment lawyer, so everything lines up.
Key Takeaways
- Most employees in Australia - including casuals - are entitled to SG contributions, and some contractors are captured if they’re paid mainly for their labour.
- The SG rate is 11.5% of ordinary time earnings from 1 July 2024 (moving to 12% from 1 July 2025), with payment due at least quarterly and “payday super” commencing from 1 July 2026.
- If an employee doesn’t choose a fund, you must request their stapled fund from the ATO before using your default fund.
- Late or missed payments can trigger the non‑deductible Superannuation Guarantee Charge, audits and penalties - fix errors quickly and improve your processes.
- Get the basics right with clear contracts, simple onboarding checklists, accurate payroll settings and helpful policies, such as an Employment Contract and a practical Workplace Policy.
- For final pays and one‑off payments, check whether SG applies - see calculating final pay and super on termination payments for common inclusions.
If you’d like a consultation on your superannuation compliance or employer obligations, you can reach us at 1800 730 617 or team@sprintlaw.com.au for a free, no‑obligations chat.
