Accepting contributions
Member contributions
You cannot accept any member contributions if your member has not given you their TFN.
Contributions you cannot accept include those:
- your member makes
- made by your member's spouse on their behalf.
If you receive a contribution from or on behalf of a member who has not provided their TFN, you must return the contribution to the person or entity that paid it, within 30 days of becoming aware that you should not have accepted the contribution. When you become aware of a contribution is a matter of fact, but it will generally be on the day the contribution is received. However, you do not have to return the contribution if, within 30 days of it being made, the member gives you their TFN.
If you do not have the member's TFN they may miss out on super co-contributions they may otherwise have been entitled to.
Super co-contribution
Member contributions made on or after 1 July 2007
If you receive a super co-contribution payment from us for a member and you do not have their TFN, you have 30 days to obtain the TFN so you can accept the payment.
However, if you cannot obtain the TFN you must return the co-contribution using a payment variation advice (PVA) (NAT 8451). You can use one PVA to return multiple co-contribution entitlements - you just need to ensure you complete a separate 'section D: Member variation details' for each co-contribution you're returning.
Ordinarily, you have 28 days to allocate a co-contribution entitlement to the member's account or, if you are unable to do so, a further 7 days to return the entitlement to us. We will impose general interest charge on any payments returned after this.
Member contributions made before 1 July 2007
If you receive a government co-contribution for member contributions made before 1 July 2007 and you do not have the member's TFN, you do not have to return the co-contribution.
Last Modified: Wednesday, 5 September 2012