How we use Parental Leave Pay (PLP) data
The data collected under this program will be used for the following purposes.
Education and online services
We will match PLP data provided by Services Australia with ATO records to make PPLSC payments. The PPLSC data is available to taxpayers and tax professionals through online services once super funds report this information back to the ATO.
The data collected under this program will be used for:
- identifying eligible individuals, and
- calculating and making payments directly to super fund accounts.
Data analytics and insights
The data helps us to:
- identify individuals eligible for PPLSC payments
- calculate the PPLSC including interest and make payments to super funds
- send information and calculations to individuals regarding their PPLSC
- ensure individuals receive the correct PPLSC entitlements, and
- meet reporting requirements such as informing the Australian Government about findings from the program of work.
Previous related programs
Data providers
We are the matching agency and, in most cases the sole user of the data obtained during this data-matching program.
We will get data from Services Australia who deliver Centrelink payments and services.
Services Australia disclosure
The disclosure of the agreed Services Australia PLP recipient data to the ATO is authorised in accordance with the law, specifically:
• Section 127 of the Paid Parental Leave Act 2010External Link
•The Taxation Administration Act 1953 supports the sharing of data for reporting with other government agencies.
Privacy Act
Services Australia data collected under the paid parental leave superannuation contribution data-matching program will only be used by the ATO, within the limits prescribed by Australian Privacy Principle 6 (APP6) contained in Schedule 1 of the Privacy Act and in particular:
- APP6.2(b) – the use of the information is required or authorised by an Australian law.
Data elements we collect
We collect data from Services Australia on PLP payments for 2025–26 to 2027–28 financial years. This data is needed to calculate the correct amount of PPLSC to be paid.
From 1 July 2026, we will collect this data annually after the end of the financial year, supported by weekly updates throughout the program.
Services Australia will take reasonable steps to ensure that the personal information it collects and discloses is accurate, up-to-date and complete.
We rely on PLP data provided by Services Australia to calculate and make PPLSC payments. Any data changes made by Services Australia will be subject to human review before being shared with the ATO.
We only collect, use and share data that is needed to administer the PPLSC payments.
Individuals will receive a confirmation letter outlining their PPLSC payments. If they're not satisfied with the calculation, they may request a review using the details provided in the letter.
Data Matching Program (Assistance and Tax) Act 1990 has been considered and doesn't apply in this instance.
Client identification details – individuals
Client identification data elements for individuals that we collect include:
- tax file number (TFN)
- Centrelink reference number (CRN)
- given name/s and surname
- maiden surname
- other names
- date of birth
- residential address.
Parental Leave Pay transaction details
Parental Leave Pay (PLP) transaction data elements that we collect include:
- Parental Leave Pay gross amount
- first payment date
- financial year.
Number of records
We expect to collect data on approximately 300,000 individuals each financial year for this program.
Data retention
We retain each financial year’s data for 5 years from receipt of the final instalment of verified data files from Services Australia.
We keep this data in ATO systems during the period to make sure PPLSC payments are accurate and protect public funds. We do this because:
- retaining data enables us to report to Department of Social Services and Treasury whilst maintaining the integrity of these government payments
- the data enhances our ability to identify taxpayers who are eligible for PPLSC and by keeping this data it allows us to recalculate amounts to be paid should we receive updated data from Services Australia
- information collected from Services Australia by us will be the original data that we will use to calculate PPLSC payments. Services Australia may provide us with updated data for individuals – so we need to retain all PLP data to ensure recalculations are processed correctly.
While increased data retention periods may increase the risk to privacy, we have a range of safeguards to manage and minimise this. Our systems and controls are designed to ensure the privacy and security of the data.