ato logo
Search Suggestion:

Select your default super fund

Employers must select a default nominated super fund for employees who don't have a chosen or stapled super fund.

Last updated 31 October 2021

As an employer, you must select a default super fund that you will pay your employee's super into if they:

  • Have not chosen a fund, and
  • do not have a stapled super fund.

Why you need a default super fund

Most employees can choose a super fund or they will have a stapled super fund.

You must have a nominated (default) super fund and pay your employees super into this fund if:

  • your employees do not choose a fund, or are not eligible to choose one, and
  • we advise you that your employees do not have a stapled super fund.

You don’t need to offer a choice of super fund to some employees, but you may still need to request their stapled super fund details before paying to your default fund.

This includes employees that are:

  • temporary residents
  • covered by an enterprise agreement or workplace determination made before 1 January 2021.

You give your employees the details of this fund in section C of the Standard choice form.

Selecting a fund

The super fund you nominate must:

  • be a complying fund (one that meets specific requirements and obligations under super law)
  • be registered by the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) and offer a MySuper product (these are cost-effective superannuation products with a basic set of features).

To confirm that a fund meets these requirements, you can:

Ensure you keep records confirming that your nominated fund offers a MySuper product.

Incentives

It is illegal for a super fund to give benefits to employers as an incentive to use them as their default fund.

Example of incentives include:

  • corporate hospitality
  • free or discounted holidays
  • discounted rates on products or services.

If you think a fund is offering incentives to join, you can report it to ASICExternal Link.

However, it is not illegal for a super fund to give benefits to your employees as an incentive for them to choose their fund. These could include financial literacy seminars or preferential death benefits.

Next step  

QC33736