Super Obligations

ATO focus on super obligations – child care, pubs and cleaning

Each year, the ATO identifies industries where employers are at a greater risk of not making super contributions for their eligible employees.

• This year its focus is on:

• child care services;

• pubs, bars and taverns; and

• industrial cleaning industries.

Furthermore, the ATO stated that, in early 2015, it will write directly to employers in these industries to remind them of their super obligations. It has also advised that it will be undertaking super obligation audits of these industries from July 2015.

The ATO reminds all taxpayers that they must:

• contribute at a rate of 9.5%;

• make contributions by the quarterly cutoff dates (i.e., 28 October, 28 January, 28 April, 28 July);

• pay super for eligible contractors, even if the contractor quotes an Australian Business Number (ABN); and

• give an employee's tax file number (TFN) to their super fund within 14 days of receiving it.

We’ve heard on the grapevine that the ATO may also be directly contacting the trustees of SMSFs (or directors of the corporate trustee). If you receive a call from the ATO and you’re at all uncomfortable answering their questions over the phone, feel free to tell them to call us instead, or (if they still insist on speaking to you) that you would like to speak them later (after speaking to us).