How to check if you have ATO-held super

Updated on 11 March 2025 | 2 minute read

You could have super held by the ATO – here’s how to track it down and claim it.

What is ATO-held super?

ATO-held super is your money, kept safe by the Australian Taxation Office (ATO). The ATO holds this money on your behalf when it can’t be paid into your super fund.

Super can end up with the ATO for various reasons, which we talk about below.

You can organise the transfer of ATO-held super to your super fund, or apply to have this money paid to you directly if you're eligible.

Types of super held by the ATO

Unclaimed super

Unclaimed super is when a super fund sends your super to the ATO.

They have to do this when:

your fund can't contact you, or
you haven't withdrawn any money from your super account (even though you may be eligible to), or
your account has less than $6,000 and is inactive.

Super Guarantee (SG) payments

SG payments are the minimum amount of super your employer must pay into your fund. If an employer doesn't pay the correct amount of super (or pays it late), they must pay the missing amount and penalties to the ATO. The ATO keeps these funds if you don't have an active super account.

Government contributions

Low Income Super Tax Offset (LISTO) – tax benefits for low-income earners.
Government co-contribution payments – extra contributions the government may match if you’ve made eligible personal contributions.

Superannuation Holding Account (SHA)

The SHA is a temporary ATO account for small super balances. The ATO holds unpaid super guarantee payments or government contributions in a SHA until it can transfer them to an eligible super fund. The ATO considers a SHA account inactive if it has no activity for 10 years.

Tip: The quickest way to check if you have ATO-held super is through the ATO's online services, like MyGov.

ATO-held super eligibility

To claim or consolidate (combine) your ATO-held super, you need to:

Be the rightful super owner.
Have an active, eligible super account ready for a transfer.

Tip: For more info about ATO-held super eligibility, visit the ATO website.

Are your details up to date?

Before transferring ATO-held super, log in to Member Online to check if your personal details are correct.

How to transfer ATO-held super

Once you know you're eligible, you can transfer the held super into your super account.

Steps to claim ATO-held super

Log in to your MyGov and choose the ATO from linked services.
Check if you have super held by the ATO. Choose 'Super', then 'Manage', then 'Transfer super'.
Follow the instructions to transfer it to your ART account (or your chosen super fund).

The ATO will automatically transfer your held super if they find a matching super account when:

the amount of ATO-held super is $200 or more,
you are under age 65, and
you haven't requested for a transfer of ATO-held super to your preferred super fund.

Tip: If you're age 65 or over, you can get your ATO-held super paid directly to you. Apply through ATO's online services or use the Application for payment of ATO-held super money.

Check in on your super

Check your super regularly to keep it up to date and working hard. Log in to Member Online to track and manage your super.

Not a member yet? Join ART