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Frequently asked questions

Are you an employer with questions about superannuation or joining Hostplus? These FAQs might help.

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Becoming a Hostplus employer

At Hostplus, we’re here to help make super easy – so you can get back to doing what you do best. Here you’ll find answers to questions we commonly get asked by employers. 

By setting up a Hostplus employer account, you join hundreds of thousands of employers who enjoy benefits like:

  • support from our dedicated Employer Services team
  • information and updates on your employer obligations and changes to super rules 
  • 24/7 online access to your account 
  • easy super payments through QuickSuper, our compliant online clearing house.  

But it’s not just employers that benefit. If your employees join Hostplus, they’ll get a whole host of positives, including a low admin fee, strong long-term performance, greater choice and control over their investment options, and innovative and simple member service solutions. Want to learn more? Head to our Why Choose Hostplus page. 

No, there are no joining or ongoing fees for employers. 

We’re here to help. If you’ve got questions before joining Hostplus, or need support once you’ve become a registered Hostplus employer, our dedicated in-house Employer Services team is here to guide you. We’ll also keep you up to date with relevant super information or changes. Contact us.  

Joining Hostplus takes less than 10 minutes online using our Join and Pay tool . Visit our Open an employer account page for more. 

Once you’re a Hostplus employer, it’s easy to make Hostplus your default fund. Head to the Make Hostplus your default fund page to learn more. 

Our New Business team, located in offices across the country, can provide you with support both when you join Hostplus and for your future service needs.

Understanding your super obligations

As an employer, you’re required to pay superannuation to help your employees save for retirement. Here’s what you need to know about your obligations when it comes to super. 

Employers must pay Superannuation Guarantee (SG) contributions on behalf of employees who are:

  • aged 18 years or over and employed on a full-time, part-time or casual basis (including those who are working in Australia temporarily) 
  • aged under 18 and work more than 30 hours a week. 

The current Superannuation Guarantee (SG) law requires you to pay eligible employees a minimum of 11.5% of their ordinary time earnings (OTE), which is scheduled to gradually increase to 12% by 1 July 2025. If your employees are covered by an award or employment agreement that specifies a higher super contribution than 11.5%, you must pay the higher amount.

For the latest information about SG rates and ordinary time earnings, call the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) on 13 10 20 or visit ato.gov.au. 

You typically need to pay Superannuation Guarantee (SG) contributions every quarter, but some employers find it’s easiest to pay monthly instead – choose the option that works for you and your business.  
How frequently you make super payments may also depend on whether any of your employees are covered by an award or employment agreement, as some agreements may specify alternative payment periods.  
For most employees, these are the SG contribution due dates: 

 Financial year quarters Payment period dates Hostplus due date ATO legislative due date Late payment – SG Charge due date 
Quarter 1 1 July to 30 September 14 October 28 October 28 November 
Quarter 2 1 October to 31 December 14 January 28 January 28 February 
Quarter 3 1 January to 31 March 14 April 28 April 28 May 
Quarter 41 April to 30 June 14 July 28 July 28 August 

 

If your Superannuation Guarantee (SG) contributions are late, you may need to pay the Superannuation Guarantee Charge. This is made up of three parts: 

  • the SG payment 
  • an administration charge of $20 per employee per quarter
  • an interest charge of 10% p.a. on any SG shortfall amounts imposed by the Australian Taxation Office (ATO).  

The SG Charge is not tax deductible and additional penalties and charges may also apply. 

If you have questions about the SG charge and other consequences of not paying super on time, call the ATO on 13 10 20 or visit ato.gov.au 

Super fund ‘stapling’ was introduced into legislation to prevent the creation of multiple super accounts. It means that an employee’s super fund will automatically move with them when they change jobs – unless they specifically tell their employer otherwise. 

As an employer, you still need to provide new employees with a Superannuation Standard Choice form when they start working for you, and you’ll still need to pay their super into their chosen fund. If they don’t nominate a fund, you’ll need to check with the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) for a stapled fund. Where an employee doesn’t choose a fund and doesn’t have a stapled fund, you’ll pay their super into your default fund. 

Making
super payments

As an employer, you’re required to make super contributions on behalf of your employees. But it doesn’t need to be an administrative burden. 

Under the government’s SuperStream standards, you need to make your employees’ super payments through a compliant online system of your choice. There are a few payment options available, including: 

  • our compliant clearing house, QuickSuper, which lets you make super contributions for all your staff in one simple transaction – regardless of their super fund 
  • the Australian Taxation Office’s Small Business Superannuation Clearing House 
  • an alternative SuperStream-compliant clearing house solution 
  • through your payroll system – check with your software provider to ensure your payroll system is SuperStream-compliant.  

Visit our How to make payments page to learn more about payment options. 

 

A clearing house allows you to make a single lump sum superannuation payment for all employees across multiple superannuation funds. The clearing house then distributes the contributions to each employee’s super account, based on your instructions. 

Registered Hostplus employers don’t pay any fees to use our QuickSuper clearing house solution. 

Yes. Our clearing house, QuickSuper, allows you to make all your employees’ super contributions in a single payment. This includes payments to other super funds. 

Our Register for QuickSuper page provides resources and FAQs for QuickSuper users. Prefer to talk to someone? Contact our Employer Services team. 

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Our dedicated team is here to help

We’re here to support you and your employees every step of the way. We’ve got more than 30 years’ experience helping businesses like yours understand and implement their super obligations, so you can concentrate on business as usual. 

For general enquiries and questions about joining Hostplus, registering online or our clearing house solution, QuickSuper, please contact our Employer Services team.   

If you need additional assistance, or would like to discuss how Hostplus can support you and your staff in more detail, please contact our New Business team.  

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