Did you know the ATO has over $6 billion in lost super?* Could some of it be yours? Discover everything you need to know about ATO-held super, so you can check if there’s missing money that belongs to you and get it back.
The ATO might hold onto your super for different reasons until you can claim it
You can check for ATO-held super through myGov or your super fund
We answer some of your common questions about ATO-held super
ATO-held super is basically the ATO’s way of making sure your lost or unclaimed money is somewhere safe until you claim it. It can include unclaimed super, some government super contributions, and some employee contributions that can’t be paid into an active account.
For example, your super might be transferred to the ATO if it’s in an inactive, low-balance account.
Unclaimed super is money that a super fund is required to transfer to the ATO.
This might happen if your super becomes ‘lost'. Super might be ‘lost’ if your fund can’t contact you because you changed your contact details and haven't updated them, or your account hasn't received a contribution or rollover for five years. Sometimes, a lost account might be transferred to the ATO as unclaimed super at a later date.
Another reason is if you have an inactive low-balance account. Generally, this is an account with less than $6,000 that has not received a contribution or rollover for 16 months.
If your employer doesn’t pay you the right amount of super (or they do it late), they must pay that amount to the ATO. But they only do this if you don’t have an active account.
The government might help boost your super if you earn a certain amount of income and make a contribution. But if you have an inactive account, then the government contribution could go to the ATO.
Some funds (like us) let you look for ATO-held super through their online portal. Or you can log in to myGov and use the ATO online services portal to check if you have any super in your name.
If you’re an Aware Super member, you can use our super consolidation tool on Member Online to get any lost super back.[C1]
Log in to myGov and choose ‘ATO’ from your linked services.
In ATO Online, select ‘Super’ then ‘Manage’.
If you have ATO-held super, there’ll be an option to select ‘Transfer super’.
Follow the steps to transfer your super into your account of choice.
Figures are rounded to the nearest $100.
Numbers are presented in today's dollars, deflated using Average Weekly Ordinary Time Earnings (AWOTE) at 3.7% p.a.
Aware Super’s scenario is based on an average Aware member aged 25, with a current balance of $5,000.
Asset-based fee is assumed to be 0.15% p.a., capped at a maximum of $750 p.a. Fee cap is indexed in line with AWOTE of 3.7% p.a.
Fixed fee is assumed to be $52 p.a., increasing in line with assumed wage inflation of 3.7% p.a.
Investment returns are based on the Aware Super MySuper Life Cycle option, assumed to be CPI + 4% until age 55.
Investment returns are assumed to be net of tax.
CPI is assumed to be 2.5% p.a.
No insurance premium is considered
Projection does not allow for any Low-Income Super Tax Offset (LISTO) or Government Co-Contribution amounts.
The ATO-held funds assume a starting balance of $5,000.
The ATO is assumed to earn interest at CPI of 2.5% p.a.
No administration fees, asset-based fees, or fixed fees are deducted from the ATO Super Holding Account.
This example is for illustrative purposes only and is not intended to provide a guarantee on outcome. It is a broad illustration of the steps a member could take, but the actions appropriate for an individual will vary depending on their personal circumstances. The case study is based on current regulatory requirements and laws, including tax rates, which may be subject to change. Investment return assumptions are for illustrative purposes only and for simplicity assume an average rate of return each year throughout the investment period. Actual returns year on year may vary materially and can be negative as well. If investment returns/inflation are higher/lower, final balances will differ.
You could get a direct payment of your ATO-held super if you’re 65 years or older. You might also get your unclaimed super as a direct payment if it’s less than $200. The ATO will let you know if they’ve paid you.
You don’t pay tax when you move ATO-held super into your super account. But you might have to pay tax if you withdraw it when you retire.
The ATO will automatically transfer your unclaimed super if they find a matching eligible account where:
the amount of your ATO-held super is $200 or more
you’re under 65 years old
you haven’t asked the ATO to transfer held super into an account.
Otherwise, you must apply to have your ATO-held super transferred to you through the ATO or your super fund.
Generally, an inactive low balance is where you have a super balance less than $6,000 and you haven’t received contributions for 16 months. This is different to lost super, which is where a fund loses contact with you and can be any amount.
If you worked in Australian on a holiday visa and left the country, you can claim super as a departing Australian super payment (DASP). If you don’t claim a DASP within six months of leaving Australian and your visa expiring, it becomes ATO-held super. But you can claim your ATO-held super at any time.
No, you don’t pay any fees if you’re transferring ATO-held super into your Aware Super account.
* Table 1b: Total Lost and ATO-held super - account values, Australian Taxation Office, 29 October 2025
[C1] Before consolidating, consider if this is right for you, including the loss of any insurance cover from your other funds, the impact on your investments, and potential tax implications and read the PDS and TMD at aware.com.au/pds. You may wish to speak with a qualified financial planner before making this decision.
[M4] Aware Super internal data as at 30 June 2026. This excludes Investment Funds clients.
[O2] This example is for illustrative purposes only. It relies on various assumptions. If actual circumstances differ from these assumptions, actual results will be different.
