APRA-regulated funds and self-managed super funds (SMSF) that receive a request to rollover their member’s super balance to an SMSF must use the SMSF verification service (SVS) to verify SMSF details before making the rollover.
What SVS verifies
The SVS will verify the following:
- the ABN in the request is registered as an SMSF
- SMSF status (complying or regulated)
- the TFN of the member requesting the rollover is associated with the SMSF
- the TFN of the member requesting the rollover is not compromised
- no verified date of death exists for that member
- SMSF bank details in the rollover request match those held by the ATO
- Electronic Service Address (ESA) in the rollover request matches that held by the ATO.
Mandatory use of this service
Regulation 6.33E of the Superannuation Industry (Supervision) Regulations 1994 (SISR) requires funds to use an electronic service upheld by the ATO, in this instance the SVS, to verify certain information about an SMSF before making a rollover to an SMSF.
How to manage responses from this service
The SVS will provide either a verified or non-verified response.
If the fund receives a:
- verified response – they can proceed with the rollover request
- a non-verified response – the SVS will also advise whether the detail that could not be verified related to the SMSF or the member, but not the specific error.
Non-verified responses
The SVS will return a non-verified response related to the SMSF for one of the following reasons:
- provided ABN is not registered as an SMSF
- SMSF ABN is not compliant or not regulated
- SMSF FIA and/or ESA is either incomplete or does not match ATO records
The SVS will return a non-verified response related to the member for one of the following reasons:
- the individual’s TFN is not linked to SMSF
- the individual’s TFN is compromised
- ATO holds a date of death for the individual
Funds who receive a non-verified response may consider taking the following additional steps prior to proceeding with the rollover.
If the request to rollover was received:
- from the receiving SMSF sending an initiate rollover message, respond with the error code ‘Unable to verify SMSF member’
- this error code is a trigger for the SMSF (or their member) to contact the ATO and take the required corrective action
- directly by the transferring fund member, they should firstly check the details they hold, and if correct then advise their member to contact the ATO to take the required action.
Contact us to notify us of changes or update your details
Manual verification process
Manual verification may be required, where funds are prevented from using the SVS, such as when:
- a fund does not hold the member’s TFN
- the SVS is not operational or available for an extended period.
The preferred channel to submit manual verification requests is via the Super Enquiry Service.
- Log in to the Super Enquiry Service for APRA funds
- Select Data Messages and Errors from the menu
- Select the SMSF Verification Service manual request template.
If you have not already joined, refer to the user guide on how you can get access to the Super Enquiry Service.
The manual verification process (and expected actions) will align with the responses received from the SVS.
For more about the SVS, see SMSF Verification Service terms and conditions of use and the SVS Business Implementation Guide (DOCX, 255KB)This link will download a file.
Authentication and authorisation
There are three broad authentication and authorisation options for using the SVS. Your digital service provider (DSP) or software solution may allow one, two or all three.
- Cloud software authentication and authorisation – if you use cloud-based Standard Business Reporting (SBR)-enabled software, you may need to notify the ATO of your hosted SBR solution to services such as the SVS.
- Business appointment – If you appoint another entity to lodge and interact on your behalf you may need to setup a cross entity authorisation through business appointments.
- Machine credential – If you use desktop or locally hosted software, you may need to create a machine credential using Relationship Authorisation Manager (RAM).
Cloud software authentication and authorisation
In Access Manager, my hosted SBR software services enables businesses and registered agents to notify us of their hosted SBR software service providers they use for transactions to and from the ATO, using their hosted software (cloud) environments.
Notification of your hosted SBR solution is at software service provider or software ID level and does not require you to specify the permission SMSF – Verification service for rollovers/contributions at the service level.
Business appointment – appointing another entity to access SVS
To appoint another entity to access SVS updates on your behalf:
- the principal authority or authorisation administrator for the fund logs into Access Manager
- selects 'Who has access to my business' from the left menu
- from the list of businesses already authorised for at least one activity, check if the business you’re seeking to appoint already has a current business appointment from your fund
- if yes, then you don't need to take any further action
- if the business does not appear
- click 'Appoint new business'
- enter the ABN of the business you want to appoint
- select 'Continue'
- under the Business Details heading within the list of online functionality, select 'SMSF – Verification service for rollovers/contributions' (See Table 1)
- 'Save' the record. You have now granted the other entity the authority to use the SVS on your behalf.
Machine credential
A machine or device credential allows you to transact directly with government online services through desktop or locally hosted SBR-enabled business software.
You can use Relationship Authorisation Manager (RAM)External Link to create machine credentials.
Once created, a machine credential is valid for two years. Your software provider will advise you what steps you need to take to install the credential into your solution, and if you need to take further action before it expires.
By default, a machine credential will have the Access Manager permissions for all your available SBR services.
To view permissions of your machine credential:
- the principal authority or authorisation administrator for the fund logs into Access Manager
- select 'Manage permissions'
- view the list of authorised users and device/machine credentials assigned permissions including 'SMSF – Verification service for rollovers/contributions' (See Table 1).
If authorisation of an agent is withdrawn, you should remove the business appointment using Access Manager.
APRA-regulated funds and SMSFs that receive a request to rollover their member’s super to a self-managed super fund must use the self-managed super fund verification service (SVS).