SMSF member TICK

The self-managed super fund (SMSF) member TFN Identity Check (SMSFmemberTICK) service allows SMSF trustees and their nominated intermediaries to match member details to information held by the ATO using the member's TFN and other key identity information.

SMSF trustees who receive a request to rollover their member's super balance to another fund must use the SMSFmemberTICK service to verify the member's TFN before making the rollover.

Mandatory use of this service

Regulation 6.33D of the Superannuation Industry (Supervision) Regulations 1994 requires any fund rolling over the whole or a part of a member’s super benefit, to request a notice from the ATO validating that member’s information prior to completing the rollover. This includes any SMSF undertaking an outward rollover.

How to manage responses from this service

When you send a request to the SMSFmemberTICK service the ATO will verify the member's details and provide either a 'valid' or 'not valid' response.

Where you receive a 'valid' response, you can proceed with the rollover request.

You will receive a 'not valid' response when we are unable to match the member details provided to our records with an appropriate level of confidence.

We may have been unable to match the member details when:

• your member has provided you with incorrect details
• the records we hold are incorrect
• the TFN has a compromised or duplicate status on our systems
• our data matching system cannot establish a single match.

Where you receive a 'not valid' response, you should confirm the details with the member. If the details you provided are correct, the member must contact the ATO to update their details. Once the details have been corrected, you can re-send the SMSFmemberTICK message.

For detailed information on how to manage responses from this service refer to:

SMSFmemberTICK Business Implementation GuideExternal Link

See also:

• Rollover user guide
• SuperStream Rollover v3

Authentication and authorisation

Three broad authentication and authorisation options exist for using the SMSFmemberTICK service. Your digital service provider (DSP) or software solution may allow one, two or all three.

1. 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 use services such as the SMSFmemberTICK.
2. 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.
3. 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 – Search and verify members at the service level.

Business appointment – appointing another entity to access SMSFmemberTICK

To appoint another entity to access SMSFmemberTICK on your behalf:

1. the principal authority or authorisation administrator for the fund logs into Access Manager
2. selects 'Who has access to my business' from the left menu
3. 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  
   1. if yes, you don't need to take any further action
   2. if the business does not appear   
      1. click 'Appoint new business'
      2. enter the ABN of the business you want to appoint
      3. select 'Continue'
      4. under the Business Details heading within the list of online functionality, select 'SMSF – Search and verify members (see Table 1)
      5. 'Save' the record. You have now granted the other entity the authority to use SMSFmemberTICK 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:

1. the principal authority or authorisation administrator for the fund logs into Access Manager
2. select 'Mange permissions'
3. view the list of authorised users and device/machine credentials assigned permissions including 'SMSF – Search and verify members' (see Table 1)

If authorisation of an agent is withdrawn, you should remove the business appointment using Access Manager.

Table 1: Access Manager permissions and descriptions

Web-service name	Access Manager description	Business appointments
SMSF Member Verify (SMSFmemberTICK)	SMSF– Search and verify members	Available

SMSF trustees are required to use the SMSFmemberTICK service to verify the member TFN before they can roll out member benefits to another fund.