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Clearing house troubleshooting

How to resolve problems you may have when using the Small Business Superannuation Clearing House (SBSCH).

Last updated 12 November 2024

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Message 'Error 22' appears when submitting a payment instruction or updating employee details

Possible cause

Permissions need to be set in Access Manager to allow you to view and lodge.

Resolution

A principal authority or authorisation administrator (in RAM) needs to update permissions for you in Access Manager.

The View permission will only allow you to view the clearing house – you will need the Lodge permission to allow you to submit.

The principal authority or authorisation administrator will need to log in to Access Manager.

  1. Under Manage permissions, select the appropriate username.
  2. Under the ATO Transactions heading, locate the Small business super clearing house and make the corresponding View and Lodge selections.
  3. Click Save.

'Time out' errors when trying to submit a payment instruction

Possible cause

This issue is caused by an invalid unique superannuation identifier (USI) or ABN in an employee's super fund details.

Resolution

If the system is timing out when trying to submit a payment instruction, check your employee’s super fund details are correct. You will need to cancel the instruction, update the super fund details, and create a new payment instruction.

Unable to lodge a payment instruction

If you are unable to lodge a payment instruction due to one of the following possible causes, you can consider submitting your instruction for those employees who have valid super fund details.

You can submit your payment instruction by removing all payment amounts you have entered for employees with an error. Make sure your payment matches the new ‘Total to Pay’ amount.

Possible cause

There may have been a change in ownership of a superannuation product that one of your employees has chosen.

Your employee will have this information.

Resolution

When a super fund changes an ABN or unique superannuation identifier (USI) you need to:

  • update the employee's details with the new ABN and USI
  • delete any un-processed payment instruction created before updating the employee's details. Only do this if you have entered a payment amount against the employee with invalid super fund details in the un-processed payment instruction
  • create a new payment instruction
  • submit the payment instruction.

Possible cause

The bank account details given to you by your employee for their self-managed super fund (SMSF) are invalid. The details may be invalid because they don't match the details listed on the fund's ATO records, or there may be no bank account information listed on the fund's record.

Resolution

If you receive an 'Invalid super fund bank details' error, you need to do the following:

  • Ask your employee to confirm that the SMSF bank account details they gave you match those listed on the SMSF record (against the superannuation account). If no details are listed on the SMSF record or they are incorrect, a trustee or the fund’s authorised tax agent may need to update information in Online services.
  • Update the relevant information in SBSCH Employees, if your employee has provided updated SMSF bank account details which match the SMSF record exactly.

If the only error(s) present on your payment instruction relate to invalid super fund bank details, you can save and exit your payment instruction while you update the employee's details.

Payments to your employee’s SMSF will not be accepted by the SBSCH until the SMSF bank account details listed on the employee record match the SMSF record exactly.

Possible cause

A payment is being made to an SMSF with a cancelled ABN. In this scenario you may encounter an error message that reads 'There was an unexpected problem with information entered on this page. Please contact us'.

Resolution

Confirm the ABN status of each SMSF that a payment is being made to via the Super Fund LookupExternal Link website. If the status of the ABN is cancelled, contact your employee to get alternate superfund details to pay to, as this superfund is not able to receive payments.

Error when trying to update your details or register with the clearing house

Possible cause

You have only entered a mobile number in the mobile phone field.

Resolution

You will need to enter a work number. If a work number is not available, you will need to enter your mobile number into the work hours phone number field in this format:

  • Area code: 04
  • Phone: XXXXXXXX

Message ‘Invalid reference number’ appears when making a payment by BPAY

Possible cause

This may be a result of having 2 zeros at the start of the PRN.

Resolution

Remove the 2 zeros from the start of the PRN when making the payment.

Small business can't see link to clearing house in Online services for business

Possible cause

The link to the clearing house doesn’t display in the menu.

Resolution

To access the link to the clearing house you need to select Employees in Online services for business. A screen displays which will include a link to the clearing house.

Tax agent, BAS agent or payroll provider can't see link to clearing house in Online services for agents

Possible cause

The link to the clearing house doesn’t display in the menu.

Resolution

To access the link, select the client record to bring the client 'in focus', then go to the Business menu and select Small business super clearing house.

Unable to see any employees in the clearing house

Possible cause 1

Incorrect ABN used when linking your Digital ID such as myID to your ABN in RAM.

Resolution 1

The ABN that you link your Digital ID to in RAM must be the ABN for the entity that is using the clearing house.

See Principal authorityExternal Link on the RAM website for details on linking an ABN.

Possible cause 2

You are accessing the clearing house via ATO online services for an individual (through myGov) instead of accessing the clearing house in Online services for business.

Resolution 2

If you are a small business operator or sole trader with an ABN, you need to log in to Online services for business to access the clearing house.

Message 'Enter a Fund Name to continue' appears when entering an employee's super fund name

Possible cause

Certain characters (such as '&') are not accepted.

Resolution

Add the super fund name again replacing '&' with 'and'.

Message 'Enter an account name' appears when entering bank details for returned payments

Possible cause

Certain characters (such as '&') are not accepted.

Resolution

Add the bank account name again replacing '&' with 'and'.

Message 'The fund ABN is invalid, enter a different ABN' appears

Possible cause

Spaces have been included in the ABN.

Resolution

Take out any spaces and retry.

Message 'Enter a valid email address' appears when updating your employer details

Possible cause

All authorised contacts have compulsory email fields that need to be populated.

Resolution

Check the email addresses are valid for each authorised contact listed on the 'Update details' page.

QC54813