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Section A: Fund information

Deals with general superannuation entity identification and the current status of the fund.

Last updated 1 July 2024

1 Tax file number (TFN)

Write the TFN of the fund in the boxes on both page 1 and page 3.

We are authorised by the Taxation Administration Act 1953 to request the fund's TFN. We use the TFN to identify the fund in our records. It is not an offence not to provide a TFN. However, if you don't provide a TFN, there may be a delay in processing the fund's tax return.

2 Name of superannuation fund or trust

Write the name of the fund exactly as it appears on the fund’s trust deed or other constituent document.

For subsequent tax returns, the fund name should be consistent from year to year unless the name changes.

If the name of the fund is legally changed, you must notify us of the change within 28 days.

3 Australian business number (ABN)

Write the ABN of the fund in the boxes. If the fund does not have an ABN, leave this blank.

We strongly encourage funds without ABNs to apply for one at abr.gov.auExternal Link.

The ABN is a unique business identifier used in all dealings with the Australian Government. It is also available to state, territory and local government regulatory bodies. Identification for tax law purposes is only one of the uses of the ABN.

For more information about privacy, the information we collect and how it may be used, see Privacy statement – ABR transaction siteExternal Link.

4 Current postal address

We will use this address to send you correspondence. Abbreviate ‘care of’ to ‘C/–’ only.

5 Tax return status

Is this an amendment to the fund's 2024 tax return?

Print X in the appropriate box, either No or Yes.

We will use this information when updating our records. We will contact you if you answer yes to the question and we don't have an original tax return for 2023–24.

6 Trustee details

If applicable, write the name and ABN of the corporate trustee, referred to here as non-individual trustee.

7 Electronic funds transfer (EFT)

We need the fund's financial institution details to pay any refund owing, even if you have provided them before, including:

  • Bank State Branch (BSB) number (this number has 6 digits, don't include spaces or hyphens)
  • account number (this number has no more than 9 digits, don't include spaces or hyphens)
  • account name, as shown on the fund's bank account records – for example, ABC fund.    
    • don't show account type, such as cheque in the account name
    • include spaces between each word and initials where required
    • if the fund's account name exceeds 32 characters, provide the first 32 characters only.

The refund can only be paid into a recognised financial institution account located in Australia.

For more information, go to Electronic refunds.

8 Status of fund or trust

Complete at item 8:

Type of fund or trust

Print X in the box that best describes the type of fund or trust at balance date.

Only mark one box. Use Table 1 to help you work out the type of fund or trust at balance date.

Table 1: Fund or trust type

Label

Categories of funds or trusts

A

Small APRA fund – a regulated fund administered by APRA that has no more than 6 members. This category includes employer-sponsored or corporate funds that have no more than 6 members.

B

Retail fund – a regulated fund consisting of pooled superannuation sold commercially through intermediaries such as life insurance companies, bank subsidiaries or financial planners. This category includes master trusts, personal superannuation products and public offer funds.

C

Industry fund – a regulated fund maintained to accept superannuation contributions from unrelated employers in a particular industry.

D

Corporate fund – a regulated fund sponsored by a single non-government employer or a group of related employers, excluding industry funds.

F

Approved deposit fund (ADF) – a regulated fund that can receive, hold and invest certain types of rollovers on certain conditions.

G

Pooled superannuation trust (PST) – a unit trust in which only the assets of superannuation funds, ADFs and other PSTs can be invested.

H

Public sector fund – a regulated fund established by or under a law of the Commonwealth, a state or territory, a municipal corporation or another local governing body or public authority constituted by or under a law of the Commonwealth or a state or territory.

I

Non-regulated fund – a fund that does not satisfy the provisions of section 19 of the SISA.

J Australian superannuation fund

Is the fund an Australian superannuation fund?

At item 8 – label J, print X in the appropriate box, either No or Yes.

Tests to determine if the fund is an Australian superannuation fund

For a regulated super fund to be a complying superannuation fund it must be an Australian superannuation fund.

A superannuation fund is an Australian superannuation fund if it satisfies all 3 of the following tests:

  • the fund was established in Australia, or at least one of the fund’s assets is located in Australia, and
  • the central management and control of the fund is ordinarily in Australia, and
  • either    
    • the fund has no active members
    • it has active members who are Australian residents and who hold at least 50% of either:   
      • the total market value of the fund’s assets attributable to super interests held by active members
      • the total of the amounts that would be payable to or in respect of active members if they voluntarily ceased to be members.

Provided the fund satisfies these 3 tests at the same time at any point in the income year then, for income tax purposes, it is an Australian superannuation fund for the entire income year. However, to be a 'complying superannuation fund' in an income year, these 3 tests must be met throughout the income year.

A member is considered to be an active member of a fund if either:

  • they are a contributor to the fund
  • contributions were made to the fund on their behalf and they are not covered by the next paragraph specifying who is not an active member.

A member on whose behalf contributions were made to the fund is not an active member if all the following apply:

  • they are not a resident of Australia
  • they are not currently a contributor
  • the only contributions that were made on their behalf after they ceased to be an Australian resident were made in relation to a time when they were an Australian resident.

The central management and control of a fund is ordinarily in Australia if the fund’s strategic and high level decisions are regularly made in Australia. These decisions are generally made by the trustees of the fund.

The fund will continue to meet the central management and control requirement in cases where the fund’s central management and control is temporarily (for a period of 2 years or less) outside Australia. However, if the central management and control of the fund is permanently outside Australia, it will not meet this requirement.

Print X in the No box at item 8 – label J if the fund does not meet the above definition of Australian superannuation fund at any time during the income year.

If the fund does not meet the above definition of Australian superannuation fund throughout the income year, the fund will:

  • lose its complying superannuation fund status
  • have a tax rate of 45% applied to the fund’s taxable income for the income year (including the market value of all fund assets at the start of that income year).

For the definition of an ‘Australian superannuation fund’, see Taxation Ruling TR 2008/9 Income tax: meaning of 'Australian superannuation fund' in subsection 295-95(2) of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997.

K Fund benefit structure

Print at item 8 – label K the appropriate code from Table 2 that best describes the benefit structure of the fund.

Table 2: Fund benefit structure

Code

Definition of Fund benefit structure

A

A fund is an accumulation fund if the fund provides its members with a benefit which is the total of:

  • specifically defined contributions to the fund plus
  • earnings on those contributions minus
  • any costs attributed to the member.

This fund is considered an accumulation fund even if the fund or any of its accounts is supporting a superannuation income stream benefit.

D

A fund is a defined benefit fund if the fund provides its members with a benefit that is calculated from a formula based on a combination of factors, including the years of membership in the fund and average salary level over a specific time.

U

Unfunded defined benefit: similar to defined benefit, but the superannuation members’ benefits are unfunded. Only governments run unfunded defined benefit funds.

E

A fund is a hybrid fund if it has a combination of both accumulation and defined benefit members.

L Number of members

Write at item 8 – label L the total number of members or for ADFs the number of depositors at the balance date.

Members for this item are persons:

  • who are making contributions
  • on whose behalf contributions are being made
  • who are receiving pension entitlements
  • who hold any deferred beneficiary accounts.

M Date of establishment

Write the date on which the fund was established.

N1 Significant global entity

Print X at item 8 – label N1 if the entity was a significant global entity (SGE) for the income year.

An entity is an SGE if it is either:

  • a global parent entity with an annual global income of A$1 billion or more
  • a member of a group of entities that are consolidated for accounting purposes, and one of the other group members is a global parent entity with an annual global income of A$1 billion or more
  • a member of a notional listed company group, and one of the other group members is a global parent entity with an annual global income of A$1 billion or more.

A notional listed company group is a group of entities that would be required to be consolidated for accounting purposes as a single group, on the assumption that an entity of the group were a listed company. Disregard any exceptions in accounting principles that may permit an entity not to consolidate with other entities.

An entity is also an SGE if it is a global parent entity, or a member of an actual or notional accounting consolidated group which includes a global parent entity, and the global parent entity has been given a notice by the Commissioner determining that its annual global income would have been A$1 billion or more for the period had global financial statements been prepared.

For more information about the definition of a SGE and what it means to be a SGE, see Significant global entities.

If you are a SGE, you also need to consider whether you are a country-by-country (CBC) reporting entity. CBC reporting entities must complete label N2, and may have additional reporting obligations.

N2 Country by country (CBC) reporting entity

Print X at item 8 – label N2 if the entity was a CBC reporting entity for the income year.

An entity is a CBC reporting entity if it is either:

  • a CBC reporting parent
  • a member of a CBC reporting group, and one of the other group members is a CBC reporting parent with an annual global income of A$1 billion or more.

A CBC reporting group may be a group that is consolidated for accounting purposes as a single group or a notional listed company group. A notional listed company group is a group of entities that would be required to be consolidated for accounting purposes as a single group, on the assumption that an entity of the group was a listed company.

Unlike under the SGE definition, the exception to consolidations in the accounting principles related to investment entities is not disregarded. That is, if applicable, the investment entity exception in the account principles should be applied when determining whether an entity is a CBC reporting entity.

If an entity was a CBC reporting entity for the whole or part of the preceding income year, it may have CBC reporting obligations.

For more information about the definition of a CBC reporting entity and what it means to be a CBC reporting entity, see Country-by-country reporting.

9 Was the fund wound up during the income year?

Print X in the appropriate box, either No or Yes.

If Yes, write the date the fund was wound up in the boxes.

Every fund is required to lodge a tax return for each income year of its operations, up to the date it is wound up.

Continue to: Section B: Income

Return to: Instructions to complete the fund income tax return 2024

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