What is Superannuation Guarantee (SG)?
Mandatory employer contribution to an employee's superannuation fund. The rate is 12% since 1 July 2025 (11.5% for FY2024–25). From 1 July 2026 under Payday Super it must be paid on every payday and received by the fund within 7 business days; before that it was paid quarterly by the 28th of the month following each quarter.
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Current Rate (Each payday from 1 July 2026 (quarterly dates 28 Oct, 28 Jan, 28 Apr, 28 Jul applied until the quarter to 30 June 2026))
12% (from 1 July 2025; 11.5% in FY2024–25)
Example
An employee earning A$100,000 ordinary time receives A$12,000 a year (FY26) into their nominated super fund, paid with each payday from 1 July 2026.
How Superannuation Guarantee (SG) works in Australia
Super Guarantee applies to ordinary time earnings (OTE): generally salary excluding overtime, but including bonuses, allowances, and paid leave. The Maximum Super Contribution Base (MSCB) caps SG-eligible earnings at A$65,070 per quarter for FY25.
From 1 July 2026, Payday Super applies: employers pay SG with each payroll run rather than quarterly. Late SG triggers the Super Guarantee Charge (SGC), which the ATO assesses. It is deductible for qualifying earnings days from 1 July 2026, but the interest (compounding daily at the general interest charge rate) and the 25% or 50% penalties on it are not.
Related terms
Single Touch Payroll Phase 2 is the ATO's mandatory real-time payroll reporting system. Employers send pay information (gross pay, tax, super, allowances categorized) to the ATO with each pay event. Annual finalisation is due 14 July each year.
Pay As You Go Withholding is the system Australian employers use to deduct tax from employee wages and remit to the ATO. Real-time reporting via Single Touch Payroll (STP) Phase 2 is mandatory at every pay event. Cash flow remittance is via BAS (quarterly or monthly).
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