Superannuation refund rules
The Australian Tax Office eligibility for accessing Super is as follows:
a) Certified copy of the page from your Passport with Commonwealth of Australian Visa Plate on it and/or Stamped dates of your Entry to and Departure from Australia.
b) Certified proof of identity, a photo ID: a copy of your passport photo page or a driver’s license.
c) Certified copy of your Visa.
d) Certified copy of a document with you current residential address - a bill, bank statement, etc.
e) Certified copy of super fund statements sent to you, if possible.
To have documents Certified is easy, just take the original documents and photocopies to a person listed below for him/her to Certify the copy as ‘a true and correct copy of the original’. The certification must be in English and every page must be stamped or hand Certified.
Persons who can certify documents:
1. Justice of the Peace - Found in most Banks, Police Stations and Court Houses.
2. Solicitor / Notary.
3. Police Officer – Ask them to stamp copies with their Station Stamp.
4. Registered Medical Practitioner, a doctor or dentist.
5. Accountant.
6. Minister of Religion.
It is vital that the person who certifies prints their name beneath their signature and either stamps the documents with an official stamp which references their credential (a JP, etc) to do so or writes it beneath the signature, along with their address, otherwise it will likely be rejected by a Superannuation Fund.
It is worth pointing out that calculated returns on Super aren’t always guaranteed. Some of our clients chose to have a Life Insurance Policies and/or Employment Insurance Policies as part of their superannuation accounts, or their employers had them included in policies they created for their employees. Good insurance to have, however most do not terminate these policies when they leave Australia or cease employment so every month deductions are made from their super which can amount to hundreds of dollars a year. It is not uncommon for inactive superannuation accounts to be entirely eaten up by such charges and fees or substantially reduced by the time they are rolled over, so it is wise to roll over your Super at the earliest possible time.
- you were a temporary resident
- you entered Australia on a temporary visa
- you have departed Australia
- your visa has ceased to be in effect (has expired or been cancelled), and
a) Certified copy of the page from your Passport with Commonwealth of Australian Visa Plate on it and/or Stamped dates of your Entry to and Departure from Australia.
b) Certified proof of identity, a photo ID: a copy of your passport photo page or a driver’s license.
c) Certified copy of your Visa.
d) Certified copy of a document with you current residential address - a bill, bank statement, etc.
e) Certified copy of super fund statements sent to you, if possible.
To have documents Certified is easy, just take the original documents and photocopies to a person listed below for him/her to Certify the copy as ‘a true and correct copy of the original’. The certification must be in English and every page must be stamped or hand Certified.
Persons who can certify documents:
1. Justice of the Peace - Found in most Banks, Police Stations and Court Houses.
2. Solicitor / Notary.
3. Police Officer – Ask them to stamp copies with their Station Stamp.
4. Registered Medical Practitioner, a doctor or dentist.
5. Accountant.
6. Minister of Religion.
It is vital that the person who certifies prints their name beneath their signature and either stamps the documents with an official stamp which references their credential (a JP, etc) to do so or writes it beneath the signature, along with their address, otherwise it will likely be rejected by a Superannuation Fund.
It is worth pointing out that calculated returns on Super aren’t always guaranteed. Some of our clients chose to have a Life Insurance Policies and/or Employment Insurance Policies as part of their superannuation accounts, or their employers had them included in policies they created for their employees. Good insurance to have, however most do not terminate these policies when they leave Australia or cease employment so every month deductions are made from their super which can amount to hundreds of dollars a year. It is not uncommon for inactive superannuation accounts to be entirely eaten up by such charges and fees or substantially reduced by the time they are rolled over, so it is wise to roll over your Super at the earliest possible time.