19 Feb 2010

HESTA offers hassle-free electronic contribution options for organisations of all sizes. This means you can spend less time administering super, while ensuring your contributions are made on time.

For more information on making electronic submissions visit www.hesta.com.au/employers or free call 1800 813 327.

Out with the old, in with the new

Out-of-date brochures can cause problems for HESTA members. That’s because legally we can’t accept applications made on old forms.

To help your employees avoid the hassle and delay of having to re-submit new forms, make sure all your HESTA brochures are up-to-date.

Cutting red tape for small business

If you’re a small business (with less than 20 employees) then making superannuation contributions to multiple funds will soon be easier for you.

In November 2009, the Federal Government announced that Medicare Australia will administer a free superannuation clearing house. Designed to cut the red tape, small businesses will soon be able to pay their super contributions electronically to one location. The clearing house will be available from July 2010. If your business is eligible then you can register for the service from May 2010 (details still to be announced at the time of writing).

Have you changed your details?

If any of your employer details have changed, please let us know in writing — on your business letterhead and with an authorised signature — so we can update
our records. Changes we need to know about include:

• business name (please provide a copy of your Business Registration Certificate)
• business structure (e.g. business or company)
• business address
• business phone number
• the contact person responsible for administering super in your workplace
• your email address.

Updates to HESTA brochures and forms

HESTA’s publications are regularly updated so remember to dispose of any old copies you have as they may not reflect current processes or legislation.

There have been recent updates to:

• Your extra benefits guide
• Your financial education and advice guide.

Download current versions of all brochures and forms at www.hesta.com.au To obtain hard copies, free call 1800 813 327.

Super Guarantee (SG) contributions for the quarter ending 31 March 2010 should reach HESTA by 28 April 2010. If you haven’t made your contributions by 28 April 2010 you must lodge a Superannuation Guarantee Charge Statement – Quarterly with the Tax Office and pay the SG charge to the ATO by 28 May 2010. Any such payment does not extinguish your obligation to pay contributions to HESTA, and no offset can be claimed unless the payment to HESTA is made before an assessment is raised by the ATO. Note that since 1 July 2008 you must use ordinary time earnings as the basis for calculating SG contributions for all employees. Remember, if you don’t have a contribution to make for a particular employee for any given period, you must still provide a NIL contribution advice form.