The Superannuation Choice Form: Choosing Your Super at a New Job
Starting a new job? Here is how the superannuation standard choice form works, what the stapled super fund rule means, and how to pick the right fund.
By Timothy Hirou GaschereauPublished 9 min read
Try it yourself
Starting a new job comes with a small stack of forms, and one of them quietly decides where thousands of dollars of your retirement savings will land: the Superannuation Standard Choice Form. Most people barely glance at it. Understanding it takes about ten minutes and can save you a lifetime of duplicate fees.
Here is exactly how the form works, what the stapled super rule means for you, and how to pick a good fund.
🎯 The essential: When you start a new job, your employer must give you the Superannuation Standard Choice Form within 28 days. Since 1 November 2021, if you do not choose a fund, your employer asks the ATO for your stapled fund (your existing account) rather than opening a new one. To keep your current fund you need its name, ABN, USI, member number, and a compliance letter. Before choosing, compare fees, long-term net returns, insurance, and options using the ATO YourSuper tool. This is general information, not personal advice.
What the Superannuation Standard Choice Form is
The choice form is the ATO's official document that tells your employer which super fund to pay your super guarantee contributions into. Your employer must give it to you within 28 days of starting, provided you are eligible for choice. Fill it in, hand it back, and your contributions go where you want.
Most employees are eligible, but not all: some enterprise agreements and awards lock in a specific fund, in which case your employer must pay into that regardless of the form. You can also request the form any time during a job, not just at the start, so you can switch mid-job. New to super entirely? Start with what superannuation is and how it works.
The stapled super fund rule (and why it matters)
This is the big change most people have not heard about. Before 1 November 2021, if you did not choose a fund, your employer simply opened a new default account. Every job, potentially a new account, and millions of Australians quietly ended up with multiple accounts, each charging fees and insurance premiums.
From 1 November 2021, the Your Future, Your Super reforms changed this. If you do not choose, your employer must first ask the ATO whether you already have an account, your stapled fund, which follows you from job to job like a stapled sheet of paper:
- Stapled fund found: your employer pays into that existing account. No new account opened.
- No stapled fund (say you have never had super): your employer uses their default fund, which must be a MySuper-authorised product.
The stapled rule is a safety net, not a recommendation. It stops you piling up accounts, but your stapled fund could just as easily be a high-fee underperformer as a great fund. It does not guarantee you are in the right one, so it is still worth actively choosing.
How to keep your existing fund
To have a new employer pay into your current fund, complete Section B of the form. You will need:
| Detail | What it is | Where to find it |
|---|---|---|
| Fund name | Your fund's full registered name | Member statement or fund website |
| Fund ABN | The fund's 11-digit ABN | Fund website or member portal |
| USI | Identifies the specific product in the fund | Member portal or annual statement |
| Member number | Your personal account number | Member statement or online portal |
| Compliance letter | Confirms the fund is complying | Download from your fund's portal |
Then it is simple: fill in Section A with your personal details, tick "I want to choose my own super fund" in Section B, enter the fund details, attach the compliance letter, sign, and hand it to HR within 28 days. Most big funds have a "new job" page where you can grab the compliance letter in under two minutes.
Your three options at a new job
| Option | What happens | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Keep your existing fund | Employer pays into your current fund, no new account | Anyone happy with a good fund they already have |
| Choose a new fund | Employer pays into the fund you nominate | Anyone switching to a lower-fee or better performer |
| Do nothing | Employer checks the ATO for your stapled fund, else uses their default | First-time workers, or those happy with their stapled fund |
If you want to switch, you can open the new fund online first (usually five to ten minutes), then put its member number on the form. Thinking about boosting contributions in your chosen fund? See salary sacrificing into super.
Finding lost super and consolidating
Many Australians have super scattered across old jobs, and the ATO holds billions in lost and unclaimed super. Log in to myGov, link the ATO, and go to the Super section: every account linked to your Tax File Number appears, including lost or ATO-held super. You can roll accounts together through myGov (Super, then Manage, then Transfer super) or by asking your chosen fund to handle it.
Before you close any old account, check whether it holds insurance (life, TPD, or income protection), because closing it cancels that cover. If you have a health condition that could make new cover hard to get, or a defined benefit fund, get advice first. See life insurance through super before you consolidate.
What to compare when choosing a fund
Super is a decades-long investment, so a 0.5% difference in fees compounds into tens of thousands over a career. The four things that actually matter:
- Fees: the total annual fee as a percentage of your balance (admin plus investment plus indirect costs). Lower is generally better, but not at the cost of returns.
- Long-term net performance: compare 7 to 10-year net returns for the same investment option, not one lucky year.
- Insurance: what default cover is included, what it costs, and whether it suits your life stage.
- Investment options: whether the fund offers what you want (high growth, indexed, ethical). Most default MySuper members do not need to worry about this at first.
Use the ATO YourSuper comparison tool to compare MySuper products by fees and net returns, and check the APRA annual performance test, avoiding funds that have failed it. Then get on with your life: for most people, picking a solid top-quartile fund and revisiting it every couple of years is genuinely enough. Compare the ways you can contribute once you are settled.
Frequently asked questions
When must my employer give me the super choice form?
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Your employer must give you the Superannuation Standard Choice Form within 28 days of your start date. If you ask for the form at any point during employment, they also have 28 days to provide it. Failing to do so can attract ATO penalties.
What is a stapled super fund?
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A stapled super fund is your existing super account, linked to you personally, that follows you from job to job. Since 1 November 2021, if you do not choose a fund when you start, your employer must ask the ATO whether you have a stapled fund. If you do, they pay into that rather than opening a new default account.
What if I do not return the super choice form?
+
Your employer will request your stapled fund details from the ATO. If a stapled fund is found, they pay into that. If you have no existing super (for example your first job), they use their nominated default fund, which must be a MySuper-authorised product.
What details do I need to keep my existing super fund?
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Four things plus a letter: your fund's full registered name, the fund ABN (11 digits), the USI (Unique Superannuation Identifier, which identifies the specific product), and your member number. You also attach a compliance letter from your fund, which most funds let you download from their member portal in minutes.
Can I change my super fund after I have already started a job?
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Yes. Request a new Standard Choice Form from your employer at any time, complete it with the new fund's details, and hand it back. Your employer must then pay future contributions into the new fund. Money already in the old fund stays there until you roll it over.
How do I find lost or old super accounts?
+
Log in to myGov and link the ATO service, then go to the Super section. Every account linked to your Tax File Number appears there, including lost or ATO-held super. You can also call the ATO's automated super search line.
Should I consolidate all my super into one account?
+
For most people, yes, because multiple accounts mean duplicate fees and insurance premiums that erode your balance. But before closing any account, check whether it holds insurance cover, since closing cancels it, and get advice first if you have a health condition or a defined benefit fund.
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Sources
- ATO, Superannuation Standard Choice Form
- ATO, stapled super funds for employees
- ATO, YourSuper comparison tool
- ASIC Moneysmart, choosing a super fund
General information only, not personal financial advice. It does not take your circumstances into account, and super rules can change. Check current ATO and ASIC Moneysmart guidance and consider a licensed financial adviser for your situation.
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General information only. This article is educational and does not constitute personal financial advice. It does not account for your circumstances. Consider your own situation and seek advice from a licensed adviser before acting. Read our full disclaimer.
Timothy Hirou Gaschereau
Founder of Snowball Invest, not a financial adviser.
I write about what I'm learning myself, because nobody ever taught us how to take control of our own money. It's a skill, not a mystery, and it's never too late to learn it. The best day to start was yesterday, the second best is today.
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