How to Find Lost Super in Australia: ATO & myGov Step-by-Step Guide (2026)

If you've changed jobs, moved house, or emigrated at any point in your working life, there's a good chance you have at least one lost super account you've forgotten about. The ATO estimates A$18.9 billion in lost and unclaimed superannuation sits across approximately 7.3 million accounts in Australia as of 30 June 2025.

The good news: finding and consolidating your lost super is free, takes about 10 minutes online, and requires nothing more than a myGov account linked to the ATO.

Lost Super vs. Unclaimed Super: What's the Difference?

These two terms are often used interchangeably, but they're different things with different locations and processes:

Lost super is still held by your super fund — but the fund has lost contact with you. This usually happens when you changed jobs and a new employer started contributing to a different fund, leaving the old one idle. The old fund continues to hold the money (and charge fees), it just can't find you. Lost accounts are identifiable via the ATO's SuperMatch tool.

Unclaimed super has been transferred to the ATO by your fund. Funds are required to transfer member balances to the ATO if: the member is over 65 and no contributions have been received for two years; the member cannot be contacted and the balance is below a threshold; the member was a temporary resident who has left Australia; or the member has died with no beneficiary found. Once transferred to the ATO, unclaimed super earns only a CPI-linked interest rate — so it's important to claim it and roll it into a fund earning investment returns.

The Fastest Method: myGov + ATO SuperMatch (Online, Free)

The ATO's SuperMatch tool searches all registered super funds simultaneously using your Tax File Number. It's the most comprehensive way to find every super account you've ever had.

1. 1
   Go to my.gov.au and sign in to your myGov account. If you don't have one, create a free account — you'll need your email address and a mobile number for verification.
2. 2
   Link the ATO to myGov if not already linked. On the myGov home screen, click 'Link a service' → 'Australian Taxation Office'. You'll need your TFN, date of birth, and a recent ATO notice or bank account for verification.
3. 3
   Go to ATO online services — this opens automatically after clicking ATO on the myGov home screen.
4. 4
   Click 'Super' in the top navigation menu, then select 'Manage' from the dropdown.
5. 5
   Select 'Transfer super' or click 'Find my super'. The tool will show every super account linked to your TFN — including lost accounts and any ATO-held unclaimed super.
6. 6
   Review the results. You'll see the fund name, account number, and balance for each account. From here you can initiate a rollover to consolidate multiple accounts into your chosen fund.

Alternative Methods (No myGov Required)

Call the ATO directly

If you don't have a myGov account or prefer to speak to someone, call the ATO on 13 10 20 (Monday to Friday, 8am–6pm in your local time zone). Have your TFN and date of birth ready. The ATO can tell you which super funds hold accounts in your name and the approximate balance.

Contact your super fund directly

If you know which funds you may have contributed to in the past, contact them directly. Most major funds — Australian Super, Hostplus, REST, Aware Super, Sunsuper — have online member portals where you can verify your account status using your name and TFN.

Use the ATO app

The ATO app (available on iOS and Android) provides mobile access to ATO online services including the Super section. Sign in with your myGov credentials to see your linked super accounts on the go.

Why Has My Super Disappeared? Common Reasons

People are often surprised to find a super account they thought had been closed or that had simply vanished. The most common reasons:

• Inactivity fees depleted the balance: Some older super accounts charged weekly or monthly fees regardless of whether contributions were coming in. If your balance was small and you stopped contributing, fees may have reduced it — but the account itself still shows in the system.
• Your fund merged with another: Australian super fund mergers are common. If your original fund (say, Christian Super or MTAA Super) merged into a larger fund, your account was transferred and the fund name changed. The ATO SuperMatch tool will still find it.
• The fund transferred it to the ATO: If you were uncontactable and your balance fell below the required threshold, the fund was legally required to transfer it to the ATO as unclaimed super. Check the ATO portal for a separate 'ATO-held super' balance.
• You changed jobs frequently: Each job may have started a new super account at the employer's chosen fund, especially before 'super stapling' rules came into effect in November 2021. It's common for Australians who changed jobs frequently before 2021 to have 3–5 separate accounts.

How to Claim ATO-Held Unclaimed Super

If the ATO's SuperMatch tool shows an ATO-held super balance, here's how to claim it:

1. 1
   In ATO online services, go to Super → Manage → 'Transfer ATO-held super'.
2. 2
   Choose a destination fund — your active super fund. If you don't have a current fund, you'll need to open one (most funds allow online applications in under 10 minutes).
3. 3
   Confirm the transfer. The ATO will process the rollover to your chosen fund, typically within 3–15 business days.
4. 4
   Verify receipt in your fund's portal. Log in to your super fund's online account to confirm the ATO-held balance has arrived and is now earning investment returns.

How to Consolidate Multiple Lost Super Accounts

If you find more than one lost account (very common), you can consolidate them all into a single fund — also free and done entirely via myGov. Consolidating has real financial benefits: you stop paying multiple sets of annual fees and insurance premiums, simplify your tax obligations, and make your retirement savings easier to track.

From the SuperMatch results screen in ATO online services, select the accounts you want to consolidate and choose the destination fund. The ATO will send a transfer request to each fund. Most transfers complete within 3–10 business days, though some funds may require additional verification if the account is very old.

ASIC Unclaimed Money (Separate from Super)

Lost super is not the only category of unclaimed money in Australia. ASIC's MoneySmart unclaimed money register covers a different category: dormant bank accounts, shares, managed funds, and other financial assets held by companies and financial institutions. If a bank account has had no customer-initiated transactions for 7 years, the bank is required to transfer the balance to ASIC.

ASIC's register and the ATO's super records are separate systems — you need to check both to ensure you've found everything. Our Australia unclaimed money guide covers both ASIC and ATO search tools with direct links.

State Revenue Office Unclaimed Money

Each Australian state and territory also maintains its own unclaimed money register for items like uncashed cheques, utility bond refunds, and other state-specific categories. You may find money from a previous state of residence in that state's register even if ASIC and the ATO show nothing.

• NSW: Revenue NSW — unclaimed money register
• VIC: State Revenue Office Victoria — unclaimed money search
• QLD: Office of State Revenue — unclaimed monies
• WA: Department of Finance — unclaimed money register
• SA: RevenueSA — unclaimed money
• TAS: State Revenue Office Tasmania — unclaimed money

Summary: Your Lost Super Action Plan

1. Log in to myGov (my.gov.au) and link the ATO.
2. Go to ATO → Super → Manage → Find/Transfer super. Search for all accounts.
3. Review every account listed — including any ATO-held unclaimed super balance.
4. Consolidate lost accounts and transfer ATO-held super to your active fund.
5. Separately search ASIC's MoneySmart register for dormant bank accounts.
6. Check your state's revenue office for state-specific unclaimed money.