At Super-Advice we are about all things financial, but more importantly, helping people understand so they can get ahead financially.
If you’ve lived in Australia, you would’ve been earning Superannuation on top of your salary or wages, and today we want to share with you the steps required to have that transferred to your KiwiSaver.
Step 1 Find your Australian TFN Number
Step number one, find your Australian TFN or tax file number. You cannot do anything without that.
You will remember it is the Aussie version of the IRD number, you need it.
Step 2 Identify your Superannuation providers
The next thing is you’ve gotta identify your Superannuation providers.
You can have more than one in Australia, so it’s not unusual to have more than one, which means you’ve gotta apply to multiple Superannuation providers to have that money transferred to KiwiSaver.
You can also transfer and roll them all into one, and then transfer the one if you like, that is an option. That’s what I did. I had five when I got back to New Zealand.
Step 3 Download the Trans-Tasman Portability Form
Then you need to jump onto their website, download the Trans-Tasman portability forms, or Transferring to New Zealand forms. You’ll find them and they are pretty straightforward.
You do need to get copies of your ID and your proof of address and have those documents certified by a JP. You’ve gotta attach those to the forms and you have to mail them to Australia, they will only accept originals. You can’t scan and email them.
Step 4 Get multiple copies of documents
When you go and see the JP get multiple copies, even three certified copies of your identification and three certified copies of your proof of address. It is freakish how often providers lose the mail. So get multiple copies because there’s nothing more frustrating than the providers saying they never received them.
If you’ve been away from Australia for some time and you never updated your address details and mail was being returned when they were trying to contact you with statements, they transfer your Superannuation to the Australian Tax Office, to the ATO where they hold your money. You can get it out, but you need to have it transferred back to an Australian Superannuation fund.
If they’re all closed, you’re in trouble because it’s tough to open an Australian Superannuation fundf you are living in New Zealand, you could be stuffed.
That’s a wrap
So that’s it, find your TFN, find your Super providers, send them forms, get multiple copies of ID and proof of address certified by JP because they lose mail all the time, and then send it off.
If you have tried this and just pulled your hair out with frustration, we know it because we do it a lot.
Just come through to us. We’ll do it for you.
If you need any financial help or advice please get in touch with us at Super-Advice.
