(Legacy) Set Up Liability Codes for Superannuation (pre-Payday Super)

Important: This page pertains to the legacy super process, which applies only to tax years 2026 and earlier. From 1 July 2026, the new Payday Super configuration is required (available in Vista 2026.6). See the following detailed user guides:

(Australia only) For each superannuation fund that you offer to employees, you must set up a corresponding liability code.

This page provides instructions specific to setting up a liability code for calculating superannuation fund amounts. If you want a more general description of creating liability codes, see Create Deduction and Liability Codes.

The system uses this liability code to determine what amount you will need to pay on behalf of your employee. For more information, see Superannuation: Australia.

  1. In the PR Deductions/Liabilities form, enter a code number in the Dedn/Liab Code field and enter a description of the code/fund in the Description field.
  2. In the Type section of the form, select the Liability radio button and enter the type in the Liability Type field. Press F4 to select from a list of liability types.
  3. Set the Calculation Category drop-down to E-Employee.
  4. Set the method of calculation:

    • If you want the system to use a routine to calculate the liability, select R-Routine from the Method drop-down and specify the SuperMin routine in the Routine field. When you use a routine, you ensure that the system takes into account the monthly earnings threshold amount when determining your liability amount.

    • If you want the system to calculate superannuation at the standard rate, without regard to the monthly earnings threshold, select G-Rate of Gross from the Method drop-down.

  5. In the Rate/Amount #1 and Rate/Amount #2 fields, enter the standard superannuation rate.
    Note: If you are paying an employee a superannuation rate that is higher than the standard percentage rate, create a second liability code for the percentage amount over the standard rate. For example, if the standard percentage rate for superannuation is 9%, and you wish to give an employee 12%, you would first create a liability code for the 9% and a second one for 3%.
  6. In the Limit section of the form, select the Subject Amount radio button.
    The system enables the Amount and the Applied fields.
  7. In the Amount field, enter the maximum quarterly contribution base for the current tax year.
  8. Set up automatic AP updates for the code, making sure to select the Separate AP transaction per Employee checkbox. For more information, see Set Automatic Accounts Payable Updates for D/L Codes.
  9. On the Addl Info tab, select Superannuation from the ATO Category drop-down. If you are creating a second liability code for additional superannuation payments (over the standard rate), select Superannuation-Extra from the ATO Category drop-down.
    The system enables the Fund field.
  10. In the Fund field, enter the superannuation fund identification number or press F4 to select from a list of funds.
  11. If you are using a weekly minimum for superannuation, enter the amount in the Superannuation Weekly Minimum field. For more information, see Set Weekly Minimums for Superannuation.
  12. Determine the calculation basis for the liability code that is needed to determine the ordinary time earnings. For more information, see About Determining the Calculation Basis for Deduction and Liability Codes.
  13. If an employee wants to contribute additional superannuation amounts, you must set up deduction codes properly to ensure that the amounts are reported correctly on PAYG payment summaries and Super contribution files. Use the steps above, with these considerations:

    • For pre-tax deductions for salary sacrifice, check the Pre-Tax Deduction box (Info tab) and select S-Superannuation from the ATO Category drop-down (Addl Info tab).

    • For after-tax deductions, select SE-Superannuation-Extra from the ATO Category drop-down (Addl Info tab).