Yes — the ATO provides a free DASP online application system at ato.gov.au, and eligible former temporary visa holders can use it themselves at no cost. The tax outcome is identical whoever lodges: DASP rates are set by legislation. What you are paying an agent for is finding every account, handling fund paperwork and rejections, and doing it all for you — for our flat $149 + GST, never a percentage.
How to do it yourself, honestly summarised
- Go to the ATO's DASP online application system (free, at ato.gov.au).
- Enter your passport, visa and TFN details. The system checks your visa status with Home Affairs automatically.
- Add each super fund you have — you'll need to identify your funds and account numbers yourself if the system doesn't surface them.
- Submit, then respond to any requests from your funds. Funds can ask for certified identity documents for balances over $5,000, which from overseas usually means a notary or an Australian consulate appointment.
- Wait for each fund (and the ATO for any ATO-held money) to process and pay — typically within 28 days each, if nothing bounces.
If you have one fund, you know which it is, your balance is modest and your paperwork is tidy — the free option is genuinely fine, and you should use it.
Where DIY claims come unstuck
- Lost accounts. Multiple jobs mean multiple default funds; balances you never find are balances you never claim. ATO-held unclaimed super is a separate claim again.
- Certified documents from overseas. Funds commonly want certified passport copies for larger balances on DIY claims — a notary in Manchester or Manila, posted to Australia. As a registered tax agent we verify your identity electronically instead (passport + selfie via Didit) and deal with the funds ourselves.
- Rejections nobody explains. Mismatched names after marriage, expired passports, visa data that doesn't line up — DIY applications bounce with form-letter explanations, and the ATO phone queue runs on Australian hours.
- Percentage agents. The worst outcome isn't DIY — it's paying 15–20% of your balance to an agent for the same lodgement we do for a flat $149 + GST. Always check any agent on the TPB register (here's ours).
The honest decision guide
| Your situation | Our honest suggestion |
|---|---|
| One known fund, balance under ~$1,000, documents tidy | Use the ATO's free system — our fee isn't worth it for you |
| Several jobs, funds unknown, or you've been gone 6+ months | Us — the all-accounts search and ATO-held claim is the core of the fee |
| Balance over $5,000 and you're overseas | Us — electronic identity verification instead of certified copies is the big saver |
| A DIY claim already rejected or stuck | Us — untangling stuck claims is bread-and-butter registered-agent work |
Still not sure which side you fall on? Message us on WhatsApp and we'll tell you straight — including when the answer is "do it yourself".
Common questions
Is the tax lower if I use an agent?
No, and run from anyone who implies it. DASP tax rates are set by legislation — 65% working holiday, 35% taxed element for other temporary visas, 65% on ATO-held money — whoever lodges the application.
Why can you verify identity electronically when funds ask me for certified copies?
Registered tax agents lodge through official intermediary channels and carry professional obligations under the Tax Agent Services Act, so funds and the ATO accept our verification processes. DIY applicants deal with each fund’s own document rules.
What does the $149 + GST actually buy?
A registered agent (TPB 26076969) finding every account in your name including ATO-held money, preparing and lodging the DASP for all of them, handling fund queries and rejections, electronic identity verification, and a human on WhatsApp until the money lands. It’s no-win-no-fee: if we can’t recover any super for you, the $149 + GST is refunded in full. The fee is also generally tax deductible.
Will you really tell me to use the free option?
Yes — it’s in this page, our FAQ and our homepage. Tiny balances don’t justify our fee, and saying so is why the rest of our clients trust us.
Ready when you are. 5 minutes, flat fee.
$149 + GST · every fund plus ATO-held super · paid to your bank worldwide in about 28 days.