---
title: "Superannuation for Artists: Sole Trader Setup & Band Payments"
description: Set up artist super details in Hot Giggity and check performer eligibility, band payment arrangements and who is legally responsible for SG.
---
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# Superannuation for Artists: Sole Trader Setup & Band Payments
### Performer eligibility — ATO guidance reviewed 13 October 2026
> An ABN, invoice, hobbyist status or retirement does not automatically remove super obligations for individual performers. Check legal liability for the performance payment and any applicable exception. Hot Giggity’s entity setting and invoicing model must reflect the actual engagement; they do not decide legal liability.
>
> [Read the eligibility and responsibility guide](https://20228549.hs-sites.com/hg-support/superannuation-compliance-how-hot-giggity-supports-it?hsLang=en-au) or the [ATO performer guidance](https://www.ato.gov.au/businesses-and-organisations/super-for-employers/work-out-if-you-have-to-pay-super/super-for-sportspeople-performers-film-makers-and-related-activities) (updated 16 September 2026).
### Payday Super update — effective 1 July 2026
> For eligible payments made on or after 1 July 2026, pay super each payday. Contributions generally need to reach the worker’s super fund within 7 business days after the related payment, subject to applicable exceptions. Submit promptly and allow for clearing-house processing time.
>
> Quarterly date filters remain useful for reporting and reconciliation, but do not permit you to defer current super payments until quarter-end. [Read our Payday Super payment timing guide](https://20228549.hs-sites.com/hg-support/superannuation-compliance-how-hot-giggity-supports-it?hsLang=en-au).
**Who this is for:** Artists, act owners and players who invoice through Hot Giggity and operate as **sole traders**.
**Why it matters:** In Australia, most performers and crew who are paid as sole traders are treated as “employees” **for superannuation purposes**, so the business paying you (venue, agent, act owner) is responsible for making Superannuation Guarantee (SG) contributions into your fund.
### **Quick background (what the ATO expects)**
- An individual engaged to perform music or entertainment, or to provide services required for the performance to occur, can be an employee for super guarantee purposes even if they have an ABN and invoice as a contractor. Check the performer-specific rules and any applicable exception. The party legally liable for the eligible individual’s performance payment is responsible for any required super. An intermediary transferring money for a principal does not automatically take over that obligation. An Agent or Act Owner hiring performers in their own right must assess their own obligations.
- No $450/month threshold since 1 July 2022. If you’re a sole trader being paid for your labour, SG can apply from the first dollar earned.
- Under 18? SG applies if you work more than 30 hours in a week.
- Current SG rates: 12.0% (from 1 Jul 2025).
- When it’s paid: For eligible payments made on or after 1 July 2026, pay super each payday. Contributions generally need to reach the worker’s super fund within 7 business days after the related payment, subject to applicable exceptions. Submit promptly and allow for clearing-house processing time.
- GST tip: Super itself does not attract GST. If you charge GST, it’s calculated on the fee excluding the super component.
- Important: The payer cannot add super to your invoice and tell you to pay it yourself — they must remit SG to your fund.
---
### **How Hot Giggity works (Artist view)**
Hot Giggity calculates and tracks SG on eligible bookings so that the payer can remit correctly. If a booking involves a sole trader, we’ll show the SG amount during booking and on the invoice, and we’ll prompt for missing fund details before processing (so your super isn’t missed).
You’ll see two tabs under Super Ledgers menu. Artists have both:
- Super owed to me - contributions the payer is responsible for remitting to your super fund for eligible bookings you performed.
- Super I owe - if you hire sole-trader players/crew, this shows the SG you’re responsible for remitting to their funds.
### 
### **Set-up checklist for sole traders (5 minutes)**
### 1. Confirm your legal entity
- Go to Manage → My Personal Profile → Financial Settings → Superannuation.
- Set Entity Type to Sole Trader (if that’s how you operate).
- Select the entity type that accurately describes who is entering the engagement. Do not select None/Other simply because you are retired, perform as a hobby or prefer not to receive SG. Retirement and hobbyist status do not themselves exempt an eligible individual performer. A company, trust or genuine partnership may have its own obligations to Players it engages.
### 
### 2. Add your super fund details (see screenshot above)
- Fund name & Product name (the exact product you’re in)
- USI (Unique Superannuation Identifier) and Fund ABN
- Member number (from your fund)
- Date of birth (required by funds), TFN (optional)
- Toggle “No Fund Yet” only if you genuinely don’t have a fund set up.
> ### We’ll block invoice approval on SG-eligible bookings until fund details are provided — that protects your super.
### 3. Save.
- Hit Save. If anything looks off, your payer may query it before payment.
### 4. We’ll recalculate your forward bookings automatically
After you save your super fund details and confirm Entity Type = Sole Trader, Hot Giggity will recalculate all future bookings to include super where applicable. This ensures your upcoming invoices reflect the correct Superannuation Guarantee (SG) amounts.
**5.** **Your bookings and invoices will change (inclusive vs plus super)**
By default (unless the hirer has set “plus super”), your agreed performance fee is treated as inclusive of super.
Example: If the agreed fee was $400 and the hirer hasn’t set “plus super”, your invoices for forward bookings will now display as below:
Agreed performance fee (excl. GST): $400
SG rate: 12%
Calculations:
Fee (excl. super) = 400 ÷ 1.12 = $357.14
Super (12%) = 357.14 × 0.12 = $42.86 (paid to the super fund, not on the invoice)
GST (if registered) = 357.14 × 0.10 = $35.71
Invoice Total (payable to artist) = Fee + GST = $357.14 + $35.71 = $392.85
Separate SG Payable (to fund) = $42.86
The invoice shows $392.85. The $42.86 SG appears in the Superannuation Guarantee (SG) Payable section and is not included in the invoice total.
### 
### **Working in a duo, band or multi-player act.**
Every sole-trader performer needs their own super fund details saved in Hot Giggity. Super is assessed per person, per booking, based on their entity type and labour-only fee (gear hire and other non-labour items are excluded).
### **Option A — Venue/Agent pays players directly**
If you (or the hirer) enable “Players invoice the hirer and get paid directly”:
- Invite each player, set their fee, and confirm their Entity Type.
- For any sole trader, Hot Giggity adds an SG line for that player on the hirer’s invoice and tracks it under the hirer’s Super I owe.
- Each player’s fund must be complete before the invoice can be approved.
### **Option B — Act owner pays players**
If the act owner collects the full fee and pays players:
- Hot Giggity calculates SG for each sole-trader player on the act owner’s payout summary and lists it under the act owner’s Super I owe.
- The venue/agent won’t see those player SG lines; they only see the act’s invoice.
### **FAQs**
**I’m not a sole trader — do I still need to update my Entity Type?**Yes. Set it correctly (Company/Partnership/Trust/None-Other). SG won’t be added to your own invoices, but it can still apply to any sole-trader players you hire.
**I’m under 18. Do I get super?**If you work more than 30 hours in a week, SG applies. Otherwise, it may not.
Hobbyist status does not remove SG obligations for an eligible individual performer. The ATO expressly includes hobbyists, non-professionals and retired performers. An ABN, invoice or Statement from Supplier form does not itself create an exemption. Check the actual engagement and any specific ATO exception.
**I don’t have a super fund yet. What do I do?**Open an account with any complying super fund (your choice), then add the details in Profile → Financial Settings → Superannuation. Until then, bookings that require SG can’t be finalised.
**Will super be on top of my fee or included?**That’s a commercial agreement between you and the payer. Hot Giggity supports both “plus super” and “inclusive of super” fees and will calculate correctly either way.
**When will I see it in Hot Giggity?**Once the payer finalises the booking/invoice, your contribution appears under Super Ledgers → Super owed to me (and will be marked as Paid when the payer marks it settled).
### **Need help?**
### If you get stuck, contact Hot Giggity Support via email - [support@hotgiggity.com](mailto:support@hotgiggity.com)
- [Artists & Entertainers](https://help.hotgiggity.com/hg-support/artists-entertainers?hsLang=en-au#main-content)
- [Getting Started](https://help.hotgiggity.com/hg-support/artists-entertainers?hsLang=en-au#getting-started)
- [Invoice Management](https://help.hotgiggity.com/hg-support/artists-entertainers?hsLang=en-au#invoice-management)
- [Superannuation (Australia Only)](https://help.hotgiggity.com/hg-support/artists-entertainers?hsLang=en-au#superannuation-australia-only)
- [Creating & Managing Your Own Bookings](https://help.hotgiggity.com/hg-support/artists-entertainers?hsLang=en-au#creating-managing-your-own-bookings)
- [Promoting Your Gigs](https://help.hotgiggity.com/hg-support/artists-entertainers?hsLang=en-au#promoting-your-gigs)
- [Apply to Play](https://help.hotgiggity.com/hg-support/artists-entertainers?hsLang=en-au#apply-to-play)
- [FAQs](https://help.hotgiggity.com/hg-support/artists-entertainers?hsLang=en-au#faqs)
- [Agents](https://help.hotgiggity.com/hg-support/agents?hsLang=en-au#main-content)
- [Agency Profile Management](https://help.hotgiggity.com/hg-support/agents?hsLang=en-au#agency-profile-management)
- [Venue Management](https://help.hotgiggity.com/hg-support/agents?hsLang=en-au#venue-management)
- [Artist Management](https://help.hotgiggity.com/hg-support/agents?hsLang=en-au#artist-management)
- [Booking Management](https://help.hotgiggity.com/hg-support/agents?hsLang=en-au#booking-management)
- [Invoice Management](https://help.hotgiggity.com/hg-support/agents?hsLang=en-au#invoice-management)
- [Superannuation (Australian Only)](https://help.hotgiggity.com/hg-support/agents?hsLang=en-au#superannuation-australian-only)
- [Promoting Your Gigs](https://help.hotgiggity.com/hg-support/agents?hsLang=en-au#promoting-your-gigs)
- [FAQs](https://help.hotgiggity.com/hg-support/agents?hsLang=en-au#faqs)
- [Venues](https://help.hotgiggity.com/hg-support/venues?hsLang=en-au#main-content)
- [Getting Started](https://help.hotgiggity.com/hg-support/venues?hsLang=en-au#getting-started)
- [Booking Management](https://help.hotgiggity.com/hg-support/venues?hsLang=en-au#booking-management)
- [Invoice Management](https://help.hotgiggity.com/hg-support/venues?hsLang=en-au#invoice-management)
- [Promoting Your Gigs](https://help.hotgiggity.com/hg-support/venues?hsLang=en-au#promoting-your-gigs)
- [Superannuation (Australia Only)](https://help.hotgiggity.com/hg-support/venues?hsLang=en-au#superannuation-australia-only)
- [FAQs](https://help.hotgiggity.com/hg-support/venues?hsLang=en-au#faqs)
- [General](https://help.hotgiggity.com/hg-support/general?hsLang=en-au#main-content)
- [Superannuation (Australia Only)](https://help.hotgiggity.com/hg-support/general?hsLang=en-au#superannuation-australia-only)
- [FAQs](https://help.hotgiggity.com/hg-support/general?hsLang=en-au#faqs)
- [FAQs](https://help.hotgiggity.com/hg-support/faqs?hsLang=en-au#main-content)
- [General FAQs](https://help.hotgiggity.com/hg-support/faqs?hsLang=en-au#general-faqs)
- [Artists & Entertainers FAQs](https://help.hotgiggity.com/hg-support/faqs?hsLang=en-au#artists-entertainers-faqs)
- [Agents FAQs](https://help.hotgiggity.com/hg-support/faqs?hsLang=en-au#agents-faqs)
- [Venues FAQs](https://help.hotgiggity.com/hg-support/faqs?hsLang=en-au#venues-faqs)
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