Are rates inclusive or exclusive of Superannuation?

Please note - Surreal’s original communications (dated end of July 2025) to all users, suggested that Superannuation contributions, would be contributed from “within the fee”. This wording was used so that it was possible cover any existing bookings that are already listed in the platform, prior to the new Superannuation capabilities being introduced.

As most users knows, venues and agencies make bookings in advance, and had done so at the time of our communication.

Because those bookings were made with a single ‘total amount’ - we don’t have the authority to amend those amounts ourselves (including increasing those amounts ourselves by 12%). Any changes have to be initiated by the user themselves.

Moving forward (for current and new performances), each venue and agent will determine how they input those amounts and whether they do in practice ‘add’ superannuation on top.

How these fees are allocated - whether practically ‘on top’ or ‘from within’, is not something that Surreal advises the engaging party on as this is a legal matter. For that reason, it is also not something that we can enforce as these agreements are made between the parties to each booking, (terms which are unique to each booking).

Our platform is educated by those parties. They enter the information (amounts/fees/rates in this case) so we can distribute those fees and contributions based on the information and instructions provided.

If you’d like to discuss the application of superannuation contributions for your performances, you’ll have to approach the other parties to the booking (agent, venue or both, as is the case). The decisions for these matters lay between you.

Broadly for context, this update has been factored into the platform to ensure that the engaging party (whoever is responsible for contributing superannuation) is able to easily manage the work required to meet their Superannuation obligations, whatever they believe those obligations to be.

It’s a broad legislative decision that’s been made by the government that affects sole traders and those who engage them across industries.