There are lots of rules when it comes to our super system. But not every rule applies to you at every age, so it’s worth figuring out which ones have an impact in your particular age group.
The rules at different ages govern how much and when you can contribute to super, when you can get your hands on your savings, and how much tax you will pay. These are designed to stop people taking advantage of the generous tax benefits offered as part of Australia’s super system.
To make things a bit easier to understand, here’s SuperGuide’s simple guide to the super rules that apply in your golden years.
Super rules if you’re aged 70 plus
Once you hit age 70, you have nearly reached the end of your eligibility to make contributions into your super account.
Between the age of 70 and 74, you still need to meet the requirements of a work test or work test exemption if you want to make salary sacrifice, non-concessional (after-tax), or personal tax-deductible contributions into your super account. You are no longer permitted to make spouse contributions.
Once you reach age 75, the only contributions that are still permitted into your super account are employer SG, mandated non-SG and downsizer contributions.
1. Contributing to super
Superannuation Guarantee (SG)
If you are aged over 70 and being paid $450 or more (before tax) in a calendar month, your employer must still pay SG contributions (9.5% in 2019/20 and 2020/21) into your super account. Once you meet these conditions, super is payable for all employees whether you are working full-time, part-time or are casually employed.
If you don’t meet these conditions, your employer is not required to make SG contributions for you.
If you are a contractor paid ‘wholly or principally for labour’, you may be considered an employee for super purposes and entitled to SG payments.
For more information, read SuperGuide articles:
- Your simple guide to Superannuation Guarantee (SG) contributions
- Superannuation Guarantee rules for employers
- What to do if your employer doesn’t pay your super
Contributions caps
Even though you are in your 70s, there are still annual limits or caps on the amount of money you and your employer can contribute into your super account.
From 1 July 2017, the general concessional (before-tax) contributions cap is $25,000 for everyone, regardless of their age. (From 1 July 2018, you can also make ‘carry-forward’ concessional contributions if you qualify and have a Total Super Balance of less than $500,000.)
Your annual non-concessional (after-tax) contributions cap is $100,000. If you are aged between 70 and 74 you must meet the work test or work test exemption rules if you wish to make non-concessional contributions.
For more information, read SuperGuide articles:
- 2020/21 guide to concessional contributions (before-tax super contributions)
- 2020/21 guide to non-concessional contributions (after-tax super contributions)
- How to contribute to your super in your late 60s: What are the rules?
- Super contributions before and after age 65
Work test
If you still want to make personal non-concessional contributions into your super account between age 70 and 74, you need to meet the conditions of the work test or work test exemption, which requires you to be ‘gainfully employed’ for at least 40 hours in 30 consecutive days during the financial year.
Once you reach age 75, you are no longer permitted to make salary sacrifice, non-concessional or personal tax-deductible super contributions – regardless of whether or not you meet the work test requirements.
For more information, read SuperGuide article Work test: Making super contributions over 67.
Personal (or voluntary) tax-deductible super contributions
From 1 July 2017, you can claim a tax deduction for personal tax-deductible contributions into your super account if you are aged 70 to 74, meet the work test rules and have a total superannuation balance of under $1.6 million.
Once you reach age 75, you are generally no longer eligible to make personal tax-deductible contributions into your super account. You can only claim a tax deduction for personal contributions you make into your super account before the 28th day of the month following the month you turned 75.
For more information, see SuperGuide article How do tax-deductible superannuation contributions work?
Downsizer contributions
A useful tool for getting money into your super account if you are 70 and over can be downsizer contributions.
Making a downsizer contribution involves selling your home and making a contribution into your super account of up to $600,000 for a couple ($300,000 each), provided you meet the eligibility rules.
For more information, read SuperGuide article Downsizer contributions: How do they work and what are the current rules?
2. Withdrawing your super
Getting your money
In your 70s, you can take your super benefit whenever you want and still continue working. For more information, read SuperGuide articles:
- Accessing super: Ceasing employment after 60
- Accessing super: Reaching age 65
- When can I access my super? All the conditions of release explained
Paying tax on your super
If you are aged 70 or over, most people can take their super benefit tax free (apart from the members of certain public sector super funds).
For more information, read SuperGuide article Over age 60? A simple tax guide to accessing your super benefits.
Taking a super pension
If you decide to start a super pension, you will be required to withdraw a minimum amount each year based on your age.
Need to know
On 22 March 2020, the federal government announced that the minimum rate which super pensioners must drawdown on their pension would be temporarily halved for 2019/20 and 2020/21 down to 2.5%.
The reduction in the minimum pension drawdown rate was due to many retirees losing a significant portion of their super account balance in the wake of sharemarket volatility due to the COVID-19 crisis.
For more information, read SuperGuide articles:
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