In this guide
The concept of a Total Superannuation Balance, or TSB, was introduced on 1 July 2017 to measure the value of your total interests in the superannuation system.
It is used to determine eligibility for a number of superannuation measures, such as the ability to carry forward unused concessional contribution caps, and is calculated as of 30 June each year.
What is the Total Superannuation Balance?
According to the ATO, your total super balance is calculated by adding:
- The accumulation phase value of your super interests that are not in the retirement phase
- The retirement phase value of your super interests
- The amount of each rollover super benefit not already included in the accumulation phase value or the retirement phase value. These are rollovers that are in transit between super funds on 30 June
- The outstanding limited recourse borrowing arrangement (LRBA) amount in an SMSF or small APRA fund you entered into from 1 July 2018, if either:
- The LRBA is with an associate of the fund
- You have satisfied a condition of release with a nil cashing restriction
And subtracting:
- Any personal injury or structured settlement contributions that have been paid into your super funds.
A structured settlement payment is the result of an agreement between parties to a personal injury case. A structured settlement contribution is when that payment is contributed to superannuation.
This all sounds very complicated, but for most people it isn’t. Except in a few special cases, your TSB is simply the balance of all your super accounts (including account-based-pensions) – the Total Super Balance is true to its name! The exceptions are when you:
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- Have a non-account-based income stream
- Are a member of certain defined benefit funds that calculate the super balance they report differently
- Are a member of an SMSF or small APRA fund that has limited recourse borrowing arrangements
- Have made structured settlement contributions.
The calculation requires us to understand two concepts – accumulation phase value and retirement phase value or APV and RPV.
If you’re still in accumulation phase, your APV is simple. It’s the amount that would be payable if you were to withdraw or rollover your superannuation today. You can find out your balance by contacting your super fund or logging into your member account on their website.
If you have an SMSF, your administrator or accountant should keep a track of this value.
APV also includes deferred superannuation income streams, transition-to-retirement income streams and superannuation income streams that do not comply with the pension or annuity standards.
The RPV, by contrast, is calculated by the ATO using your transfer balance account as at the end of the previous financial year.
For TSB purposes the transfer balance account is adjusted to include account-based super income streams at their current value – their remaining balance on 30 June – rather than their commencement value. Modifications to the transfer balance amount may also be needed if there are structured settlement contributions to the superannuation fund.
What is the Total Superannuation Balance used for?
TSB is used to measure your eligibility for some important super measures. These are:
- The carry forward of unused concessional contributions cap amounts
- The non-concessional contributions cap and eligibility for the bring forward of your non-concessional contributions cap amounts
- Government co-contributions
- The tax offset for spouse contributions
- The work test exemption.
For SMSFs and small APRA funds, your members’ TSB determines whether or not you can use the segregated method to calculate exempt current pension income (ECPI).
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Concessional contributions carry-forward rule
Since 1 July 2018, you are able to carry forward any unused concessional contributions cap amounts for five years as long as your TSB on 30 June immediately prior to the financial year you want to use the carry forward measure is under $500,000.
Your ability to make or receive concessional contributions within the annual cap is not restricted by your TSB.
Non-concessional contributions cap and the bring forward rules
You have access to the standard non-concessional contributions cap ($120,000 a year in 2025-26) if your TSB on the prior 30 June is less than the general transfer balance cap ($2 million for 2025-26). If your TSB is equal to or above the cap on 30 June of the prior year, your non-concessional contribution cap is zero.
If you are aged under 75 you may access the bring-forward rule that allows you to bring forward up to three years of non-concessional contributions. The size of the contributions you can make and your bring-forward period depends on the size of your TSB.
Importantly, if your TSB on 30 June exceeds the general transfer balance cap while a bring forward period is in place you will not be able to make non-concessional contributions in the following financial year. This applies even if you have not consumed the entire cap that is available to you during your bring forward period.
This table from the ATO explains:
From 1 July 2025
| Total super balance on 30 June of previous year | Non-concessional contribution cap during bring forward period | Bring-forward period |
|---|---|---|
| Less than $1.76m | $360,000 | 3 years |
| $1.76m to less than $1.88m | $240,000 | 2 years |
| $1.88m to less than $2m | $120,000 | No bring-forward period. General non-concessional cap applies. |
| $2m or more | nil | n/a |
Government co-contributions
Your TSB on 30 June must be less than the general transfer balance cap to be eligible for the government’s co-contribution scheme, whereby the government will match after-tax superannuation contributions up to an amount of $500 per year if you also meet certain income eligibility requirements.
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Tax offset for spouse contributions
If you make superannuation contributions on behalf of your spouse you may be eligible for a tax offset of up to $540. Your spouse’s TSB must be below the general transfer balance cap on 30 June for you to be eligible to make spouse contributions to their account in the following financial year.
Work test exemption
If you are aged 67 or more, you must generally meet the work test to be eligible to make personal tax-deductible contributions. The work test exemption allows you to make personal deductible contributions in the income year immediately after you retire, without meeting the work test, if your TSB was less than $300,000 on 30 June of the prior income year.
What’s the difference between the total superannuation balance, transfer balance account and the transfer balance cap?
TSB is the total of your super interests in both accumulation and retirement phase. It is used to determine your eligibility for certain super measures, as discussed above.
Your transfer balance account (TBA) records the amount you have transferred into the retirement phase (into superannuation pensions). Amounts are added to the account when you commence/purchase a pension and are subtracted when you make a commutation. A commutation is a lump sum withdrawal from a pension, which may be taken as cash or transferred back into the accumulation phase.
The transfer balance cap (TBC) is the maximum amount you may transfer into the retirement phase. The general cap is $2 million in 2025-26. If you commenced a pension prior to 1 July 2025 your personal transfer balance cap is different, and you can view your own TBC using the ATO online service via your myGov account.
If your transfer balance account (TBA) exceeds your transfer balance cap, you will incur excess transfer balance tax and are required to commute the excess amount.
The following example highlights the differences and how they are used.
How do I check my total super balance?
You can access your total super balance using the ATO online service via myGov.
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Access clear, independent guidance and tools that make it easier to plan with confidence and take control of your future with a free SuperGuide account.
Find out moreLog in to myGov, click to enter the ATO service, then select Super > Information > Total superannuation balance.
If you don’t have online access, you can call the ATO super hotline on 13 10 20.
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