Q: I am trying to understand how my super is taxed and it seems that it is taxed at every turn. Can you please explain when, and how, a super benefit is taxed? A: If it were not for tax, superannuation wouldn’t exist. You would simply invest in your own name. Superannuation is taxed at lower rates to encourage ... Read more
Making superannuation contributions
A Super Guide
Superannuation contributions (including personal contributions and employer contributions) are a cash amount, or in some cases an asset, that is contributed to a complying superannuation fund, on behalf of an individual under the age of 75. Super contributions and investment earnings on those contributions are the key to accumulating a substantial retirement nest egg.
You can make two types of superannuation contributions to your super fund. You, or your employer, can make concessional (before-tax) contributions to your super fund. You, or your spouse, or the federal government, can make non-concessional (after-tax) contributions to your super fund.
You have two caps – a concessional contributions cap ($25,000 for the 2017/2018 year, and for the 2018/2019 year), and a non-concessional contributions cap ($100,000 for the 2017/2018 year, or for the 2018/2019 year).
Note: If you are aged 65 years or over, you must satisfy a work test before making super contributions (see SuperGuide article For over-65s: Ten tips when making super contributions).
Important: The Total Superannuation Balance is a new restriction on super contributions. For the 2017/2018 and 2018/2019 year, if you have more than $1.6 million or more in super, you cannot make non-concessional (after-tax) contributions, receive spouse contributions, or receive the government co-contribution (see SuperGuide article Total Superannuation Balance: 7 reasons why your TSB matters).
In this section, discover how much your employer must pay into your superannuation fund, how much you can contribute, the tax-free bonus the federal government gives you, contributions strategies and everything you need to know about making personal superannuation contributions. Find out how you can make concessional (before-tax) contributions, non-concessional (after-tax) contributions, receive co-contributions and more.
Click on the links directly below to access the following topics about making superannuation contributions:
- Superannuation contributions strategies
- 2017/2018 Contributions Guides
- Super contributions caps
- Superannuation Guarantee (SG)
- Salary sacrifice and super
- Tax-deductible super contributions
- Spouse contributions
- Total superannuation balance
- Contributions tax
- Excess contributions
As a starting point you may want to consider reading the following SuperGuide articles:
Set out below are all SuperGuide articles referring to Making superannuation contributions.
I’m retired. Can I make super contributions?
Q: If I have retired from work and later on inherit a reasonable sum of cash, can I make a non-concessional contribution into my superannuation fund? OR is that only permitted while I am working, regardless of my age? A: For the benefit of other readers, I will first explain the meaning of a non-concessional ... Read more
For over-65s: Ten tips when making super contributions
Australians can make voluntary superannuation contributions up to the age of 74 (that is, before you turn 75), and these super contributions can be concessional (before-tax) or non-concessional (after-tax) contributions. If you’re aged 65 or over however, then you must satisfy a work test, if you intend to make super ... Read more
Australia not ready for Age Pension age of 70 years
Russia has just raised the pension age for men to 65 years (from 60 years) and for women to 60 years (from 55 years). The original plan was to raise pension age for women to 63 years, but after national uproar, Vladimir Putin relented and only increased pension age for women to 60 years but still raised male pension ... Read more
What are the super and retirement rules for over-65s?
Q: My wife (age 63) and myself (age 65) were told by a financial organisation that at 65 or over I could put money into super, pay 15% tax on the way in, and then draw it out when I wished and pay no tax. In fact, I have been told to pay myself $30,000 or less and source the rest of my income through my super fund. My ... Read more
Superannuation: 10 great benefits you may not know about
Besides being a great way to save for retirement, superannuation offers lots of little-known benefits for super fund members. Depending on the type of fund you belong to, and your employment status, there is a swag of benefits you may be receiving without even knowing it. SuperGuide has gathered together a list of ... Read more
No tax in retirement because you SAPTO
This article is updated annually with new rates, or updated periodically to highlight changes (if any) to the Seniors and Pensioners Tax Offset (SAPTO) rules. This article includes SAPTO rates for the 2018/2019 year, and the 2017/2018 year (and earlier financial years). Before 1 July 2012, the SAPTO was called the ... Read more
Latest superannuation rules: 2018/2019 guide
Substantial changes to the superannuation rules took effect from 1 July 2017, and further super changes took effect from 1 July 2018. Have you investigated how the super changes will affect your superannuation and retirement plans for the 2018/2019 year, and for future financial years? At the same time, many of ... Read more
Concessional contributions: Catch-up rules now apply (10 Q&As)
In this article, you can find the answers to 10 important questions about the new catch-up concessional contributions rules that have applied since 1 July 2018. (For information on the recent cut to the annual concessional contributions cap since July 2017, see SuperGuide article Cut to concessional contributions caps: ... Read more
No rest for SMSF trustees: 10 jobs for life from July 2018
Although the past few years have kept SMSF trustees busy with numerous legislative changes and a major shake-up of the super system since 1 July 2017, the upcoming financial year does not look like it will bring much of a respite. In fact, from 1 July 2018 most SMSFs trustees are going to face a range of new ... Read more
The short story on super contributions limits (2018/2019 year)
You can make two types of superannuation contributions – concessional (before-tax) contributions and non-concessional (after-tax) contributions – and each type of contribution has a separate limit known as a contributions cap (see text and tables below). Short story on concessional contributions Short story on ... Read more
Super concessional (before-tax) contributions: 2018/2019 survival guide
Note: This article explains the rules applicable to concessional contributions for the 2018/2019 year (and for the 2017/2018 year, and later in the article, also explains the rules applicable for the 2016/2017 year, and earlier financial years). Superannuation contributions can be divided into two types — ... Read more
