What does the end of the financial year mean for my super?

An arrangement with your employer to redirect some of your pre-tax pay into your super. Once it's set up, it works automatically through payroll.³

This may apply to you if you're employed and want to consistently boost your super while reducing your taxable income each pay cycle.

How to set it up:

1. Check with your employer whether salary sacrifice is available.

2. Agree on the amount you'd like redirected each pay.

3. Your employer deducts it before calculating your income tax.

Your employer's compulsory contributions, known as the superannuation guarantee, count toward your before-tax contributions cap². Learn more about contribution caps at Before tax and salary sacrifice contributions.

If you haven't used your full before-tax cap in recent years, you may be able to carry forward those unused amounts and contribute more this year.

This may apply to you if:

• Your total super balance across all super accounts you have, was less than $500,000 at the end of the previous financial year¹, and

• You've had unused before-tax cap amounts in any of the past five financial years

Unused amounts are only available for five financial years, so it's worth checking before 30 June². To learn more about this you can watch our explainer .  

Want to check your unused amounts? Visit myGov to see your carry forward history.

You transfer money from your bank account into super, then claim a tax deduction in your tax return. The tax outcome is similar to salary sacrifice but you control the timing.

If you make an after-tax contribution and lodge a Notice of Intent to claim a deduction, you can claim that amount as a tax deduction at tax time, meaning the contribution is taxed at just 15% rather than at your marginal tax rate.

This may apply to you if you're self-employed, your employer doesn't offer salary sacrifice, or you want to make a lump sum contribution before 30 June.

How it works: 

1. Transfer money into your super via BPAY or bank transfer before 30 June.

2. Lodge a Notice of Intent to claim a tax deduction, which you can do directly in Member Online. This tells Aware Super you intend to claim a deduction, and we share that information with the ATO.

3. Wait for Aware Super to acknowledge your notice.

4. Claim the amount as a deduction in your tax return. 

Important: Lodge your Notice of Intent to Claim before you lodge your tax return, or before you roll over or close your account, whichever comes first. For more information you can watch our explainer video. 

Contribution caps apply. Before-tax contributions, including your employer's contributions, are capped per financial year². Visit ato.gov.au for current limits.

If you want to contribute more after‑tax money to your super, you may be able to bring forward future contribution caps and contribute a larger amount sooner. 

This may apply to you if

• You’re eligible to make after‑tax (non‑concessional) contributions

• You haven’t already triggered a bring forward arrangement in the past three years,  

• Your total super balance is below the relevant threshold at the end of the previous financial year4

Once triggered, the bring-forward rule allows you to use up to three years of after-tax contribution caps in a single period2. Learn more about how it here.

Important: Once you trigger the bring-forward rule, you’re locked into that multi‑year period, it doesn’t reset on 30 June.

How to check your eligibility: 
Log in to Member Online or visit ato.gov.au to check your contribution history and total super balance.

Yes. If you're receiving income and still working, you can generally continue making both before-tax and after-tax contributions, subject to the relevant caps. Some rules apply for members aged 67 and over, so it's worth checking current eligibility at ato.gov.au before you act.

Both result in your contribution being taxed at 15% in the super fund rather than at your marginal income tax rate. The difference is how the money gets there. Salary sacrifice is set up with your employer and is transferred to your super account from your pre-tax pay automatically. A personal deductible contribution is money you transfer yourself, then claim a tax deduction for in your tax return.

If you contribute more than the cap allows, the ATO will generally include the excess in your assessable income and tax it at your marginal rate. You'll receive a letter from the ATO explaining your options. To avoid this, check your year-to-date contributions in Member Online before making extra contributions and confirm your total across all your super accounts with other funds at my.gov.au.

No special form is required. Unused amounts are applied automatically when you make a before-tax contribution that exceeds the standard annual cap. What you do need to check is that you're eligible because your total super balance is under $500,000 at the end of the previous financial year, and confirm your unused amounts at ato.gov.au before contributing.

It depends on your employer's payroll schedule. Some can action changes quickly; others need several weeks' notice. If you're considering salary sacrifice this financial year, contact your employer as soon as possible. If there isn't enough time, a personal deductible contribution may achieve a similar tax outcome before 30 June.