If you earn less than $53,564 per year in the 2019-20 financial year you could be eligible for a government co-contribution of up to $500 when you make a personal contribution with your after-tax pay.
The co-contribution scheme means that, for every dollar you put into super from your after-tax pay, the government may match it with up to 50 cents for up to $500.
The best part about it? You don’t have to fill in a single form beyond lodging an annual tax return.
If you qualify for the co-contribution, the ATO will do the heavy lifting and make sure payments are made to your super fund automatically.
Government policies can change regularly, so consider acting now while the scheme is still around.
Who can receive a co-contribution?
If you are a low or middle-income earner and make personal (after-tax) contributions to your super, you may also qualify for the government’s co-contribution up to a maximum amount of $500. You may be eligible for a co-contribution if you:
- earn less than $53,564 before tax, including assessable income
- earn 10% or more of that income from employment or self-employment
- have not exceeded the total superannuation balance of $1.6m or the after-tax contributions cap
- are a permanent resident of Australia for the full 2019-20 financial year
- lodge a tax return for the 2019-20 financial year
- are less than 71 years of age at the end of the 2019-20 financial year; and
- satisfy the work test if you are 65 years of age or more (which means you would have worked a minimum of 40 hours within 30 consecutive days in the financial year you make the contribution).
The good news is you don't need to apply. Once you have made your contribution, all you have to do is lodge your tax return for the financial year. If you're eligible and we have your tax file number (TFN) the Australian Tax Office will credit the co-contribution to your super account automatically.
Please note, to accept your contributions, we must have your TFN linked to your account. If you believe we may not have your TFN, you can provide it to us by calling us on 1300 650 873 Monday to Friday, 8:30am – 6:00pm (AEST/AEDT).
How to make your contribution
To be eligible to receive your government co-contribution for this financial year, you’ll need to make a personal contribution to your account. The quickest and easiest way to do this is via BPAY, but you can also EFT your contribution or set up a direct debit.
Ways to pay
Don’t forget, the government sets limits on how much you can contribute
The current personal after-tax contributions cap is $100,000 annually or $300,000 over a three-year period if you are under 65 years old.
Only people with a total superannuation balance of less than $1.6 million will be eligible to make non-concessional contributions.
Amounts over these caps are known as excess contributions. If you exceed the cap, the ATO will give you an opportunity to withdraw the excess amount from your super fund, along with 85% of the investment earnings. Any associated earnings withdrawn will be taxed at your marginal rate of tax, less a 15% rebate for tax already paid in the fund.
How much could you receive?
The maximum amount you could receive from the government is $500, depending on your income.
For every dollar you earn over $38,564 the co-contribution amount decreases until it cuts out at $53,564.
This table shows you how much you can expect to receive based on your salary and contribution amount for the 2019-20 financial year.
If you earn... | The maximum you could receive is… | By contributing… |
---|---|---|
$38,564 or less | $500 | $1000 |
$41,564 | $400 | $800 |
$44,564 | $300 | $600 |
$47,564 | $200 | $400 |
$50,564 | $100 | $200 |
$53,564 | $0 | $0 |
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