If you find yourself with a bit of extra cash, putting it into super could be a great option. You’ll benefit from super’s tax-friendly environment and have the flexibility to claim a tax deduction.
Personal contributions, also known as after-tax or non-concessional contributions, are a way of boosting your super with your take-home pay or personal savings.
Whether you’ve just received an inheritance or a pay rise at work, your extra income could work harder for you in the super system, because your investment earnings are treated a bit differently by the tax office.
Of course, super has much tighter rules around when and how you can access your money, and you need to take that into account before making a contribution.
To put it in perspective, your investment earnings outside of super can be taxed up to 45%, depending on the ownership and type of investment.
Compare this to the 15% maximum tax rate you’ll pay in super investment earnings, and it starts to make sense.
Making a contribution is no different to paying a bill or transferring money – we accept payments by BPAY®, EFT and direct debit, so you can do it in less than a few minutes.
Are personal contributions right for you?
Before adding to your super with your own money, consider:
- What are your broader financial goals?
- How much do you realistically need today, and how much can you afford to put away?
If you’re not going to access your super for several decades but you’re looking to buy a house soon, personal contributions may not necessarily be the right option for you.
But bear in mind the earlier in life you start contributing to super, the more it will be worth in years to come. Through the principle of compounding interest, when you start putting money into super is actually more important than how much you deposit.
Consider other ways of boosting your retirement savings, such as optimising your investments with an aggressive long-term strategy, or adding to super through salary sacrifice.
Anyone can make a personal contribution, but once you reach age 67, you’ll need to satisfy a work test to show you worked 40 hours over a consecutive 30 day period in the financial year you make the contribution. If you meet the work test, you can also make contributions in the following year^1
How much can I put in?
There is an annual cap on how much you can contribute.
The current non-concessional contribution cap is $100,000 or $300,000 over a three-year period if you are under 65. 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 go over the cap, the Australian Taxation Office 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.
We can’t accept personal contributions without first receiving your tax file number so please ensure we have this information. You can provide your TFN by logging into your account, or you can contact us.
Claiming a tax deduction for personal contributions
If you’re under 67 you can claim a deduction for personal contributions, regardless of your work situation. Remember there is a $25,000 annual concessional cap and if you’re aged between 67 and 75 you’ll need to meet the work test before you can make a personal contribution.
To claim a tax deduction for your super contributions, complete a Notice of intent to claim a tax deduction for personal contributions form. You should do this before you lodge your tax return for that year and before the end of the financial year following the year you made the contribution. Once you have acknowledgement from us, we will tax the contribution at 15% as we do with any concessional contribution. You can then claim a tax deduction from the ATO, if eligible.
Tip: If you are intending to transfer or withdraw your benefit, make sure you send us your notice beforehand.
Here are our top tips for setting yourself up for success.
Ways to pay
The award-winning Aware Super app has been designed by members, for members and is available now. You can use the mobile app to make a one-off contribution or consolidate your super. If you don’t have the app – you can learn more about it and download the app:
Put a little away today,
thank yourself tomorrow
There are many ways you can boost your super and save on tax.
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Consider your contributions caps, work test and TFN requirements and other conditions that apply to personal contributions.
The Raiz website/app is operated by Raiz Invest Australia Limited – Authorised Representative of AFSL 434776. The Raiz Invest Fund is issued in Australia by Instreet Investment Limited (ACN 128 813 016 AFSL 434776) a subsidiary of Raiz Invest Limited and promoted by Raiz Invest Australia Limited (ACN 604 402 815). A Product Disclosure Statement dated 23 April 2018 for this product is available on the Raiz Invest website and App. A person should read and consider the Product Disclosure Statement in deciding whether or not to acquire and continue to hold interests in the product. The risks of investing in this product are fully set out in the Product Disclosure Statement and include the risks that would ordinarily apply to investing.The services referred to on this page are offered and provided by third parties. The Trustee is not responsible for the products or services, views or actions of these organisations. Aware Super does not receive any payments or commissions from these third parties as a result of you using the products and services. You should ensure that you have read, and understand, the terms and conditions which apply to the provision of third party products or services. The Trustee does not accept liability for any loss or damage incurred by any person as a result of using third party products or services. We recommend you consult a licensed or authorised financial adviser if you require financial advice that takes into account your personal circumstances.
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As long as your total superannuation balance is under $300,000 under the work test exemption rules from 1 July 2019. ↩
