Money paid into your super account is called superannuation contributions. So when your employer puts part of your pay into your super, it's employer super contributions.
And you can add extra, too.
If you do this after tax, it's a voluntary or personal super contribution. If you add extra before tax, it's called salary sacrifice.
How? You invest more money. You may be able to save on tax. And you could get a bonus, too.
Do the sums and see the difference extra contributions can make to your future.
Grow your savings for life after work by making extra super contributions from your own money. Even a little bit when you can afford it can make a big difference.
Every extra cent you add helps build your savings for a better future. And you might be able to claim a tax deduction for it.
Salary sacrifice super contributions
When you pay money into your super from your before-tax salary, you could save on tax. Salary sacrifice is the same as salary packaging.
First Home Super Saver (FHSS) scheme
Save for a deposit for your first home by adding extra money to your super now, then taking it out when you're ready to buy.
If you're downsizing and aged 55 or over, you could save on tax by adding money to your super from the sale of your home.
You can claim a tax deduction if you add money to your super as voluntary/personal super contributions.
Check your maximum super contributions limit. Adding too much could mean paying extra tax.
You can also team up with your partner to build a better financial future for you both. And adding extra to their super can often save on tax.
You could get a tax offset of up to $540 for adding money to your spouse’s super from your after-tax pay.
Split your super contributions
If you move some of your before-tax super contributions to your spouse's super, both of you could benefit.
Government super co-contribution
If you earn less than $60,400 a year and put extra in your super, you could get up to $500 added to your balance.
Low income super tax offset (LISTO)
If you earn less than $37,000 a year, the ATO could give you a $500 refund in super contribution tax.
Stay with us and you could get a bonus when you retire by opening a Retirement Income account or Lifetime Pension.
You have 2 ways to put super into your account: before tax or after tax. There are different rules and benefits for each.
If you want to add super to your account before tax (salary sacrifice), you'll need to ask your employer to set this up. They'll make the deposits from your pay.
Voluntary personal super contributions come from your take-home pay. You have a few options on how to do this, including BPAY®, direct debit, and setting it up with your employer.
| Contribution type | Income | Super contribution age limits |
|---|---|---|
| Employer's superannuation guarantee (SG) payments | Any income | 18 years and over (or under 18 and working 30 hours a week or more) |
| Voluntary contributions (after-tax) | Any income | Under 75 years |
| Downsizer contribution | Any income | 55 years and over |
| Splitting super contributions | Any income | Spouse getting the contribution is under age 60, or between 60 and 65 years, and still working. |
| First Home Super Saver (FHSS) scheme | Any income | Under 75 years |
| Low income super tax offset (LISTO) | Up to $37,000/year | No age limit |
| Spouse contributions | Spouse under $40,000/year | Spouse getting the contribution is under 75 years |
| Salary sacrifice (before-tax) | Best for over $45,000/year | Under 75 years |
| Government super co-contribution | Up to $58,445/year | Under 75 years |
Use our app or log in online to see if your employer is paying super to the right account.
Log in to checkPay less tax on your super by giving us your tax file number (15% tax instead of up to 47%).
Log in to updateIt only takes us a few minutes to look for any of your old super accounts.
Log in to searchCan't find the answer you're looking for? Try our other frequently asked questions about super.
You generally pay 15% tax on contributions that you make before tax, like salary sacrifice. But this is usually less than your normal tax rate.
You don't pay any extra tax on contributions you make from your take-home pay. Why? Because this money has already been taxed.
Learn more about tax on super contributions.
Reportable super contributions are extra payments to your super that are more than those your employer must make.
They need to be reported to the Australian Taxation Office (ATO).
There are 2 types:
Check if you need to report your super contributions.
It's easiest to find your BPAY details for making a payment in Member Online or the Australian Retirement Trust app.
Or you can get your biller code and reference number with the biller code lookup tool.
Still not sure which super contributions suit you best?
You can get personal financial advice about your super account with us – it's included in your membership.
See how different types of contributions compare and what it means for your super and take-home pay.
