After-tax contributions

after-tax contributions

What are after-tax or non-concessional contributions?

After-tax or ‘non-concessional’ contributions are extra money you put into your super from savings or income you’ve already paid tax on. These contributions are not taxed (if within the cap amount) either when contributed to or withdrawn from super.

These contributions can be made periodically or as single amounts.

Non-concessional contributions cap

There is a cap on the amount of non-concessional contributions that you can make in a financial year. From 1 July 2021, the general non-concessional contributions cap is $110,000 per year.

However, from 1 July 2022, those under age 75 can bring forward up to three years’ worth of after-tax super contributions (up to $330,000) as long as the total superannuation balance has not been exceeded as at 30 June the previous financial year.

This can be handy if you receive a financial windfall like an inheritance or sell a large asset, and you’re looking to contribute more than your contribution cap would allow.

The table below shows your non-concessional contributions cap and how much you could bring forward depending on your total super balance.

Total super balance on 30 June of previous year (for financial year 2023/24)	Non-concessional contributions cap for the first year	Bring-forward period
Less than $1.68 million	$330,000	3 years
$1.68 million to less than $1.79 million	$220,000	2 years
$1.79 million to less than $1.9 million	$110,000	No bring-forward period, general non-concessional contributions cap applies
$1.9 million or more	nil	Not applicable

Please note that if you do start a bring forward arrangement, which is triggered by making a contribution(s) of over $110,000 in one financial year, your contributions in the following two years will be limited.

Total superannuation balance

A lifetime cap of $1.7 million applies to your total superannuation balance. Your total superannuation balance includes the combined total of all your super, pension, and any other retirement savings accounts. Non-concessional contributions made to accounts with balances greater than this amount, as at 30 June the previous financial year, will be deemed to be excess contributions – refer to the below section ‘What happens if you exceed the NCC cap?’.

Am I eligible to make after-tax contributions?

To be eligible to make after-tax contributions, your total super balance must be less than the general transfer balance cap ($1.9 million for FY23/24) at the end of June in the previous financial year. You must also ensure you have provided us with your tax file number (TFN).

People aged 75 and over can no longer make non-concessional contributions. (Note: contributions can be received up to 28 days after the end of the calendar month that an individual turns 75).

What happens if you exceed the NCC cap?

If you find you’ve made non-concessional contributions which exceed the non-concessional cap, the ATO will send you a letter which explains your options. It's important to wait until you receive your letter and speak to the ATO.

Keep track of the amount of non-concessional contributions you, your employer or others make on your behalf and be aware of your non-concessional contributions cap.

Work test

You no longer need to meet the work test or work test exemption to make or receive non-concessional super contributions.

However, to make personal (tax-deductible) contributions, you will need to meet the work test if you’re 67 to 74 years old. This means you’ll need to have worked for at least 40 hours in a period of not more than 30 consecutive days in a financial year.

Want to know more?

For more information on after-tax contributions, visit the ATO website here.

the Government Co-contribution

If you earn under $58,445 and make a personal (after-tax) contribution to your super, you may be eligible to receive a government co-contribution.

What is the government co-contribution?

The government co-contribution is an initiative where the government will make a contribution of up to $500 to those low or middle income earners who make after-tax contributions to their super.

How much will I get?

The amount you receive depends on your total income and how much money you contribute. The maximum amount the government will contribute is $500 p.a. The amount starts reducing once your assessable income exceeds $43,445 and reduces to zero once your income reaches $58,445.

Am I eligible?

To be eligible, you need to:

make one or more after-tax contributions to your super account
have assessable income determined by the (ATO) of less than $58,445 for the 2023/24 financial year
have 10% or more of your total income from eligible employment, running a business or a combination of both
be less than 71 years of age at the end of the financial year
be a permanent resident of Australia
lodge an income tax return for the relevant financial year
have not exceeded your non-concessional contributions cap in the financial year
your total superannuation balance must be less than the transfer balance cap ($1.9 million for 23/24 FY) at the end of June.

The following contributions are not eligible to receive the Government Co-contribution:

Super Guarantee (compulsory super contributions paid by your employer)
salary sacrifice contributions
contributions for which a tax deduction is claimed
spouse contributions.

You can use the ATO’s super co-contribution calculator to estimate your entitlement and see if you are eligible.

When will I get my co-contribution?

You don’t need to apply for the co-contribution. If you’re eligible, the government will pay the co-contribution directly into your super account after you have lodged your tax return.

Things to consider

Before adding to your super, consider your financial situation and how much additional money you can afford to contribute to super. You generally won't be able to access extra contributions until you retire.

You must also ensure you have provided us with your tax file number (TFN).

You aren’t obliged to provide your TFN but there may be implications if you don’t. Without it, we cannot accept after-tax contributions from you. Provide your TFN if you haven't already.

How do I make a personal contribution?

Log into Member Online
Go to ‘Payment options’ to view your personal details for BPAY or EFT
Make a contribution into your account.

Co-contribution examples

Total income (p.a.)	Maximum co-contribution available	Contribution needed to receive the maximum entitlement
Up to $43,445	$500	$1,000
$46,445	$400	$800
$49,445	$300	$600
$52,445	$200	$400
$55,445	$100	$200
$58,445 and above	$0	$0

downsizing contributions

Thinking of downsizing your home? Eligible homeowners can contribute some proceeds of the sale of their home into superannuation.

How downsizing works

Downsizing allows you to make an after-tax contribution of up to $300,000 into superannuation from the sale of your home which was your main residence. Couples can both contribute this amount towards super up to a maximum of $300,000 each.

This amount will not count towards your non-concessional (after-tax) contributions cap but will count towards your total super balance when it is re-calculated on 30 June at the end of the financial year. It will also count towards your transfer balance cap that is currently $1.9 million (this cap applies when you move your super into the retirement phase). You can only make one downsizing contribution from the sale of your main residential home.

Eligibility

To qualify for downsizing, you must meet all of the following criteria:

be at least 55 years old
owned your home for more than 10 years
your home is in Australia and is not a caravan, houseboat or other mobile home
the proceeds from the sale are either exempt or partially exempt from capital gains tax (CGT) under the main residence exemption
the ATO's downsizer contribution form found on ATO.gov.au accompanies the contribution when made to your super fund
you make your contribution within 90 days of receiving the proceeds of the sale of your home
you have not previously made a downsizing contribution to your super from another home. You can only access the downsizer scheme once.

How to contribute

You will need to complete the ATO's downsizer contribution form. Please provide it to us prior to or when making your contribution. By submitting this form, you are confirming that you have met all the eligibility requirements.

The total amount of the downsizer contribution from the sale of your home can be up to a maximum of $300,000 and it must be made within 90 days of receiving the proceeds of the sale.

Important

Before taking advantage of the Downsizing provisions you should check the eligibility requirements and you may also wish to seek professional advice before making a decision.