What are super contributions?
Read more
You can actually boost your super by adding your own contribution amounts in addition to what your employer pays. These amounts add up over time and benefit from investment earnings that compound over time (that is earning money on the money you have earned on your contributions).
Sounds great, how do I start?
Salary sacrifice contributions are a great way to boost your super and save in tax. Your employer deducts an amount that you nominate from your salary before you pay tax and pays it to your super fund. These are known as concessional contributions and are taxed at 15% in your super fund as opposed to your marginal tax rate which is generally higher. You can currently make up to $25,000 of concessional contributions per year into your super which includes your employer contributions and any salary sacrifice amounts. Use our Salary sacrifice calculator to do the sums and work out how much you can save on tax and boost your super at the same time.
You can also make contributions from your take home pay – i.e. after you have already paid tax. These are called non-concessional contributions and don’t attract a tax when paid into your super fund since you have already paid income tax. Earnings on these contributions however will still attract a 15% tax which is paid within your super fund. There is a current contribution limit of $100,000 per annum, called the ‘non-concessional contributions cap’.
If you make non-concessional contributions into your super account, you may be eligible for a Government co-contribution. The Government can make super co-contributions up to $500 if your total income is less than $54,837 for the 2020-21 financial year.
You can also contribute to your spouse’s super. If your spouse is earning a low income or not working, you may be able to claim a tax offset. For more information on spouse contributions and Government co-contributions, please refer to the ATO website.
If you are self-employed, you can still contribute to your super and benefit from a tax deduction. Visit the ATO website for more information or speak to our wealth specialist team about obtaining advice.
If you are a Bendigo Smart Start Super member, you can find all your personal details online via our secure member portal needed to boost your savings today.
Still not sure and you are after some general advice? We have a team of wealth specialists available to call you. They can refer you to a financial planner if you need personal advice.
Related products
Read next
Grow your super
It may seem like forever before you can get your hands on your super. That doesn’t mean you should ignore it. We cover some things that you can do to help grow your super.
Risk vs return
All investments carry risk – even investing in cash. Market conditions, inflation, changes to interest rates and economic downturns can all have an impact on your investment.
Consolidating your super
Join the 10 million Australians currently saving for their future by not paying multiple fees on more than one super account.
Sandhurst Trustees Limited ABN 16 004 030 737 AFSL 237906 (Sandhurst) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Bendigo and Adelaide Bank Limited ABN 11 068 049 178 AFSL 237879. Each of these companies receive remuneration on the issue of the product or service they provide. Sandhurst is the responsible entity and issuer of the managed funds available on this website, and is also the trustee and issuer of the Bendigo superannuation products. Investments in these products are not deposits with, guaranteed by, or liabilities of Bendigo and Adelaide Bank and are subject to normal investment risk, including possible delays in repayment and loss of income and capital invested. Before making an investment decision in relation to one of these products you should consider your situation and read the relevant Product Disclosure Statement available on this site.
Sandhurst is the issuer of the commercial lending products and the provider of any traditional trustee services available on this website. The Bendigo Funeral Bond (“the Bond”) is an investment product issued by Australian Friendly Society Limited (“the Society”), ABN 29 087 648 851 AFSL 247028, with benefits provided by the Society’s Funeral Benefit Fund established under Schedule 1, Rule E of its constitution and administered by Sandhurst. The Travel Protection Plan is issued by AIA Australia Limited ABN 79 004 837 861 AFSL 230043. The Society is associated with the Bank and its related entities. Neither the Bank nor any of its related entities guarantee the repayment of capital invested or the investment performance of the Bond. Information is correct at the date of this document and is subject to change.
The content on this website has been jointly prepared by Sandhurst and Bendigo and Adelaide Bank and contains general advice only. Advice in relation to superannuation and managed investment schemes is provided by Sandhurst and advice in relation to life risk insurance is provided by Bendigo and Adelaide Bank. It is provided as general information and must not be relied upon as a substitute for financial planning, legal, tax or other professional advice. The information is given in good faith and has been derived from sources believed to be accurate at its issue date. Neither Sandhurst nor the Bendigo and Adelaide Bank give any warranty for the reliability or accuracy or accept any responsibility arising in any way, including by reason of negligence for errors or omissions for the information contained on this website. The information contained on this website is subject to change without notice. Neither Sandhurst nor the Bendigo and Adelaide Bank has an obligation to update, modify or amend this website or notify you in the event that a matter of opinion or projection stated changes or subsequently becomes inaccurate.
Neither Sandhurst nor Bendigo and Adelaide Bank is responsible for the content of any other site accessed via this site. That information is the responsibility of the site owner. Links to other sites are provided for convenience only and do not represent any endorsement by Sandhurst or the Bendigo and Adelaide Bank of the products offered by the site owner.
Refer to the Bendigo and Adelaide Bank terms of use for information that governs this website.