myTax 2018 Personal superannuation contributions

This section has changed

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This information may not apply to the current year. Check the content carefully to ensure it is applicable to your circumstances.

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The government has changed the eligibility rules to allow more people to claim a deduction for personal superannuation contributions (super contributions). Previously, only those who earned less than 10% of their total income as an employee were eligible to claim this deduction. This 10% rule has been removed which means most Australians under 75 years old can claim an income tax deduction for after-tax personal super contributions made into an eligible superannuation fund (super fund).

What can you claim?

You may be able to claim a deduction for personal super contributions that you made to your super fund or retirement savings account (RSA) provider from your after-tax income, for example, from your bank account directly to your super fund.

You cannot claim a deduction for super contributions paid by your employer directly to your super fund from your before-tax income such as:

• the compulsory superannuation guarantee (super guarantee)
• salary sacrifice amounts
• reportable employer super contributions from your payment summary and shown in the Income tests section.

Before you can claim a deduction for your after-tax personal super contributions, you must have:

• given your fund or RSA provider a notice of intent to claim or vary a deduction for personal contributions form (NAT 71121) and
• received an acknowledgement from your super fund or RSA provider.

There are other eligibility criteria that you must meet – continue reading.

Are you eligible to claim a deduction?

You may be able to claim a deduction for after-tax personal contributions you made to a complying super fund or RSA provider in 2017–18 if:

• you satisfied the age-related conditions
• you gave a valid notice of intent to your fund or RSA provider, in the approved form, and advised them of the amount you intend to claim as a deduction (you must give this notice on or before the day you lodge your 2018 tax return or 30 June 2019, whichever is earlier)
• your fund or RSA provider acknowledged your valid notice, and
• your fund was not a  
  • Commonwealth public sector superannuation scheme (super scheme) with a defined benefit interest
  • constitutionally protected fund or other untaxed fund that would not include the contributions in their assessable income
  • super fund that notified the Commissioner before the start of the income year that they elected to treat all member contributions to the:  
    • super fund as non-deductible
    • defined benefit interest within the fund as non-deductible.

Note: You can check if personal contributions made to your fund are not deductible by selecting Manage my super in your ATO Online account (accessed via myGov), and referring to the Deductible status.

See also

• Claiming deductions for personal super contributions
• Notice of intent to claim or vary a deduction for personal super contributions

You cannot claim a deduction for personal superannuation contributions if:

• your personal super contributions were not received by your super fund before the end of the income year -contributions received by the superannuation fund after the end of the income year can only be claimed as a deduction in the following income year, even if you took steps (such as posting a cheque, or initiating a direct debit) prior to the end of the year
• you made the contributions more than 28 days after the end of the month in which you turned 75 years old
• you were under 18 years old at the end of the income year and you did not receive any income from activities that resulted in you being treated as an employee for the purposes of the superannuation guarantee law or from you carrying on a business
• either of the following applied to you  
  • you made a contribution that was attributable, either in whole or in part, to a capital gain that you made and you chose to apply the small business capital gains tax retirement exemption to all or part of that capital gain, and you were under 55 years old just before you made that choice, or
  • the contribution was attributable, either in whole or in part, to a capital gain and a company or trust chose to apply the small business capital gains tax retirement exemption to all or part of that capital gain, and you were under 55 years old just before the contribution was made
• you did not provide your fund with a valid notice of intent to claim a deduction in the approved form, or
• you provided your fund with a valid notice of intent to claim a deduction in the approved form but you have not received an acknowledgment of this notice from your fund (see below).

See also

•  Small business CGT concessions

You may be entitled to a super co-contribution for your personal contributions that you do not claim as a tax deduction. Do not include any amount at this section for the purpose of asking us for a super co-contribution. We calculate this automatically from information reported by your fund and from other sections on your tax return. For more information, see Superannuation contribution caps and government super contributions.

For more information, see You need to know.

Completing this section

If you turned 75 years old before 1 June 2017, you are not eligible to claim a deduction for personal superannuation contributions for 2017–18.

1. For each fund or RSA you contributed to and you are eligible to claim a tax deduction, select Add and enter the fund name.
2. Answer the question Did you provide your fund (including a retirement savings account) with a notice of intent to claim a deduction for personal superannuation contributions, and receive an acknowledgement from your fund?
   If No, go to step 4
   If Yes, go to step 3.
3. Enter the 2017–18 contributions which you are eligible to claim as a tax deduction at Amount.
   See Working out your deduction to work out the amount of contributions you are eligible to claim as a tax deduction.
   You cannot claim an amount higher than the amount your superannuation fund or RSA provider acknowledged.
   The deduction you claim can only reduce your taxable income to nil. It cannot add to or create a loss.
4. Select Save.
5. Select Save and continue.

Note: You can check your super fund details by selecting Manage my super in your ATO Online account, accessed via myGov. A link to your fund website will also be provided there which you may find useful.

Record keeping

Keep your notice of intent to claim a deduction and the acknowledgment of your notice from your super fund or RSA provider, as we may ask to see them.