Superannuation contributions splitting
Complying super funds and RSA providers may allow you to split your super contributions with your spouse. However, personal super contributions for which you don't claim an income tax deduction cannot be split to your spouse's super account. A spouse can be of any sex.
If you intend to lodge a notice of intent to claim a deduction for personal super contributions with your super fund or RSA provider, you must do it before you lodge your super contributions splitting application for those contributions.
A super contributions splitting application can only be made to your super fund or RSA provider:
- during the income year that follows the income year in which you made the contributions (such as during 2019–20 for contributions you made in 2018–19), or
- during the same income year you made the contributions if your entire benefit is to be rolled over, transferred or cashed before the end of that year.
Your spouse includes another person (of any sex) who, for 2018–19:
- you were in a relationship with that was registered under a prescribed state or territory law
- although not legally married to you, lived with you on a genuine domestic basis in a relationship as a couple.
See also
Superannuation contribution caps and government super contributions
The amount of your personal super contributions that is allowed as an income tax deduction will count towards your concessional contributions cap. Other amounts that count towards your concessional contributions cap include:
- your employer contributions
- any amount you salary sacrificed into super (these are known as Reportable employer superannuation contributions and appear on your income statement/payment summary and are shown in the Income tests section of your tax return).
For 2018–19, the concessional contributions cap is $25,000. If the sum of the contributions you claim as a deduction plus your employer contributions plus any salary sacrificed contributions is more than $25,000, you may have to pay more tax.
The amount of your personal contributions that is not allowed as an income tax deduction will count towards your non-concessional contributions cap. For 2018–19, the annual non-concessional contributions cap is $100,000 if your total super balance on 30 June 2018 was less than $1.6 million. If you exceed your non-concessional contributions cap you may have to pay more tax.
See also
You may be entitled to receive a government super co-contribution based on the personal contributions you made for which you did not or could not claim a tax deduction. The super co-contribution is a matching government superannuation contribution for low income earners who make a personal super contribution.
You may be entitled to receive a Low Income Super Tax Offset (LISTO) based on your concessional contributions, including your personal super contributions for which a tax deduction was allowed. The LISTO is a government superannuation contribution (up to a maximum of $500) for low income earners that is designed to offset the tax paid by your super fund or RSA provider on concessional contributions.
Check that you have provided your tax file number to your super fund or RSA provider to ensure:
- you can make a personal contribution and
- you receive your co-contribution entitlement.
See also
These myTax 2019 instructions are about claiming deductions for personal superannuation contributions.