Age restrictions on contributions
There is no age restriction on your SMSF accepting mandated employer contributions. However, there are criteria which need to be met for other contributions. Your SMSF can only accept non-mandated contributions which are received on or before the day that is 28 days after the end of the month in which the member turns 75 years of age.
From 2022–23 financial year onwards, your SMSF can accept non-mandated contributions for members under 75 years and there is no requirement to meet the work test.
For the 2020–21 to 2021–22 financial years your SMSF can accept non-mandated contributions for members over 67 years of age but not over 75 years of age if they have worked at least 40 hours within 30 consecutive days in that financial year. This is known as the work test.
For the 2004–05 to 2019–20 financial years your SMSF could only accept non-mandated contributions from the members over 65 years of age but not 75 years if they met the work test
You need to be sure the following contributions can be accepted if your member is at or above the relevant age threshold for:
- non-mandated employer contributions
- personal contributions
- spouse contributions
- government co-contributions
- downsizer contributions.
From the 2019–20 financial year onwards, your SMSF can also accept voluntary contributions for an additional 12-month period from the end of the financial year in which your member last met the work test, provided your member meets the following criteria. This is known as the work test exemption. Your member cannot have relied on the exemption in a previous financial year.
Table 1: Eligibility criteria for the work test exemption
Year
|
Age
|
Total super balance
|
2019–20
|
65-74
|
Less than $300,000
|
2020–21 and 2021-22
|
67-74
|
Less than $300,000
|
The table below looks at age restrictions in more detail.
For your SMSF to accept a downsizer contribution the member must have reached the eligible age, there is no maximum age limit and no requirement to meet the work test.
From 1 January 2023, the eligible age to make a downsizer contribution is 55 years of age and over. From 1 July 2022, it was 60 years of age or over, and prior to this, it was 65 years of age and over.
Member meets the work test (or work test exemption)
Age
|
2004–05 to 2019–20
|
2020–21 and 2021–22
|
2022–23 onwards
|
Under 55
|
All contributions can be accepted, except downsizer contributions.
|
All contributions can be accepted, except downsizer contributions.
|
All contributions can be accepted, except downsizer contributions.
|
55 – 59 years
|
All contributions can be accepted, except downsizer contributions.
|
All contributions can be accepted, except downsizer contributions
|
All contributions can be accepted, including downsizer contributions after 1 January 2023.
|
60–64 years
|
All contributions can be accepted, except downsizer contributions.
|
All contributions can be accepted, except downsizer contributions
|
All contributions can be accepted
|
65–66 years
|
All contributions can be accepted
|
All contributions can be accepted
|
All contributions can be accepted
|
67–69 years
|
All contributions can be accepted
|
All contributions can be accepted
|
All contributions can be accepted
|
70–74 years
|
You can only accept:
- mandated employer contributions
- downsizer contributions
personal contributions and other non-mandated contributions received, on or before 28 days after the end of the month in which the member turns 75 years old.
|
You can only accept:
- mandated employer contributions
- downsizer contributions
- personal contributions and other non-mandated contributions received, on or before 28 days after the end of the month in which the member turns 75 years old.
- spouse contributions
|
All contributions can be accepted
|
75 years or older
|
You can only accept:
- mandated employer contributions
- downsizer contributions.
|
You can only accept:
- mandated employer contributions
- downsizer contributions.
|
You can only accept:
- mandated employer contributions
downsizer contributions
|
Member does not meet the work test (or satisfy the work test exemption criteria from 1 July 2019)
Age
|
2004–05 to 2019–20
|
2020–21 and 2021–22
|
2022–23 onwards
|
Under 55
|
All contributions can be accepted, except downsizer contributions.
|
All contributions can be accepted, except downsizer contributions.
|
All contributions can be accepted, except downsizer contributions.
|
55 –59 years
|
All contributions can be accepted, except downsizer contributions.
|
All contributions can be accepted, except downsizer contributions.
|
All contributions can be accepted, including downsizer contributions after 1 January 2023.
|
60–64 years
|
All contributions can be accepted, except downsizer contributions.
|
All contributions can be accepted, except downsizer contributions.
|
All contributions can be accepted
|
65–66 years
|
You can only accept:
- mandated employer contributions
- downsizer contributions
|
You can only accept:
- mandated employer contributions
- downsizer contributions
- voluntary contributions
|
All contributions can be accepted
|
67–69 years
|
You can only accept:
- mandated employer contributions
- downsizer contributions
|
You can only accept:
- mandated employer contributions
- downsizer contributions
|
All contributions can be accepted
|
70–74 years
|
You can only accept:
- mandated employer contributions
- downsizer contributions.
|
You can only accept:
- mandated employer contributions
downsizer contributions
|
All contributions can be accepted
|
75 years or older
|
You can only accept:
- mandated employer contributions
- downsizer contributions.
|
You can only accept:
- mandated employer contributions
- downsizer contributions.
|
You can only accept:
- mandated employer contributions
- downsizer contributions.
|
For members who are 75 years old or older, if the contribution is made more than 28 days after the end of the month in which the member turned 75 years old, the only acceptable contributions are mandated employer contributions and downsizer contributions.
TFN restrictions on contributions
Every member of the fund needs to supply their tax file number (TFN) for super purposes.
If your member has not given you their TFN, you can only accept employer contributions. All other contributions must be returned to the contributor within 30 days unless the member gives you their TFN within that period.
If any of your members haven't supplied their TFN, their contributions will be taxed at a higher rate – see Assessable contributions.
You must ensure that you correctly report member TFNs to us every year, or we may:
- make you return contributions for the member
- tax their contributions at a higher rate.
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