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myTax 2021 Personal superannuation contributions

How to claim a deduction for personal super contributions when you lodge your return using myTax.

Last updated 31 May 2021

Complete this section only if your super fund or retirement savings account (RSA) provider has given you an acknowledgment of your valid notice which advised them of the amount you intend to claim as a deduction.

Things to know

Personal super contributions are amounts you have paid to an eligible complying super fund or RSA to provide superannuation benefits for yourself, or for your dependants in the event of your death.

You may be able to claim a deduction for these contributions in 2020–21 if all the following apply:

Before claiming a deduction, you should consider broader tax outcomes that may apply if you have:

  • withdrawn your super under the COVID-19 Early release of super program, and
  • recontributed that amount back into your super fund to claim a personal super contribution deduction.

Any tax benefit obtained in relation to such a deduction could be cancelled if you enter into a scheme mainly for the purpose of obtaining a tax benefit.

Claiming a deduction may have an impact on several areas including:

See also:

Eligible contributions

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

To be eligible to claim a deduction:

  • the contributions must have been received by your super fund or RSA provider before 1 July 2021
  • the super fund or RSA provider still holds the contributions you've included on your notice of intent    
    • this requirement may not be met if, for example, you withdrew those contributions under the COVID-19 – Early release of superannuation scheme before giving the notice.
     

Most super funds have deductible status. If you are unsure:

  • you can check if personal contributions made to your fund are deductible by selecting Fund details under the Super tab in your ATO Online account (accessed via myGov), and referring to the Deductible status
  • contact your super fund.

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What you can't claim

You can't claim a deduction:

  • for super contributions paid by your employer directly to your super fund or RSA provider from your before-tax income such as      
    • the compulsory superannuation guarantee
    • salary sacrifice amounts
    • reportable employer superannuation contributions from your annual income statement or payment summary and shown in the Income tests section
     
  • for contributions to the following types of funds      
    • a Commonwealth public sector superannuation scheme (super scheme) with a defined benefit interest
    • constitutionally protected funds or other untaxed funds that would not include the contributions in their assessable income
    • super funds 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 super fund as non-deductible
       
     
  • where you made contributions to a super fund or RSA provider that are attributable to the following super housing measures        
  • where either of the following applied      
    • 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.
       
     

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Age restrictions

A number of age restrictions apply to making a claim:

  • If you turned 75 years old before 1 June 2020, you are not eligible to claim a deduction for personal superannuation contributions for 2020–21.
  • If you turned 75 years old between 1 June 2020 and 30 June 2021, you can only claim a deduction for contributions you made before the 28th day of the month following the month in which you turned 75.
  • Once you turn 67, you must satisfy the work test or meet the work test exemption criteria in order for your super fund to accept a contribution for which you can claim a deduction. You should check with your super fund or RSA provider.
  • If you were under 18 years old on 30 June 2021 and you made the contribution in 2020–21, you can claim a deduction for your personal super contributions only if you earned income from:        

Notice of intent – valid and acknowledged

All the following must apply to make a claim:

  • you gave a valid notice of intent to claim or vary a deduction for personal super contributions to your super fund or RSA provider in the approved form advising them of the amount you intend to claim as a deduction
  • you gave the notice of intent on or before the day you lodge your 2021 tax return or 30 June 2022, whichever is earlier
  • your super fund or RSA provider acknowledged your valid notice
  • until you receive an acknowledgment from your super fund or RSA provider, you are not entitled to a deduction for personal super contributions      
    • you may either wait to lodge your tax return until you receive the acknowledgment, or
    • you may lodge now (without claiming the deduction) and request an amendment once you have received the acknowledgment.
     

If your super fund or RSA provider has rejected your notice or advised that it is not valid, you are not entitled to claim a deduction.

See also:

Income splitting

If you don't claim an income tax deduction for personal super contributions, they can't be split to your spouse's super account. If you're planning to split all or part of your contributions with your spouse but want to claim a tax deduction for them, you must give the notice of intent to claim a deduction first. See: Splitting amounts to your spouse.

Super contribution caps

There are limits on how much you can contribute to your super fund each financial year without having to pay extra tax.

The limits are called 'contribution caps':

  • Personal contributions you are allowed as an income tax deduction count toward your concessional contributions cap. The 2020–21 concessional contributions cap is $25,000 unless you carry-forward unused concessional contributions amounts from previous financial years. Visit types of concessional contributions to find out more.
  • Personal super contributions that are not allowed as income tax deductions count towards your non-concessional contributions cap. For 2020–21, the non-concessional contributions cap is $100,000. Your own cap might be different. It can be:    

Before claiming a deduction, you should consider broader tax outcomes that may apply.

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Government super contributions

We use the information in your tax return to calculate if you are entitled to any Government super contributions. We pay any entitlement directly to your super fund or RSA provider.

Check that you have provided your tax file number (TFN) to your super fund or RSA provider.

Super co-contribution

The super co-contribution is a matching government superannuation contribution (up to a maximum of $500) for low income earners who made a personal superannuation contribution.

You may be entitled to a super co-contribution based on the personal contributions you made for which you did not or could not claim a tax deduction.

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Low income super tax offset (LISTO)

The LISTO is a government super contribution (up to a maximum of $500) for low income earners. It is designed to offset the tax paid by your super fund or RSA provider on concessional contributions.

You may be entitled to a LISTO based on:

  • your concessional contributions
  • your personal super contributions for which a tax deduction was allowed.

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Completing this section

We pre-fill your return with personal super contribution deductions that your super fund or RSA provider has acknowledged from your valid notice of intent. Check them and add any deductions that your super fund or RSA provider has acknowledged from your valid notice of intent that has not pre-filled.

To personalise your return to show personal superannuation contributions, at Personalise return select:

  • You had deductions you want to claim
  • Other deductions

To show your personal superannuation contributions, at Prepare return select 'Add/Edit' at the Deductions banner.

At the Personal super contributions banner:

  1. For each super fund or RSA provider you contributed to that has not pre-filled and you have confirmed that you meet all contribution, age restriction and notice of intent eligibility criteria, 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 5.
    If Yes, go to step 3.
  3. Enter the Fund ABN or Fund TFN.
  4. Add up and enter the 2020–21 contributions which you are eligible to claim as a tax deduction at Amount.
    You can't claim an amount higher than the amount your super fund or RSA provider acknowledged.
    The deduction you claim can only reduce your taxable income to nil. It can't add to or create a loss.
  5. Select Save.
  6. Select Save and continue when you have completed the Deductions section.

Note: You can check your super fund details by selecting Fund details under the Super tab 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.

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