Making contributions to your superannuation fund is a great way to grow your nest egg, however, there are caps on the amount you can contribute every financial year to be taxed at lower rates. Once you go over these caps, you may be required to pay additional tax.
The cap and extra tax amount will vary depending on your age, the financial year the contributions relate to, and whether the contributions are concessional (before tax) or non-concessional (after tax).
Concessional contributions
Concessional contributions include compulsory employer contributions and salary sacrifice amounts. There is a cap on the amount you can make, and payments are taxed at 15 per cent.
Non-concessional contributions
These are after-tax income contributions and are not taxed in your super fund. However, like concessional contributions, caps also apply to non-concessional payments. From 1 July 2017, the cap was reduced from $180,000 to $100,000 per year. This will remain available to individuals aged between 65 and 74 years providing they meet the work test. The cap is indexed in line with the concessional contributions cap.
The non-concessional cap is also nil for a financial year if you have a total super balance greater than or equal to the general transfer balance cap ($1.6 million in 2017-18) at the end of 30 June of the previous financial year.
Exceeding your non-concessional contribution cap
When you exceed your non-concessional contribution cap, you need to lodge an income tax return for that year. The ATO generally issues a determination if the return is not lodged within 28 days of the due date. You can withdraw the excess non-concessional contributions (and any earnings – the earnings would then be included in your income tax assessment).
