You may be entitled to a tax offset if you made contributions to a complying superannuation fund or a retirement savings account (RSA) on behalf of your spouse who is earning a low income or not working.
Your spouse includes another person (of any sex) who:
- 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.
An RSA is a special account offered by banks, building societies, credit unions, life insurance companies and prescribed financial institutions. It is used for retirement savings and is similar to a superannuation fund.
This section has changed
Eligibility for this offset has changed. To improve the superannuation balances of low income spouses, the Government has increased the spouse's income threshold from $10,800 to $37,000. This means more people can now claim the offset. The maximum tax offset amount of $540 remains the same and gradually reduces for income above $37,000 and completely phases out at an income of $40,000.
Along with the threshold change there are new eligibility requirements. You are not eligible to claim this offset if your spouse:
- had non-concessional contributions that exceeded their non-concessional contributions cap, or
- had, at 30 June 2017, a total superannuation balance of $1.6 million or more.
For more information, see You need to know.
Completing this section
You must first complete the Spouse details section.
- Enter your spouse's reportable employer super contribution shown on your spouse's payment summaries.
- Enter your spouse's assessable income.
For the purposes of this offset your spouse's assessable income is their total income before deductions and any loss amount, unless they.- had a distribution from a partnership or trust
- had income or losses from rent or business (including personal services income)
- had a capital gain or foreign source income
- made a deposit into a Farm Management Deposit Scheme Account, or
- claimed a deductible amount for a foreign pension or annuity.
If any of these apply phone 13 10 20 for help to work out your spouse's assessable income.
- Enter the total of your contributions you have paid.
MyTax will work out the Offset amount. For information on how myTax works it out, see Calculating this offset. - Select Save and continue when you have completed the Offsets section.