myTax 2024 Personal superannuation contributions

Things to know

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.

Personal super contributions are amounts you have paid to a super fund or RSA to provide superannuation benefits for either:

• yourself
• your dependants in the event of your death.

You may be able to claim a deduction for these contributions in 2023–24, if all the following apply:

• the eligible contributions were made from after-tax income to a complying super fund or RSA
• you meet the age restrictions
• your valid notice of intent has been sent and acknowledged by your fund.

You can’t claim a deduction for a contribution if you are Re-contributing COVID-19 early release super withdrawals amounts. You should consider the broader tax outcomes that may apply if you have:

• withdrawn your super under the COVID-19 Early release of super program
• recontributed that amount back into your super fund.

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

• income tests for eligibility for certain tax offsets and government benefits
• super contribution caps.

Claiming deductions for personal super contributions has more information, including:

• the effects of claiming a deduction
• what you can't claim.

Related page

Caps, limits and tax on super contributions
Find out the caps and limits on super contributions and how they are taxed.

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 2024
• 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.

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
  • downsizer contributions
  • re-contributions of amounts released under the first home super saver (FHSS) scheme 
• 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
  • 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.

Age restrictions

A number of age restrictions apply to making a claim:

• If you turned 75 years old before 1 June 2023, you are not eligible to claim a deduction for personal superannuation contributions for 2023–24.
• If you turned 75 years old between 1 June 2023 and 31 May 2024, 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 years old.
• Once you turn 67 years old:
  • you can make personal contributions without meeting the work test (or exemption) but you cannot claim a deduction for the contributions.
  • you must satisfy the work test exemption 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 2024 and you made the contribution in 2023–24, you can claim a deduction for your personal super contributions only if you earned income from:
  • activities or circumstances which treat you as an employee for superannuation guarantee purposes, that is receiving salary or wages or other remuneration in return for your personal labour or skills
  • carrying on a business.

Notice of intent – valid and acknowledged

All the following must apply to claim a tax deduction:

• 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 2024 tax return or 30 June 2025, 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.

Notice of intent to claim or vary a deduction for personal super contributions includes the form and instructions to claim a deduction for personal contributions. It also includes information on how to change an amount previously included on a valid notice.

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 your contributions with 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 2023–24 concessional contributions cap is $27,500 unless you carry-forward unused concessional contributions amounts from previous financial years.
  Note: employer contributions also count towards to your concessional contributions cap.
• Personal super contributions that are not allowed as income tax deductions count towards your non-concessional contributions cap. For 2023–24, the non-concessional contributions cap is $110,000. Your own cap might be different. It can be:
  • higher, if you trigger (can use) the bring-forward arrangements
  • nil, if your total super balance is greater than or equal to $1.7 million on 30 June 2023.

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

Related page

Key super rates and thresholds
Rates and thresholds apply to contributions, employment termination payments, super guarantee and co-contributions.

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.

Low income super tax offset (LISTO)

The Low income super tax offset 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.

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 2023–24 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 acknowledgement of your notice from your super fund or RSA provider, as we may ask to see them.