Contribute to your super

Give your super a boost with extra contributions. For most of us, employer contributions alone won’t be enough to fund a comfortable retirement. The good news is that there are several ways you can boost your final benefit.

A great way to boost your super is to make voluntary contributions. Even small contributions can make a huge difference to your super. You can make voluntary contributions from your before-tax pay, known as salary sacrificing, or make contributions from your after-tax pay, known as personal contributions.

Non-concessional (after-tax) contribution caps

Personal contributions

Non concessional contributions are contributions made into your super fund from your after-tax income (that is, from your take-home pay). They are not taxed when they go into your super.

There are annual limits on after-tax contributions and tax penalties apply if you exceed them. For the 2024/25 financial year the non-concessional contribution cap will increase to $120,000 per year. If you’re eligible, you may be able to start a bring-forward arrangement. This allows you to use up to three years of non-concessional contributions caps in a single financial year (3 years x $120,000 = $360,000).  To find out more information on contribution limits, please visit the ATO website ato.gov.au and search contribution limits.

You can make personal contributions to NESS Super in several ways:

• by pay deduction sent to NESS Super with your employer’s normal contribution return
• by BPAY (your BPAY biller code and customer reference number which can be located in the ‘Super’ menu -> ‘Make contributions’ tab in the Member Portal.  You can call us on 1800 022 067 to obtain the biller code and reference number.

Concessional (before-tax) contributions caps

Salary Sacrifice

Most employers let you contribute to your super through salary sacrificing from your before-tax pay. These concessional contributions are treated as employer contributions and are subject to a 15% contributions tax. This may be lower than your marginal tax rate, so there may be tax benefits to contributing to your super in this way.

Keep in mind that there’s an annual cap on deductible contributions including employer contributions. Any contributions over the cap will be taxed at a higher rate than the concessional rate of 15%.

For the 2024/25 financial year, employer contributions (including salary sacrifice) are capped at $30,000 per year, up from $27,500 for all individuals.

Spouse contributions

If you contribute to your spouse’s super, you may be eligible for a tax offset. The tax offset applies to contributions made on behalf of non-working or low-income-earning spouses, whether married or de facto. The offset is up to 18% on super contributions of up to $3,000.

You can easily contribute for your spouse.  A spouse contribution can be made by BPAY, which can be located in the ‘Super’ menu -> ‘Make contributions’ tab in the Member Portal  You can call us on 1800 022 067 to obtain the biller code and reference number.

Government super co-contributions

If you’re a low or middle-income earner and you make after-tax contributions to your super, you may be eligible for the government co-contribution scheme. If you are eligible, the government will match your personal super contributions up to a set maximum amount.

You don’t need to apply. If you’re eligible, all you need to do is make eligible personal super contributions to your super fund and lodge an income tax return for the relevant year.

Self-employed contributions

If you’re self-employed or work as a contractor, it’s important that you contribute to your super. If you are self-employed, you can claim your super contributions as a tax deduction by making a personal contribution. NESS Super can accept contributions from self-employed people as we are a public offer fund.

There are advantages to contributing to your super e.g.:

• You save for your retirement.
• You can claim a tax deduction for super contributions.
• Concessional super contributions are taxed at 15%,
• Over long-terms super investments normally achieve better returns than bank savings accounts, so your savings will grow faster.

 You can contact us on 1800 022 067 if you require assistance.