Super contribution caps

Contribution caps are applied to limit the amount of money you can add to your super every financial year. If you contribute over the allocated amount, there may be tax implications.

There are different types of contributions you can make, most of which will be either classed as:

• concessional (before-tax) contributions
• non-concessional’(after-tax) contributions.

Contribution caps apply to both of these. Contribution caps are administered by the ATO, so if you have multiple super accounts, even with different super funds, any money you contribute to those accounts will count towards your individual contribution caps.
 

Concessional contribution cap
 

Any money that you add to your super before-tax including employer contributions, salary sacrifice and any money you claim a tax deduction on are considered concessional contributions. 

The concessional contribution cap from 1 July 2021 to 30 June 2024 was $27,500. On 1 July 2024 it increased to $30,000.

Carry-forward unused concessional contributions
 

The government allows you to carry-forward unused amounts of your concessional contribution cap from the previous five financial years, starting with the 2018-19 year.

To be eligible to carry-forward from previous years and contribute more than standard amount of concessional contributions in a single financial year your account balance must have been less than $500,000 at the start of the financial year you utilise the rule.

Depending on your individual circumstances, there may be other rules that should be considered prior to carrying forward unused concessional contributions.

Exceeding the concessional contribution cap

If you exceed the concessional contribution cap (and any available catch-up amount) the ATO will let you know. Any amount exceeding the concessional contribution cap will be taxed at your marginal tax rate (minus a 15% offset).

The ATO will allow you to rectify the issue by withdrawing up to 85% of the excess amount from your super. If you choose to do so, no further penalty will apply. If you do not take the withdrawal offer, the excess amount will also be assessed against your non-concessional cap. The consequences of this may vary depending on your circumstances.

For further information on exceeding the concessional contribution cap, refer to the ATO's website.
 

Non-concessional contribution cap

Any funds that are contributed to your super account with after-tax money, such as additional contributions from your take-home pay that you don't claim a tax deduction on, are considered to be non-concessional contributions.

The non-concessional cap, from 1 July 2021 to 30 June 2024 was $110,000. On 1 July 2024 it increased to $120,000.

Individuals with total super balances of $1.9 million or over at the start of the relevant financial year are unable to contribute any non-concessional contributions to their account.

Bring-forward rule

In certain circumstances, you may choose to ‘bring forward’ your contributions from future financial years if you wish to make non-concessional contributions in excess of $120,000 within a single financial year. This is often referred to as the ‘bring-forward rule’ and allows you to potentially contribute up to $360,000 within a single financial year. The bring-forward rule is subject to certain requirements, including:

• You are under the age of 75¹
• Your ‘total super balance’ (i.e. the amount of super you hold across all of your super accounts) is less than certain thresholds at 30 June of the previous financial year.
• You’re not currently within an already activated bring-forward period.

Depending on your circumstances there may a number of other rules that need to be considered prior to making additional contributions under the bring-forward rule. See a full list of the rules and eligibility criteria.

Exceeding the non-concessional contribution cap

If you exceed the non-concessional contribution cap the ATO will let you know. They will allow the excess amount to be withdrawn, (less taxes representing the earnings on the excess amount), taxed at your marginal rate, minus a 15% offset. If you decline to take this withdrawal offer, a further tax of 47% will apply to the entire excess amount.

See the ATO's website for further information on exceeding the non-concessional contribution cap, including calculations, tax implications, processes and examples.