Can I help my spouse increase their super?
In short: yes, you can! If your spouse is a low-income earner, part-time worker, a stay-at-home parent, or taking a career break, then it’s likely that their super may fall behind.
Luckily, there are ways you can help your spouse’s super continue to grow, such as making a spouse contribution. If you are eligible, making a spouse contribution may help you save on tax.
If your spouse earns $37,000 or less each year and you make a voluntary contribution into their super, you may be eligible to receive up to a maximum 18% tax offset on that contribution. The maximum offset of $540 is based on a $3,000 contribution per year. The offset will phase out for spouses earning $40,000 or more per year. To be eligible for the tax offset, you must meet all of the following conditions:
- your spouse must be under age 75
- your spouse’s income must be less than $40,000 a year
- your spouse must provide their tax file number to their super fund
- you and your spouse must be Australian residents and living together on a permanent basis
- your contribution must be from your after-tax money and not deductible by you
- the contribution needs to be made to a complying super fund or retirement savings account for the income year in which you made the contribution
- your spouse must not have exceeded their non-concessional (after-tax) contributions cap for the financial year
- your spouse must not have had a total superannuation balance equal to or exceeding the general transfer balance cap on 30 June immediately before the start of the income year. This is $1.9 million for both the 2023-24 and 2024-25 financial years. See the ATO website for more details on the general transfer balance cap.
Even if you’re not eligible for a tax offset, you can still make a spouse contribution to your spouse's account. You should consider you and your partner's financial circumstances, contribution caps, and tax issues before adding to your partner’s super. Consider getting financial advice before deciding if spouse contribution arrangements are right for you and your partner.
Learn more about spouse contributions
