Women face unique challenges when it comes to retirement savings. Time out of the workforce to care for children is likely to affect your income and your ability to accumulate superannuation.

Here are some simple strategies that make it possible for women to overcome these hurdles.

Government Co-Contribution

• If you earn less than $36,021 during the 2016-17 financial year and contribute $1,000 of your own money to super, the government will put $500 in your fund shortly after you submit your tax return – a sweet 50% guaranteed return!
• In addition, if you earn less than $37,000 you will have your super contributions tax refunded to your fund to a maximum value of $500.

Spousal Contribution

• This is a fantastic and under-used strategy particularly for women working part-time which will provide your spouse with a handy tax break. It works like this… If you are earning less than $10,800 a year, get your partner to make a $3,000 contribution into your super and receive a $540 tax rebate.
  • Note: the spouse income threshold will rise to $37,000 from 1 July 2017 making this strategy more accessible and attractive.

Spouse Contribution Splitting

• Another underutilised strategy but a great one for rebalancing super accounts and topping up a low super balance. It is a simple process, allowing up to 85% of your spouse’s contributions made to their super fund being transferred into your account.

If you are not sure how to apply these strategies to your situation, it may be worth consulting an adviser to ensure your super keeps rolling in during periods of absence from the workforce.

Please note, this article is for general advice purposes only. It has not taken into account your personal circumstances or financial goals. If you wish to access more personalised advice tailored to your circumstances and financial objectives, please contact our friendly staff today.

Concessional superannuation contributions are contributions made by (or on behalf of) a person that is included in the assessable income of the fund.

As such, they attract tax of up to 15%. However, for those individuals’ earning more than $300,000 per year, the applicable tax rate is 30%.

The term ‘concessional’ reflects the fact that someone is claiming a tax deduction or tax ‘concession’. That is either the employer or the individual, depending on the type of contribution being made.

Paying tax at 15% (or 30%) may be a ‘concession’ if the individual’s marginal tax rate is higher than this. For example, if you’re earning over $37,000 per year, your marginal tax rate is 32.5%. For every $1 you salary sacrifice to superannuation (salary sacrifice is a type of concessional contribution), this will save you 17.5 cents in tax. Of course the money is inside superannuation now and you may not be able to access it until retirement (over the age of 60). Compulsory preservation is, if you like, the ‘price’ of the tax concession.

In view of these tax concessions, the Government places a cap, or limit, on the amount that can be contributed to superannuation on this basis.

For the current 2017 financial year (ending 30 June 2017), the concessional superannuation caps are as follows:

Coming into the end of the 2017 financial year, you may wish to consider optimising the amount you contribute to superannuation on a concessional basis. Particularly in view of the fact that from 1 July 2017 (that is, the start of the 2018 financial year), the concessional contribution cap will reduce to a flat $25,000 regardless of age.

Please note, this article is for general advice purposes only. It has not taken into account your personal circumstances or financial goals. If you wish to access more personalised advice tailored to your circumstances and financial objectives, please contact our friendly staff today.

When do you need some super tax tips? When we are hurtling towards the end of another financial year. The perfect time to get your house in order! After recent legislative changes, super remains a low-tax savings environment designed to fund your retirement.

We have put together a useful checklist that will help you maximise your entitlements.

1. Do a “Lost Super” search

With more than $17 billion in lost super, there’s a chance a few of these dollars might be yours. Google ‘superseeker’ and it will take you to the ATOs Super search tool. Simply enter your name, date of birth and tax file number in the search filters and you’re set.

2. Consolidate your super funds

Make sure you have undertaken step 1 and have a flick through your past statements. Use this opportunity to consolidate your funds into one account to make life simple. Ensure you’re not missing out on any insurance or other benefits before you close any accounts. Rolling over existing accounts into one account is a simple process with many superannuation funds providing this service.

3. Salary sacrifice

You’ve probably heard the term before but what does it actually mean? Salary sacrificing is when you ask your employer to redirect a portion of your pay as a contribution to super. By ‘sacrificing’ some of your before-tax salary into your super, you are taxed at the concessional tax rate of 15%. These before-tax contributions reduce your taxable income so you pay less tax at a marginal tax rate.

4. Non-concessional contribution

If you’ve recently sold an asset, received an inheritance or received a bonus from work, then a non-concessional or after-tax contribution might be worth considering. It is referred to as a ‘non-concessional’ contribution because you don’t receive a tax deduction. Non-concessional contributions are the simplest way to add to your super as you simply deposit your personal money into your super fund.

5. Co-contribution

If you earned less than $36,021 during the 2016-17 financial year and make a non-concessional contribution of $1,000 towards your super, the government will also contribute $500. That’s a guaranteed 50% return on your money!

6. Spousal contribution

If your spouse earns less than $10,800 and you make a $3,000 non-concessional contribution to their super, you may be eligible for a tax rebate of up to $540.

7. Super splitting

If you or your partner take time off work or reduce working hours to look after the kids, keep the super contributions rolling by splitting. It allows the working spouse to have up to 85% of their super contributions placed into the account of the non-working spouse. It helps keep a couple’s accounts evenly balanced and is simple to implement.

8. Transition to retirement

If you’re aged between 57 and 64, a Transition to Retirement (TTR) strategy might be right for you. Despite recent budget announcements, TTR remains a solid strategy that lets you draw tax-effective funds from your super while you’re still working. You can then use your normal income to make concessional contributions to super. The simplest way to think about it is that you’re recycling your retirement benefits to reduce tax and boost super.

9. Set up a self-managed super fund

For those of you with more than $250,000 in accumulated super, a self-managed super fund might be the way to go. The Australian Tax Office has helpful videos click here and search for “SMSF videos”. It’s very important to get the right advice before proceeding.

10. Seek advice from a professional

Financial advice can help you identify and plan to achieve your financial goals so you can enjoy the lifestyle you want. A financial adviser will help you assess your current circumstances, identify your goals and priorities, and recommend financial strategies and products that will help you reach your goals.

So there you have it: the essential 10-point super checklist to tick-off before the end of the financial year. If executed consistently every year, it can make a big difference over the long-term. It is never too late to start!

Please note, this article is for general advice purposes only. It has not taken into account your personal circumstances or financial goals. If you wish to get more personalised advice tailored to your circumstances and financial objectives, please contact our friendly staff today.

Changes to superannuation legislation was a key focus of the 2016 / 2017 Federal Budget.  The purpose of this article is to help explain some of the key changes and how they may apply to you.

1. Changes to concessional contributions

Concessional contributions are contributions made into superannuation for which a tax deduction is claimed; such as superannuation guarantee contributions (SGC) or salary sacrifice contributions.

From 1 July 2017, the concessional contributions cap will be reduced to $25,000 pa (indexed) for everyone, regardless of age.

On the positive side, individuals who have total superannuation savings of less than $500,000 who do not fully utilise the cap each year can carry forward the unused cap on a rolling five-year basis starting from 1 July 2018.

The cap is currently $30,000 per annum under age 50 and $35,000 for 50 and over.

2. Reduction of the non-concessional contributions (NCC) cap

Non-concessional contributions are made from after-tax money and are contributions for which no tax deduction has been claimed.

A cap of $100,000 per person will apply. If the individual is under age 65 the 3-year bring forward rule can be utilised, thus contributing up to $300,000.

For the 2016-17 financial year the existing limit of $180,000 per annum, or $540,000 3-year limit, can still be used. In order to access the full $540,000 limit, however, the individual must fully utilise this amount this financial year otherwise transitional bring forward rules will apply. If an individual has not fully used their bring forward limit before 1 July 2017, the remaining bring forward amount will be reassessed to reflect the new annual caps.

If the individual’s super balance is $1.6 million or greater then no further non-concessional contributions can be made. This restriction only applies to non-concessional contributions.

Previously individuals could make non-concessional contributions of up to $180,000 pa into their superannuation, with the ability of bringing forward two years’ allowances (i.e. $540,000 worth of contributions in total) if the individual is under age 65.

3. Introduction of a pension transfer cap of $1.6 million

A $1.6 million transfer balance cap on the total amount of super an individual can transfer into retirement accounts will apply. The cap will apply to current retirees and individuals yet to enter retirement.

Retirees with balances above $1.6m will be required to reduce their balance to the cap by the effective date by transferring any excess back to accumulation or withdrawing the excess from super. If not transferred, an excess tax will be applied at 15% initially and 30% for subsequent breaches of the cap.

The cap will index in increments of $100,000 in line with CPI.

There was previously no limit on the amount individuals could accumulate in pension phase.

A summary of all the reforms and when each measure will take effect from is provided in the table below.

Are you confused about these Superannuation budget changes? For your free initial consultation contact us today, one of our friendly advisers would be delighted to speak with you.

Please note: The information provided in this article is general advice only. It has been prepared without taking into account any person’s Individual objectives, financial situation or needs.  Before acting on anything in this article you should consider if it is appropriate for you, having regard to your objectives, financial situation and needs.