Information for advisers only.
From 1 July 2022, Australians under the age of 75 are eligible to make most voluntary super contributions without needing to meet the work test . This is a change to the previous requirement of needing to be under age 67. However, the work test requirement will remain for those aged between 67 and 74 for personal deductible contributions.
In addition, the bring-forward age has now been updated to allow individuals under the age of 75 (as at 1 July in the relevant financial year) to make non-concessional contributions to super of up to $330,000 where all other eligibility criteria1 has been met.
A unique double opportunity
The work test change creates a unique opportunity for individuals aged 67 to 74 who may now look to make additional contributions to super, where previously they may no longer have been eligible to contribute.
Any individuals under the age of 74 are able to make voluntary contributions to super without needing to work. As noted above, those between 67 and 74 will still need to meet the work test or work test exemption in order to claim a deduction on any personal deductible contributions, and those over the age of 75 are generally unable to receive voluntary super contributions.
However to access their preserved benefits (for those under age 65), they need to have first met a condition of release4.
One of the most common conditions of release is reaching your preservation age and then retiring, or, attaining age 65 at which point you automatically meet a condition of release based on age, regardless of your current work status, patterns or intentions.
Individuals aged between 65 and 746 have the choice to immediately withdraw this amount, or immediately start a retirement income stream as they have automatically met a full condition of release based on age.
This new opportunity may help individuals who have not yet saved the amount they were targeting in super, as they could now find themselves with additional years to make contributions. Plus, it could allow individuals who have come into additional money later in life to utilise superannuation more effectively, all while providing additional years to implement contribution, estate planning or spousal balance equalisation strategies.
Example #1 – A new opportunity to contribute
Hamish turned 67 in June 2022 and Leah turns 67 in August 2022. Both are retired after accumulating $1,000,000 each in superannuation over their working lives.
They have recently inherited $500,000 from Leah’s late aunt which they wish to contribute to super, given the reasonable levels of other assessable income they have in their own names from two commercial investment properties.
While they are both comfortably under the $1,700,000 total super balance threshold to enable them to make non-concessional contributions, prior to 1 July 2022 they would have needed to meet the work test in order to be eligible to make voluntary contributions to super (Leah could only have contributed up until just before her 67th birthday). This requirement has been removed for those under age 75.
Under these new rules, during 2022/23 Hamish and Leah would each be eligible to make a $330,000 bring-forward non-concessional contribution8.
This is certainly an increased opportunity. From not previously being eligible to contribute in the 2022-23 financial year (Leah could only contribute until just before her 67th birthday), to both being eligible to do so, and up to $330,000 each.
Advice Points
The new opportunity would allow Hamish and Leah to contribute the full amount of the $500,000 inheritance as they can contribute up to $330,000 each.
Senior Australians may be eligible for the seniors and pensioners tax offset (SAPTO) . SAPTO can reduce the amount of tax an individual pays via a non-refundable tax offset. This may allow senior Australians to have a higher amount invested in their own names, before effectively paying any tax on investment income.
While the above strategy allows Hamish and Leah to contribute the entire inheritance into a nil tax environment (if moved to retirement phase) where an individual has maximised their transfer balance cap , investing in their own name outside of super may, in certain circumstances, be more beneficial than the concessional tax rates of superannuation, particularly when SAPTO is taken into account.
Example #2 – Re-contribution strategy
Theo turned 68 in January 2022 and Kerri turns 69 in August 2022.
Theo has accumulated $750,000 in superannuation, with a 100% taxable component. Kerri has accumulated $350,000 in super, primarily made up of a $250,000 non-concessional contribution in the 2017-18 financial year. They both retired in June 2020.
From an estate planning perspective, their adult children would currently pay tax on the taxable component of their parent’s super benefits at a maximum rate of 15% (plus Medicare, if received direct from the super fund). Given the estimated current taxable component of $850,000 across both accounts, this could equate to $144,500 in death benefits tax.
While the probability of one of them surviving the other is the more likely outcome, they both wish to reduce the chance of any tax being paid on their respective super benefits if paid to their adult children, plus, they both wish to create an additional tax-free component now as a hedge against possible future changes to the tax treatment of superannuation.
In 2022/23 a variation of the re-contribution strategy could be used by Theo to withdraw up to $440,000 from his accumulated super benefits and then re-contribute this amount into Kerri’s super account firstly as a $110,000 non-concessional contribution in the 2022-/23 financial year, and then as an additional $330,000 bring-forward contribution in the 2023/24 financial year.
Advice Point
As an alternate approach, where one member of a couple survives the other, death benefit lump sums are tax-free when paid to a spouse and death benefit incomes streams are concessionally taxed, or also tax free, when one member of the couple is, or was, age 60 or over at the time of passing (or once the surviving spouse reaches age 60). There are a number of planning opportunities which can be implemented in such circumstances to continue to reduce the taxable component where adult non-tax dependants may end up being the ultimate beneficiary of these super monies.
It is important to note any re-contribution strategy will use an individual’s existing contribution cap space without directly increasing the amount they have in super. Where a client may have, or expect to have, additional amounts they wish to contribute in the immediate term, care should be taken to determine the merits of a re-contribution strategy.
Conclusion
Removing the work test for those between 67 to 74 (other than to claim a deduction on a personal concessional contribution), provides an additional opportunity for those who are approaching, or having recently retired, to implement voluntary super contribution strategies over a broader time horizon than was previously possible.
The increase in the age limit under which an individual can trigger a bring-forward contribution only further opens up contribution opportunities during this time.
1- SIS Regulations 1994 – REG 7.04 (1) Item 1 (b) & (1) Item 2 (b) (here)
2- ITAA 1997 – SECT 292.85
3- SIS Regulations 1994 – Schedule 1
4- SIS Regulations 1994 – REG 6.01
5- SIS Regulations 1994 – REG 7.04 (1) Item 1 (b) & (1) Item 2 (b) (here)
6- ITAA 1997 – SECT 307.230
7- SIS Regulations 1994 – REG 7.04 Acceptance of contributions – regulated superannuation funds
8- ITAA 1997 – SECT 292.85
9- ATO – Eligibility for the seniors and pensioners tax offset
10- ITAA 1997 – SECT 294.35
11- ITAA 1997 – SECT 302.145
12- ITAA 1997 – SECT 302.60 and ITAA 1997 – SECT 302.195
13- ITAA 1997 – SECT 302.65
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Comparison: Transfer balance cap versus total super balance
SMSF contributions
FOR ADVISER USE ONLY
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