If you earn under $43,445 in 2023–24, the government automatically adds 50c for every dollar you pay into your super after tax, up to a maximum $500 co-contribution.
This is called the government super co-contribution, and it can make a real difference to how much you retire with.
You could get up to 50c for every dollar you pay into your super account, up to a maximum of $500.
How much you get depends on how much you earn in 2023–24 and how much you personally add to your super.
If you claim a tax deduction for your contributions, you won't get the government co-contribution, so check which is better for you.
| Your total income1 | Your voluntary after tax contribution | Maximum co-contribution |
|---|---|---|
| Up to $43,445 | $1,000 | $500 |
| $43,445 to $58,445 | $1,000 | Up to $499 |
| $58,445 or more | Any amount | $0 |
1. Total income = assessable income + reportable fringe benefits + reportable employer super contributions. For income thresholds for previous years, see the ATO.
Use our contributions calculator to see how much the government might pay when you add extra money to your super.
If you earn less than $43,445 in 2023–24 and make a voluntary contribution to your super, you should get a co-contribution.
If you earn up to $58,445, the government still adds some money as a co-contribution to your super.
You need to make at least 10% of your income as an employee, business owner, or as someone who is self-employed but treated as an employee (e.g. contractor with an ABN).
You also need to be under 71, with a total super balance under $1.9 million, under your contributions limits, and not on a temporary visa.
If you can't get the government co-contribution, you could still either claim a tax deduction or salary sacrifice to your super.
If you fit the criteria above and you follow these 3 easy steps, you're eligible to get the super co-contribution once a year:
If you're a low or middle income earner, add money to your super. It has to be a voluntary contribution, which you make from your take-home pay after tax.
There's a few ways you can do this:
Make sure your super fund has your TFN, so that the government can pay you a co-contribution to your super account.
File your tax return as normal with the ATO – no need to do anything special. They calculate how much you should get, and then the government pays the co-contribution directly to your super account.
No, you don't pay income tax or the super contributions tax on this payment from the ATO into your super account. It’s a tax-free payment and does not affect your taxable income.
There are some other things you can do if you want to grow your super on a low income:
The LISTO is a payment the Australian Government makes to your super to help low-income earners. Before-tax payments made to your super account – including salary sacrificing and employer contributions – are taxed at 15%. The LISTO refunds up to $500 of that tax back into your super account each year if you're eligible.
Find out more about the LISTO.
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1. ®Registered to BPAY Pty Ltd, ABN 69 079 137 518.
2. Before you consolidate your super, please consider if the timing is right and if you will lose access to benefits such as insurance or pension options, or if there are tax implications.
