Make a spouse super contribution
You can help grow your spouse's retirement savings in 2 main ways:
- Make a spouse contribution
- Split your own contributions with your spouse.
What's a spouse contribution?
A spouse contribution is when you pay after-tax money into your spouse or partner's super account. If they earn less than $40,000 a year, or they're not working right now,1 you might be able to claim an 18% tax offset up to $540.
What is super contributions splitting?
In some cases, you can split your super contributions with your spouse. This means transferring some super contributions made to your account within the last financial year to your partner's super account. You can only do this once every financial year per super account you have.
The types of contributions you can split with your spouse include:
- Employer contributions
- Salary sacrifice contributions
- Contributions you've claimed a tax deduction on. Remember, you must tell us you intend to claim a tax deduction on these contributions before you apply to split the contribution.
These are also known as before-tax or concessional contributions.
What is super splitting in a separation or divorce?
In some cases, super might be split when a couple separates or divorces. Learn more about what happens to super when you divorce or separate.
How to grow your spouse's super
How to make a spouse contribution to super or apply to split your super contributions.
How to make a spouse contribution
If your partner is a member with us, they need to give us their tax file number (TFN) and be under age 75. They can add their TFN to the Profile section in Member Online. The easiest way to make a spouse contribution is through BPAY® on our website.
There may be other requirements that apply to you. See the ATO for more detailed information.
Make a BPAY payment
For Australian Retirement Trust spouse contributions, you can make a BPAY® payment online or use our Spouse Contribution Advice form.
How to split your super contributions
Not all super funds let you split your super – but we do, and we don't charge any special fees. Here's how you can split some of your before-tax (concessional) contributions into your partner's account.
Follow these steps
Don't wait too long
They must be under the age they can access their super, or between their access age and 65 and not retired.
Check your accounts and balances
Your account with us needs at least $6,000 left after you split the contributions. Check your account balance in Member Online or by downloading our app. (Your partner that's getting the money can be with us or another super fund.)
Choose the amounts
Check your contribution amounts and how much you want to split. You can split up to 85% of your eligible before-tax contributions for the financial year, or up to your concessional contributions cap for the financial year (whichever is less).
Use the form
Download and send us the Contribution splitting form. Wait until the end of the financial year to do this, unless you're leaving a super fund or taking out your super.
Case study: Making a spouse contribution to super
Charlie (30) works as a teacher, earning $80,000 a year, while their partner Amy (28) works casually and earns $37,000 a year.
They've been living together for 5 years, and Charlie wants to help grow Amy's super balance. They decide Charlie will make regular spouse contributions to Amy's super. Charlie starts putting $120 per fortnight of his after-tax income into Amy's super account.
Since Amy is a low-income earner, the first $3,000 of Charlie's spousal contribution gets the maximum tax offset of 18%. This reduces the tax payable on Charlie's income by $540, and Amy ends up with an extra $3,120 in her super for the year.
