Five super moves to consider before 30 June 2026
The end of financial year’s creeping up and it’s a great time to review whether you need to take superannuation action before 30 June 2026. Here are a few moves that could make a meaningful difference.
1. Check your concessional contributions cap
Concessional contributions are generally before-tax contributions, including:
Employer super guarantee
Salary sacrifice contributions
Personal after-tax contributions claimed as a deduction
The 2025–2026 general concessional contributions cap is $30,000. This applies across all your super funds combined. If you make concessional contributions exceeding the cap you’ll owe extra tax, so take care with year-end contributions.
If your total super balance on 30 June 2025 was under $500,000, you may be able to carry forward unused concessional contribution cap amounts from the previous five financial years, increasing your 2025–2026 concessional contributions cap.
Maximising personal tax-deductible contributions can be useful if:
Your annual income’s higher than usual (and you could use a bigger deduction)
You need to boost your super
2. Lodge a notice of intent before claiming personal deductions
If you want to claim a tax deduction for personal super contributions, plan ahead! You need to give your fund a valid notice of intent to claim or vary a deduction and receive the fund’s acknowledgement before claiming in your tax return.
It’s also important to submit your notice to your super fund before:
Rolling over any super
Withdrawing super amounts
Starting a pension
Splitting contributions with your spouse
These can all affect the notice validity and what contributions you can deduct.
3. Make sure contributions reach your fund by 30 June
Don’t assume a super contribution counts as soon as it leaves your bank account. Contributions only count towards a yearly cap when your super fund receives them.
A payment initiated on 30 June may not land in the fund’s account until July, pushing it into next financial year. Allow several business days for processing and check on your fund’s cut-off times.
4. Consider co-contributions and spouse contributions
Eligible low and middle-income earners who make after-tax personal contributions before 30 June may qualify for a government super co-contribution.
The maximum $500 co-contribution’s generally available if you earn under $47,488 in 2025–2026 and contribute $1,000.
The co-contribution reduces if you earn more, and you won't qualify if you earn over $62,488.
Any contributions claimed as deductions don’t qualify for co-contributions.
You don’t need to apply separately for a co-contribution. Make sure your super fund has your tax file number, and the ATO will work out the entitlement with your lodged tax return.
You may also be able to claim a tax offset up to $540 if you contribute up to $3,000 to your spouse's super and their income’s below $37,000. The offset reduces if their income’s between $37,000 and $40,000.
5. Check your minimum pension payments
If you’re retired and drawing an account-based pension, you must withdraw at least the annual mandatory minimum amount as pension income before 30 June, or your pension could lose its tax-free status.
This is important for all types of funds, and particularly if you’re a self-managed super fund (SMSF) member, as you’re personally responsible for your fund’s legal compliance.
If you’ve done any of the following, confirm you’ve received enough pension income before 30 June to avoid unexpected consequences:
Paused payments
Withdrawn non-pension lump sums
Started a pension part-way through the year
Are you ready?
The best approach to super planning depends on your:
Income
Age
Super balance
Employment circumstances
Contributions
Retirement plans
Remember, getting professional advice for your situation is always a good idea.