Home News SMSF contribution cap & tax

SMSF contribution cap & tax

The ATO limits the amount you can contribute to your super each year. These contributions fall into two categories, concessional and non concessional.

By Aaron Bell

First published on 27 Sep 2021

Concessional contributions

Concessional contributions are contributions made that are included in the SMSF's assessable income. These contributions are taxed in your SMSF at a ‘concessional’ rate of 15%.

This is often called ‘contributions tax’, and the current concessional contributions cap is $27,500. The most common types of concessional contributions are those made by an employer, such as super guarantee and salary sacriﬁce contributions.

Concessional contributions include:

Compulsory employer contributions.
Additional concessional contributions your employer makes.
Salary sacrifice payments.
Administration fees and insurance premiums.

Concessional contributions also include personal contributions when the member claims an income tax deduction.

Non-concessional contributions

Non-concessional contributions include personal contributions made by the member for which no income tax deduction is claimed.

On the other hand, non-concessional contributions do not include:

Super co-contributions.
Structured settlements.
Orders for personal injury or capital gains tax (CGT) related payments that the member has validly elected to exclude from their non-concessional contributions.

Contribution type	Cap from 1 July 2021	Tax rate period
Concessional	$27,500 per year Plus carry forward amounts since 1 July 2018.	15% contributions tax or 30% contributions tax if your income plus contributions is more than $250,000 per year
Non-concessional	$110,000 per year	No contributions tax - but you do pay your normal income tax, which can be up to 47%

Contribution type

Cap from 1 July 2021

Tax rate period

Concessional

$27,500 per year

Plus carry forward amounts since 1 July 2018.

15% contributions tax

or 30% contributions tax if your income plus contributions is more than $250,000 per year

Non-concessional

$110,000 per year

No contributions tax - but you do pay your normal income tax, which can be up to 47%

Source: ABS

What is the carry-forward rule?

If your total super balance is less than $500,000 at 30 June, you can ‘carry forward’ any concessional contributions over a five year period.

This means if you don’t use the full amount of your concessional contribution cap ($27,500 in 2021-22), you can carry forward the unused portion up to five years later.

Carry forward amounts expire after five years if you haven't used them.

What is the bring-forward rule?

If you’re under age 67, you can bring forward up to three times your non-concessional (after-tax) contribution cap – up to $330,000.

However, once you turn 67, you will need to meet the work test or work test exemption to make your own contributions to your super.

Caps

Your cap may be higher if you did not use the full amount of your cap in earlier years. This is called the carry-forward of unused concessional contributions.

You can check your available concessional contributions cap on ATO online services (accessed via myGov).

Advertisement

Looking to take control of your retirement? This table below features SMSF loans with some of the most competitive interest rates on the market.

Loan amount

Compare

Lender	Advertised rate	Comparison rate*	Monthly repayment	Rate Type	Ongoing Fee	Upfront Fees	Max LVR	as ofJune 20, 2025

	6.49^%_p.a.	6.51^%_p.a.	^$3,157	Variable	N/A	^$230	70^%	More details
FEATURED	loans.com.au – Variable SMSF Loan P&I <70% Minimum 30% deposit needed to qualify Available for purchase or refinance No application, ongoing monthly or annual fees. Dedicated loan specialist throughout the loan application
Disclosure
FEATURED loans.com.au – Variable SMSF Loan P&I <70% Minimum 30% deposit needed to qualify Available for purchase or refinance No application, ongoing monthly or annual fees. Dedicated loan specialist throughout the loan application More details Disclosure
	6.74^%_p.a.	6.79^%_p.a.	^$3,240	Variable	^$0	^$220	70^%	More details
	Firstmac – SMSF Loan P&I <70%
Disclosure
Firstmac – SMSF Loan P&I <70% More details Disclosure
	6.75^%_p.a.	7.16^%_p.a.	^$3,243	Variable	^$30	N/A	80^%	More details
	Liberty Financial – Residential SMSF (LVR <80%)
Liberty Financial – Residential SMSF (LVR <80%) More details
	6.84^%_p.a.	–	^$3,273	Variable	^$0	^$995	80^%	More details
	La Trobe Financial – SMSF Residential
La Trobe Financial – SMSF Residential More details
	7.00^%_p.a.	7.39^%_p.a.	^$3,327	Variable	^$0	^$445	60^%	More details
	Yard – SMSF Loan <60% LVR
Yard – SMSF Loan <60% LVR More details
	7.24^%_p.a.	7.29^%_p.a.	^$3,407	Variable	^$0	^$221	80^%	More details
	Firstmac – SMSF Loan P&I <80%
Disclosure
Firstmac – SMSF Loan P&I <80% More details Disclosure
	7.44^%_p.a.	7.49^%_p.a.	^$3,476	Variable	^$395	N/A	60^%	More details
	WLTH – Ocean SMSF 60 P&I ($50k - $2m)
WLTH – Ocean SMSF 60 P&I ($50k - $2m) More details
	6.99^%_p.a.	7.01^%_p.a.	^$3,323	Variable	^$0	^$230	80^%	More details
FEATUREDRate will drop 0.25% on 3rd of June	loans.com.au – Variable SMSF Loan P&I <80% Minimum 20% deposit needed to qualify Available for purchase or refinance No application, ongoing monthly or annual fees. Dedicated SMSF loan specialist throughout the loan application
Disclosure
FEATUREDRate will drop 0.25% on 3rd of June loans.com.au – Variable SMSF Loan P&I <80% Minimum 20% deposit needed to qualify Available for purchase or refinance No application, ongoing monthly or annual fees. Dedicated SMSF loan specialist throughout the loan application More details Disclosure

Variable SMSF Loan P&I <70%

Product Features

Minimum 30% deposit needed to qualify
Available for purchase or refinance
No application, ongoing monthly or annual fees.
Dedicated loan specialist throughout the loan application

Monthly repayments:$3,157

6.49%Advertised Rate (p.a.)

6.51%Comparison Rate*

More details

Important Information and Comparison Rate Warning

Base criteria of: a $400,000 loan amount, variable, fixed, principal and interest (P&I) home loans with an LVR (loan-to-value) ratio of at least 80%. However, the ‘Compare Home Loans’ table allows for calculations to be made on variables as selected and input by the user. Some products will be marked as promoted, featured or sponsored and may appear prominently in the tables regardless of their attributes. All products will list the LVR with the product and rate which are clearly published on the product provider’s website. Monthly repayments, once the base criteria are altered by the user, will be based on the selected products’ advertised rates and determined by the loan amount, repayment type, loan term and LVR as input by the user/you. *The Comparison rate is based on a $150,000 loan over 25 years. Warning: this comparison rate is true only for this example and may not include all fees and charges. Different terms, fees or other loan amounts might result in a different comparison rate. Rates correct as of June 20, 2025. View disclaimer.

Important Information and Comparison Rate Warning

Image by Christian Bown via Unsplash

Aaron Bell

Aaron joined Savings.com.au in 2021. He is a finance journalist with a keen interest in property, the share market, and improving financial literacy in young Australians.

Articles

The entire market was not considered in selecting the above products. Rather, a cut-down portion of the market has been considered. Some providers' products may not be available in all states. To be considered, the product and rate must be clearly published on the product provider's web site. Savings.com.au, yourmortgage.com.au, yourinvestmentpropertymag.com.au, and Performance Drive are part of the InfoChoice Group. In the interests of full disclosure, the InfoChoice Group are associated with the Firstmac Group. Read about how InfoChoice Group manages potential conflicts of interest, along how we get paid.

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Product Coverage and Sort Order

We strive to cover a broad range of products, providers, and services; however, we do not cover the entire market. Products in our comparison tables are sorted based on various factors, including product features, interest rates, fees, popularity, and commercial arrangements.

Some products will be marked as promoted, featured or sponsored and may appear prominently in the tables regardless of their attributes.

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For more details, visit How We Get Paid and Managing Conflicts of Interest.

Comparison Rate Warning and Base Criteria

For home loans, the base criteria include a $500,000 loan amount over 30 years. For car loans, the base criteria include a $30,000 loan over 5 years. For personal loans, the base criteria include a $20,000 loan over 5 years. These rates are only examples and may not include all fees and charges.

*The Comparison rate is based on a $150,000 loan over 25 years. Warning: this comparison rate is true only for this example and may not include all fees and charges. Different terms, fees or other loan amounts might result in a different comparison rate.

Monthly Repayment Figures

Monthly repayment figures are estimates that exclude fees. These estimates are based on the advertised rates for the specified term and loan amount. Actual repayments will depend on your circumstances and interest rate changes.

Monthly repayments, once the base criteria are altered by the user, will be based on the selected products’ advertised rates and determined by the loan amount, repayment type, loan term and LVR as input by the user/you.

Related Brands

Savings.com.au is proudly part of the InfoChoice Group, which includes InfoChoice.com.au, YourMortgage.com.au, YourInvestmentPropertyMag.com.au, and PerformanceDrive.com.au. The InfoChoice Group is associated with the Firstmac Group.

We may include products and services from loans.com.au, CarLoans.com.au, OnlineAuto.com.au, and YourMortgageBroker Pty Ltd, all associated with the Firstmac Group. Importantly, these brands are treated like any other commercial partner.

Learn more about how we manage conflicts of interest.

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The information provided by Savings.com.au is general in nature and does not take into account your personal objectives, financial situation, or needs. We recommend seeking independent financial advice before making any financial decisions. Before acquiring any financial product, obtain and read the relevant Product Disclosure Statement (PDS), Target Market Determination (TMD), and any other offer documents.

Rates and product information should be confirmed with the relevant credit provider. For more information, read Savings.com.au’s Financial Services and Credit Guide (FSCG).

SMSF contribution cap & tax

Concessional contributions

Non-concessional contributions

What is the carry-forward rule?

What is the bring-forward rule?

Caps

loans.com.au – Variable SMSF Loan P&I <70%

loans.com.au – Variable SMSF Loan P&I <70%

Firstmac – SMSF Loan P&I <70%

Firstmac – SMSF Loan P&I <70%

Liberty Financial – Residential SMSF (LVR <80%)

Liberty Financial – Residential SMSF (LVR <80%)

La Trobe Financial – SMSF Residential

La Trobe Financial – SMSF Residential

Yard – SMSF Loan <60% LVR

Yard – SMSF Loan <60% LVR

Firstmac – SMSF Loan P&I <80%

Firstmac – SMSF Loan P&I <80%

WLTH – Ocean SMSF 60 P&I ($50k - $2m)

WLTH – Ocean SMSF 60 P&I ($50k - $2m)

loans.com.au – Variable SMSF Loan P&I <80%

loans.com.au – Variable SMSF Loan P&I <80%

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SMSF contribution cap & tax

Concessional contributions

Non-concessional contributions

What is the carry-forward rule?

What is the bring-forward rule?

Caps

loans.com.au – Variable SMSF Loan P&I <70%

loans.com.au – Variable SMSF Loan P&I <70%

Firstmac – SMSF Loan P&I <70%

Firstmac – SMSF Loan P&I <70%

Liberty Financial – Residential SMSF (LVR <80%)

Liberty Financial – Residential SMSF (LVR <80%)

La Trobe Financial – SMSF Residential

La Trobe Financial – SMSF Residential

Yard – SMSF Loan <60% LVR

Yard – SMSF Loan <60% LVR

Firstmac – SMSF Loan P&I <80%

Firstmac – SMSF Loan P&I <80%

WLTH – Ocean SMSF 60 P&I ($50k - $2m)

WLTH – Ocean SMSF 60 P&I ($50k - $2m)

loans.com.au – Variable SMSF Loan P&I <80%

loans.com.au – Variable SMSF Loan P&I <80%

Aaron Bell

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Important information

Editorial Integrity

Advertiser Disclosure

Product Coverage and Sort Order

Comparison Rate Warning and Base Criteria

Monthly Repayment Figures

Related Brands

General Advice Disclosure

Get rate alerts

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