Pension payments are tax-free after age 60: Any super benefits, either pension or lump sum, paid to you after age 60 are tax-free.
The Age Pension forms part of your taxable income. However, if it is your only source of retirement income, you will pay no tax. If you're on the Age Pension, you also receive health benefits and reduced charges on rates, telephones, gas and electricity, car registration and public transport.
From 1 July 2022, for single pensioners, the pension income test free area is $190 a fortnight and for couples combined, it is $336 a fortnight. This means a single pensioner over Age Pension age with no other private income could earn up to $490 a fortnight from work and still receive the maximum rate of pension.
If you get extra income and a Centrelink payment, your income may be more than the tax-free threshold. If it is, you'll have to pay tax and may need to pay the Medicare levy at tax time. You'll find out after you lodge your tax return.
The SAPTO can reduce the amount of income tax you pay, allowing you to earn more money before you are required to pay tax or the Medicare levy. The offset affects pensioners and seniors with taxable income up to: $50,119 for singles. $83,580 per couple or $41,790 per partner.
Employers of most pension plans are required to withhold a mandatory 20% of your lump sum retirement distribution when you leave their company. However, you can avoid this tax hit if you make a direct rollover of those funds to an IRA rollover account or another similar qualified plan.
If your only source of income is the aged pension, it is compulsory for you to lodge a tax return each year.
Tax-free government pensions or benefits
Tax-free Australian Government pensions or benefits include: carer payment where either: both the carer and the care receiver are under age-pension age. the carer is under age-pension age and any of the care receivers has died.
There's no tax due on the first £12,570 of your combined income. You pay 20% tax (£7,540) on your income between £12,571 and £50,270. You pay 40% tax (£5,492) on your income between £50,271 and £64,000.
A mandatory 20% federal tax withholding rate is applied to certain lump-sum paid benefits, such as the Basic Death Benefit, Retired Death Benefit, Option 1 balance, and Temporary Annuity balance. Certain lump-sum benefits are eligible to be rolled over to an IRA to avoid the 20% federal tax withholding.
Can I Get the Pension if I Have Super? Having superannuation savings does not deny you from receiving Age Pension payments. Eligibility for the Age Pension is based on an Assets Test and an Income Test.
A single homeowner can have up to $622,250 of assessable assets and receive a part pension – for a single non-homeowner the higher threshold is $846,750.
If you are over age 60, any benefits paid to you (as a lump sum or, if applicable, as a pension) are tax-free and not assessable for income tax purposes. If you are under age 60, all benefits are subject to Commonwealth benefits or income tax.
Taxes on Pension Income
You will owe federal income tax at your regular rate as you receive the money from pension annuities and periodic pension payments. But if you take a direct lump-sum payout from your pension instead, you must pay the total tax due when you file your return for the year you receive the money.
After you've retired, you still have to pay Income Tax on any income over your Personal Allowance (find out more below). This applies to all your pension income, including the State Pension. Many people assume that their pension income – especially the State Pension – will be tax-free, but that's not the case.
Pension payments are tax-free after age 60: Any super benefits, either pension or lump sum, paid to you after age 60 are tax-free.
Your home is not counted as an asset when calculating pension or payment, but it does affect how your pension or payment is assessed under the assets test. If you are a homeowner your asset value limit is lower than someone who does not own their residence.
Latest Age Pension rates (from 20 September 2022)
From 20 September 2022 the maximum full Age Pension increases $38.90 per fortnight for a single person, and $58.80 a fortnight for a couple. The tables below provide more detail in terms of the latest increase and how the Age Pension is broken down.
The amount of money you receive from the age pension you receive depends on your age, wealth and income. It can be affected by the amount of money you have in your bank account as well as in your super fund.