Super is a great way to save money for your retirement. It is generally taxed at a lower rate than your regular income. You typically pay 15% tax on your super contributions, and your withdrawals are tax-free if you're 60 or older.
If you're aged 60 or over and withdraw a lump sum: You don't pay any tax when you withdraw from a taxed super fund.
Withdrawing Over Age 65
If you are over age 65, there is no restriction on how much super you can access, even if you are still working. Reaching age 65 is classified as a full superannuation condition of release, meaning you have full access to your super, which can be withdrawn as a lump sum or income stream.
You can access your super when you: reach your preservation age and retire. reach your preservation age and choose to begin a transition to retirement income stream while you are still working. are 65 years old (even if you have not retired).
You may be able to take your superannuation as a lump sum payment when you retire. This is usually tax-free from age 60.
Tax on withdrawals of taxable component
Your marginal tax rate or 32%, whichever is lower – unless the sum of the untaxed elements of all super lump sum benefits received under the super plan exceeds the untaxed plan cap. Amounts above the cap will be taxed at the top marginal rate.
If you are under your superannuation preservation age, yet eligible to access your super, you do not gain access to the lifetime low rate cap and the total taxable portion of the withdrawal is taxed at the lower of your individual tax rate and 20%.
If you want full access to your super balance when you reach 60, you will need to fulfill one more condition; an employment arrangement coming to an end. You can then access the money as an account-based pension income stream, a lump sum withdrawal, or a combination of both.
Yes, provided you have reached the Age Pension age, you may be eligible for the Age Pension even if you have super savings.
While you're under Age Pension age
We don't count you or your partner's superannuation in the income and assets tests, if your fund isn't paying you a superannuation pension. If your fund is paying you a superannuation pension, it is assessable as an income stream.
Assume, for example, you will need 65 per cent of your pre-retirement income, so if you earn $50,000 now, you might need $32,500 in retirement.
WILL ACCESSING MY SUPER AFFECT MY CENTRELINK PAYMENT? If you withdraw money from your super fund, you must tell Centrelink within 14 days. Money withdrawn from super is not treated as income for a person receiving a social security payment.
In most cases, the lump-sum option is clearly the way to go. The main difference between a lump-sum and a monthly payment is that with a lump-sum option, you get to have control over how your money is invested and what happens to it once you're gone. If that's the case, then the lump-sum option is your best bet.
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.
If you are under age 60, you may be required to pay lump sum withdrawal tax, depending on the amount you withdraw and your superannuation tax components. The Low Rate Cap amount actually allows you to receive up to $230,000 of the taxable component tax-free. This is a lifetime (i.e. not annual) indexed cap.
For example, if you are under 65 years old, you can access between 4–10% of the balance of money in your super account each financial year. Once you have met a condition of release with a nil cashing restriction, you can access your super benefits in other ways and don't need a TRIS.
If you leave your super in accumulation phase, you are not required to make any withdrawals from it, even if you are retired. Your accumulation balance will simply continue to be invested and (ideally) increase in value over time. Keeping your super in accumulation phase does not prevent you from accessing it.
Withdrawals are paid and taxed as a normal super lump sum. If you're: under 60, this is generally taxed between 17% and 22% over 60, you won't be taxed.
Assets Test
A single homeowner can have up to $656,500 of assessable assets and receive a part pension – for a single non-homeowner the higher threshold is $898,500. For a couple, the higher threshold to $986,500 for a homeowner and $1,228,500 for a non-homeowner.
You can access your super as long as you've permanently retired. If you end an employment arrangement on or after age 60, you can also access the super you've earned up until then. If you're not ready to retire, you could use some of your super while you're still working, with a Transition to Retirement Income account.
This obviously depends on what annual income you want to fund but if you want to be able to afford a comfortable retirement—which is an income of just over $48,000 a year for a single according to the ASFA Retirement Standard—then you need a balance of at least $500,000.
You can withdraw your super: when you turn 65 (even if you haven't retired) when you reach preservation age and retire, or. under the transition to retirement rules, while continuing to work.
If you contribute too much to your super, you may have to pay extra tax. If you exceed the before-tax (concessional) super contributions cap, the excess is included in your income tax return and taxed at your marginal tax rate. You can choose to withdraw some of the excess contributions to pay the additional tax.
If you're 60 and over, the income will generally be tax-free. If you're between your preservation age and 59, the components of your super will dictate how it will be taxed.
Commonwealth Seniors Health Card
It includes cheaper prescription medicines under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, bulk-billed doctor visits and higher Medicare refunds on out-of-hospital costs once you reach the Medicare Safety Net. You can get the card if you: have reached age pension age.