Your 30 June superannuation checklist

Nikki Ashurst • June 4, 2026

Five easy ways to get more into your super fund before the end of the financial year.

With the end of the current financial year fast approaching, time is running out if you’re planning to boost your superannuation balance before 30 June.


Even depositing a small amount of extra money into your super account before 30 June this year could make a big difference to your overall retirement balance over the longer term, thanks to compounding investment returns.


Below are five ways you could be able to add more into your super fund account before 30 June, subject to various conditions. 


Concessional (before-tax) contributions


You’re able to have up to $30,000 in concessional (pre-tax) contributions deposited into your super account each financial year, which include compulsory Superannuation Guarantee payments made by your employer and any personal contributions you choose to make. From 1 July 2026, for the next financial year, this concessional cap will increase to $32,500.


Concessional contributions are taxed at 15%, instead of your marginal tax rate.


If you’re currently below the annual limit you could take the opportunity to add personal contributions into your super account before 30 June. This can be done either from your pre-tax salary via an existing salary-sacrifice arrangement through your employer, or by using after-tax money to deposit funds directly into your account.


If you deposit after-tax money into your fund, you may be able to claim a tax deduction in your next tax return given that concessional contributions are taxed at 15%.


However, to claim a deduction, you must complete an Australian Tax Office (ATO) form advising your super fund. You must also receive an acknowledgement from your super fund. And both these things will need to happen before you lodge your next tax return.


Keep in mind that this is usually a busy time of the year for super funds, so there could be processing delays. Many super funds have a June cut-off date for processing personal super contributions, which can be one to two weeks before the end of the financial year.


Be aware that if you exceed the total annual limit of $30,000 at 30 June the ATO may require you to pay additional tax. 


To avoid exceeding the annual limit it’s important to add up your employer contributions during the financial year plus any extra contributions you’ve already made and then calculate the concessional contributions balance that’s left.


Carry forward (catch-up) concessional contributions


You may have another option available that will enable you to get more concessional contributions into your super account before 30 June.


That depends on your superannuation balance and whether you’ve used up your maximum concessional contributions amount this financial year (that is, you’ve already contributed $30,000).


Individuals with a total superannuation balance below $500,000 as at 30 June of the previous financial year can carry forward and apply their unused concessional contributions for up to five financial years. Unused concessional contributions expire after five financial years, so it’s important to check which amounts are still available before contributing.


For example, if $15,000 in employer and personal concessional contributions were made into your super account in 2021-22, you may be able to take advantage of your unused $12,500 gap from that financial year (the maximum concessional contributions limit was $27,500 in 2021-22) and roll it over into this financial year's contributions.


This $12,500 would be in addition to the maximum $30,000 in allowable concessional contributions that can be made this financial year (allowing you to contribute up to $42,500 in this example).


For many Australians the unused portion of concessional contributions available from previous financial years may add up to tens of thousands of dollars.


You can view and manage your concessional contributions and carry-forward concessional contributions by accessing the ATO’s online services by logging in to your myGov website account.


Non-concessional (after-tax) contributions


Non-concessional contributions are after-tax personal contributions you may be able to make into your super fund, which can’t be claimed as a tax deduction.


They’re separate from your annual concessional contributions and are subject to their own annual limits.


The main advantage of making non-concessional contributions is to accumulate more of your money inside the super system.


Earnings from any investments inside your super account before age 60 are taxed at 15%. After age 60, if you have stopped work and access your super as a pension income stream, your investment earnings and the payments you receive are tax free.


Typically, non-concessional contributions are made using the proceeds from larger asset sales. But there’s no minimum non-concessional contribution amount.


The non-concessional contributions maximum limit is currently $120,000 this financial year. However, under what’s known as the “three-year bring-forward rule”, you may be able to make a $360,000 non-concessional contribution this financial year. Eligibility depends on your total super balance as at 30 June of the previous financial year.


You’re then unable to make further non-concessional contributions for the next three financial years.


If you have more than $360,000 to contribute, you could use the current $120,000 annual limit before 30 June. From 1 July, the non-concessional cap increases to $130,000, allowing eligible individuals to use the three-year bring-forward rule to contribute up to $390,000, provided the bring-forward has not already been triggered before 30 June.


Speak to us if needed as there are circumstances where the “bring-forward” rule does not apply. 


Home downsizer contributions


Although this option isn’t strictly tied to the financial year end, you may be able to contribute up to $300,000 into your super fund using proceeds from selling your principal place of residence if you’re aged 55 or older. Couples can contribute up to $300,000 into their super each.


A downsizer contribution forms part of the tax-free component in your super fund. It can be made in addition to non-concessional super contributions and doesn’t count towards the annual contributions cap.


Ultimately, however, any downsizer contribution you make will count towards your transfer balance cap when you eventually move your super into pension phase.

There are a range of conditions around downsizer contributions, and it’s prudent to check these on the ATO website.


You or your spouse must have owned your home for 10 years or more prior to the sale, with your ownership calculated from the date of settlement when you bought your home.


There’s also a strict definition of what constitutes a home. It must be in Australia and can’t be a caravan, houseboat, or a mobile home.


You’re unable to use the downsizer scheme to deposit funds from the sale of an investment property. These can only be done through a non-concessional (after-tax) super contribution.


A downsizer super contribution must be made within 90 days after you receive the proceeds of your home sale. The ATO will allow for a longer period due to circumstances beyond your control.


It’s prudent to check all the conditions and your eligibility on the ATO website or speak to us for help. 


Spouse contributions


The ATO allows couples to split their annual employer concessional contributions, as well as additional salary sacrifice and personal super contributions.


There are two ways of contributing to your spouse's super:


  • You may be able to split contributions you have already made to your own super, by rolling them over to your spouse's super – known as a contributions-splitting super benefit.
  • You can make a super contribution directly to your spouse's super, treated as their non-concessional contribution, which may entitle you to a tax offset.


Any splitting of contributions must be done after the end of the financial year in which the super contributions were made.


Super splitting can be done at any age, but a spouse must be either less than age 60, or between age 60 and 65 years and not retired.


Couples wanting to split their super contributions first need to check whether their super fund allows it.


The full guidelines around contributions splitting, including eligibility and the application form that needs to be completed, are available on the ATO’s website. 


Contact us


Super and retirement planning is a complex area. 


Take care to understand the contributions types and limits carefully as there are significant tax penalties for exceeding the applicable contributions caps.


There are also aged-based limits on contributing into super.


Before making any additional contributions to your super, it’s important to consider whether this is appropriate for your personal circumstances. Super is a long-term investment, and in most cases you won’t be able to access these funds until you meet a condition of release (such as reaching preservation age and retiring).


If you’re unsure about your super options before June 30 and need some advice, contact us for more information.




The information in this article does not take into account your objectives, needs and circumstances. We recommend that you obtain investment and taxation advice specific to your investment objectives, financial situation and particular needs before making any investment decision or acting on any of the information contained in this document. Subject to law, Capstone Financial Planning nor their directors, employees or authorised representatives gives any representation or warranty as to the reliability, accuracy or completeness of the information; or accepts any responsibility for any person acting, or refraining from acting, on the basis of the information contained in this document. Principal Wealth Management Pty Ltd trading as BMO Financial Solutions ABN 53 109 336 601 is a Corporate Authorised Representative (CAR 277821) of Capstone Financial Planning Pty Ltd ABN 24 093 733 969 Australian Financial Services Licence (AFSL) No. 223135.


Important information and general advice warning

Vanguard Super Pty Ltd (ABN 73 643 614 386 / AFS Licence 526270) (the Trustee) is the trustee of Vanguard Super (ABN 27923449966) and the issuer of Vanguard Super products. The Trustee has contracted Vanguard Investments Australia Ltd (ABN 72 072 881 086 / AFS Licence 227263) (VIA) to provide some services to members of Vanguard Super. Any general advice is provided by VIA. The Trustee and VIA are both wholly owned subsidiaries of The Vanguard Group, Inc. (collectively, "Vanguard"). The retirement savings tips provided above are general in nature and don’t take into account your personal financial objectives, situation or needs. You should consider your objectives, financial situation or needs, and the Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) and Target Market Determination (TMD) before making any decision about Vanguard Super. The PDS and TMD can also be accessed free of charge by calling 1300 655 101. Before you make any financial decision regarding Vanguard Super, you may wish to seek professional advice from a suitably qualified adviser. Any past performance information is given for illustrative purposes only and should not be relied upon as, and is not, an indication of future performance. The information above is current as at time of publication and was prepared in good faith and we accept no liability for any errors or omissions. ©2026 Vanguard Investments Australia Ltd. All rights reserved.

Do you know how your super is performing?

By Nikki Ashurst • November 2, 2026
Many Australians don't know how their super fund has performed or what it invests in. Are you one of them? Here's what to check and why it matters. Do you know how your super fund performed over the last two years? Many Australians don’t and are working towards their financial future without fully understanding one of their most important assets and without a clear plan for how their super may support them in retirement. That's not surprising, as many people view super as something that should run quietly in the background while they're busy with careers, families and everything else that life throws at them. But when you’re not sure what’s happening behind your balance, it’s harder to know whether you’re on track, whether your current approach reflects your goals or what opportunities might be available to help you make the most of what you’ve built so far. Your super isn't sitting in an account, it's invested Super is invested by a fund on your behalf across a mix of assets, with those investments working to grow your balance over time. Those include: Shares Ownership in Australian and international publicly listed companies. Their value can rise and fall, sometimes substantially over short periods but shares can provide capital growth over the long term. Property and infrastructure Real assets like office buildings, shopping centres, airports and energy networks. They can produce income and don't always behave in the same way as share markets, helping diversify investment holdings. Fixed interest and bonds Lending to governments and companies in return for interest. They can provide regular income and be steadier than shares, although returns and risk vary depending on the investment. Cash Generally, the most stable and lowest risk investment type. It can provide stability and faster access to money but typically offers lower longer term return potential. The investment option you choose determines the mix of assets held in your super based on your risk appetite. Most super funds offer options from conservative to high growth. If you’re young, a growth option with a higher exposure to growth assets like shares could offer higher returns over time – but it also comes with higher risk. As retirement nears, you might want to consider a more conservative approach with more defensive assets, like bonds for example to protect your savings. If you've never made a choice, you're probably in your fund's default option, which is designed to suit a broad membership. It’s worth knowing whether the mix you're in matches your circumstances and goals, including how far you are from retirement. Why performance alone is not a true comparison If you're thinking about how your super compares, returns are often where people start. The trouble is that a return figure means nothing without context: What it's being compared to Growth and conservative options invest differently and with different levels of risk. Compare like with like or the comparison may not be genuine. The comparison period A single year can be heavily influenced by short term market conditions. Super is measured in decades, so five, seven and ten year returns tell you far more about whether a fund is consistently doing its job, albeit not a predictor of future performance. Fees and tax Published returns should reflect investment fees, costs and tax but administration fees may be charged separately from your balance. Two funds quoting the same return can leave you in meaningfully different places once all fees are accounted for. Then there are the things that returns can't show you at all. For example, what insurance is attached to your account and what it's costing you, whether the fund offers guidance, tools and advice or simply sends a statement once a year. Another consideration maybe the level of support available when you need it. When comparing funds, it's worth looking at the full picture, including performance, fees, investment options, retirement support and member benefits. What today’s decisions mean tomorrow To understand how your super stacks up, start here: Find your investment option It's on your annual statement and in your online account. Look at what's in it Your fund publishes the asset allocation (shares, cash etc.) for each investment option. Check the long-term return for that option Focus on five and ten year returns, not just last year and compare them with equivalent options. Understand the total cost Add together administration fees, investment fees and insurance premiums as an annual dollar figure. Comparing super is about working out which option will perform best for you. Before you jump in, it’s worth understanding what's behind the numbers so you can make decisions based on more than a headline return. Knowing where you stand is the first step A super balance tells you where you are today. Understanding how your super is invested, how it compares and whether it's aligned with your goals helps show whether you're heading in the right direction. Source: MLC The information in this article does not take into account your objectives, needs and circumstances. We recommend that you obtain investment and taxation advice specific to your investment objectives, financial situation and particular needs before making any investment decision or acting on any of the information contained in this document. Subject to law, Capstone Financial Planning nor their directors, employees or authorised representatives gives any representation or warranty as to the reliability, accuracy or completeness of the information; or accepts any responsibility for any person acting, or refraining from acting, on the basis of the information contained in this document. Principal Wealth Management Pty Ltd trading as BMO Financial Solutions ABN 53 109 336 601 is a Corporate Authorised Representative (CAR 277821) of Capstone Financial Planning Pty Ltd ABN 24 093 733 969 Australian Financial Services Licence (AFSL) No. 223135.

The SMSF landscape is changing

By Jude Schofield • October 7, 2026
More Australians are choosing to take direct control of their retirement savings by establishing a self-managed super fund (SMSF) and according to the SMSF Association, Aussies now see their super as an important part of building and managing their overall wealth.