Spouse contributions are contributions you make on behalf of your partner from your after-tax income. Depending on how much your partner earns, adding to your partner’s super can help secure a brighter retirement for your partner, and may save you on tax.
Potential benefits
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Grow your partner’s super -
Save on income tax
Considerations
You must be married or in a de facto relationship with your partner to make super contributions on their behalf. You must also both be Australian residents.
If you’re making after-tax contributions to your partner’s super, your partner needs to be under age 75, to be eligible to receive spouse contributions.
You can only make spouse contributions if we have your spouse’s tax file number and limits apply to how much you can contribute.
You should consider your debt levels before adding to your partner’s super.
You should consider you and your partner's financial circumstances, contribution caps, and tax issues before adding to your partner’s super. Consider getting financial advice before deciding if spouse contribution arrangements are right for you and your partner.
Contributing before tax
You can also contribute to your partner’s super by splitting up to 85% of your before-tax super contributions. Before-tax contributions include employer contributions, salary sacrifice contributions you make and any after-tax contributions you make that you claim a tax deduction for.
Super on Paid Parental Leave
Under the new Superannuation on Parental Leave Pay legislation, eligible parents with babies born or adopted on or after July 1, 2025 will receive a superannuation contribution to your nominated super fund. This contribution will be based on the Superannuation Guarantee, which is 12% of your Parental Leave Pay.
The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) will make lump sum payments, including interest, to your superannuation fund starting in July 2026. These payments will occur after the end of each financial year in which the Parental Leave Pay was received.
Parents will continue to apply for Parental Leave Pay through Services Australia, who will assess eligibility for both the payment and the superannuation contribution. Learn more.
