Accumulation Phase and Contributions
Contribution types and caps
Contributions are concessional (pre-tax: employer SG, salary sacrifice, personal deductible) or non-concessional (after-tax). Candidates must know the annual concessional cap (indexed; commonly $30,000, with an unused-cap carry-forward for balances under $500,000) and the non-concessional cap (four times the concessional cap, subject to the total super balance threshold). The Division 293 tax adds 15% for higher-income earners. Contributions are taxed at 15% in the fund (30% for high earners under Div 293).
Eligibility and work test
Personal contributions require a tax file number, and the work test (or work test exemption) applies to certain contributions for members aged 67–74. The bring-forward rule allows up to three years of non-concessional contributions, tiered by total super balance.
Traps
Questions frequently test whether a contribution is counted in the year received, whether excess concessional contributions are taxed at marginal rates with an offset, and the interaction of the total super balance with the non-concessional cap. Watch for salary sacrifice being treated as an employer (concessional) contribution, not a personal one.
Worked example
A 45-year-old earns $200,000. Employer SG plus salary sacrifice totals $30,000 (within the concessional cap). Because income exceeds $250,000 including contributions, Div 293 adds 15% tax on the excess, making the effective rate 30% on those contributions.