Government co-contributions

How does it work?

It’s SUPER simple, you don’t really have to do anything. When you lodge your tax return, the ATO will work out if you're eligible. As long as we have your tax file number, the ATO will pay the contribution directly into your super account.

How much extra could you get?

The amount of government co-contribution you could get depends on your income plus the amount you contribute for that financial year. To make it simple, we’ve put examples of your minimum after-tax contribution and the maximum government co-contribution in the table below for each salary.

Each year, the Government's co-contribution scheme could mean up to $500 extra towards your retirement nest egg. If your total income is less than $49,293 (in the 2026/27 financial year) and you make after-tax contributions to your super, the Government will boost your super with a co-contribution of 50 cents for every $1 of those contributions up to a maximum co-contribution of $500. If your total income is between $49,293 and $64,293 in the 2026/27 financial year your maximum entitlement will reduce progressively as your income increases.

If you want to get a better estimate of what you could receive, head over to the ATO Super co-contributions calculator. 

So, could you be eligible?

To check if you're eligible for a government super co-contribution, here are some of the criteria that you need to meet:

• You need to have earned less than $64,293 in the 2026-27 financial year and lodged a tax return.

• You need to have made an after-tax contribution into your super during the relevant financial year. It's important to note that this contribution should not exceed your after-tax contributions cap of $130,000 per financial year, and you shouldn't have claimed a deduction for any of it.

• You need to be under 71 years old at the end of the relevant financial year and a permanent Australian resident (with some exceptions for New Zealand citizens and certain people holding temporary visas).

• Your total superannuation balance should be less than the general transfer balance cap for the previous financial year which is $2.1 million (2026-27 financial year)

If you meet all the criteria above and want to know more about how the ATO calculates and pays government co-contributions, you can visit their website for additional information.