Register For Our Mailing List

Register to receive our free weekly newsletter including editorials.

Register

7 April 2026

Home / 174

10 quick points on super reform for dummies

  •   22 September 2016
  • 2
  •      
  •   

This is a quick snapshot of the proposed superannuation changes announced by the Government (as at Friday 16 September 2016, that is).

  1. The Government is legislating an objective of superannuation against which all changes will be measured. Broadly, the primary objective of super will be to supplement or replace the age pension. This objective has some problems, including that super funds currently pay out on events unrelated to pensions, they pay out lump sums and they pay money to beneficiaries other than the superannuation fund member.
  2. Income on account balances paying a pension up to maximum of $1.6 million will be tax-exempt. Any income from assets above that will be taxed in a fund at 15% or the excess can be taken out.
  3. If taxable income is above $250,000 pa, the tax rate is 30% on contributions to a super fund, not the usual 15%.
  4. Non concessional contributions will be capped at $100,000 pa or $300,000 over any three-year period before age 65, and once there is $1.6 million in a fund, no more non-concessional contributions can be made.
  5. If income is less than $37,000 pa the Government will refund the contribution tax to the fund.
  6. Employees can receive a deduction for up to $25,000 pa of contributions less what their employer has contributed.
  7. One spouse can contribute up to $3000 to the other spouse’s super account whose income is less than $40,000, and the first spouse gets an 18% tax offset on what they have contributed.
  8. Income on deferred annuities will be tax exempt.
  9. Extra payments made by funds on the death of a member will not be tax deductible.
  10. Fund income supporting a pension while a person is working will be taxable at 15% not 0%.

All these changes commence from 1 July 2017 so get cracking!

 

Gordon Mackenzie is a Senior Lecturer in taxation and superannuation law at the Australian School of Business, University of New South Wales. This article is a brief summary of the major points, it does not consider the needs of any individual and does not summarise all aspects of the proposals, which have yet to be legislated.

 

  •   22 September 2016
  • 2
  •      
  •   
2 Comments
PPayne
September 22, 2016

6.Employees can receive a deduction for up to $25,000 pa of contributions less what their employer has contributed

Can someone speak on our behalf.
If you are over 50 years the limit for Concessional Contributions was $35000. (This is excluding the 9.5% employers super SGC guarantee). Please can this be re-instated. It has been reduced to $25000 for everyone (including >50 years).
This is the time when you can build a bit more I your super and it is not fair to target this group.

Ben
September 28, 2016

Yes this is not smart in my opinion, lowering the amount to $25,000, when interest rates are so low and likely future returns even on the stock market will be low. Only public servants with their assured tax payer funded defined pension schemes would let this get proposed. Ivory towers in Canberra!

The elderly are usually advised to keep a solid proportion of their income producing assets in fixed interest not shares/stocks. With Aust 10 year Gov bond under 2% that means $500,000 will yield $10,000 annually. This will likely result in more people needing more pensions from the taxpayer not less.

If people put more into shares, and there's a significant crash/drop what will this mean? How many could cash out at the worst time?

Meddling with the world famous super scheme Australia introduced is unwise. Anyway in our view Aust Gov.s in the future will not have enough money as in other welfare dependent and demographically challenged developed countries and the private Super monies will be even more attractive for treasury to 'raise money' from. Beware.

 

Leave a Comment:

RELATED ARTICLES

The Division 296 tax is still a quasi-wealth tax

No, Division 296 does not tax franking credits twice

'Rorts and rip-offs’ prevention in super legislation

Firstlinks is sponsored by:
banner

Most viewed in recent weeks

Want your loved ones to inherit your super? You can’t afford to skip this one step

One in five Australians die before retirement and most have not set up their super properly so their loved ones can benefit from all their hard work and savings. 

Super is catching up, but ageing is a triple-threat

An ageing Australia is shifting the superannuation system’s focus from accumulation to the lifecycle of retirement. While these pressures have been anticipated for decades, they are now converging at scale and driving widespread industry change.

Has Australia wasted the last 30 years?

The 20 years after Peter Costello left Treasury have been deemed wasted...by Peter Costello. The missed opportunities for Australia began long before.  

Indexation implications – key changes to 2026/27 super thresholds

Stay on top of the latest changes to superannuation rates and thresholds for 2026, including increases to transfer balance cap, concessional contributions cap, and non-concessional contributions cap.

The 5% deposit scheme is bad for homeowners and Australia

An ‘affordability’ scheme making the county more vulnerable to economic shocks and contributing to the deteriorating financial situation of everyday Australians.

The refinery problem: A different kind of energy crisis in 2026

The Strait of Hormuz closure due to US-Iran conflict severely disrupted global energy supply chains. While various emergency measures mitigated the crude impact, the refined product market faces unprecedented stress.

Latest Updates

Superannuation

Indexation implications – key changes to 2026/27 super thresholds

Stay on top of the latest changes to superannuation rates and thresholds for 2026, including increases to transfer balance cap, concessional contributions cap, and non-concessional contributions cap.

Economy

Central banks need higher inflation targets

In a shift away from solely targeting low inflation, central banks are considering raising inflation targets to combat economic challenges, but face potential drawbacks and conflicts in policy implementation.

Exchange traded products

The missing 30%: how LIC returns are understated, and why it matters

The perceived underperformance of LICs compared to ETFs is due to existing comparison data excluding crucial information, highlighting the need for proper assessment and transparent reporting.

Latest from Morningstar

Alpha isn’t dead. You’ve just been measuring it wrong

New research shows smarter portfolio construction—not new factors—is the real edge in the hunt for alpha. However, finding it requires a fundamentally different mindset.

Investment strategies

The diversification illusion: why 'balanced' portfolios may be exposed

Many 'diversified' portfolios are increasingly driven by the same narrow set of forces. As concentration builds beneath the surface, understanding how portfolios behave - not just how they’re constructed - is critical for investors.

Investment strategies

The case for staying the course in credit

Rising oil prices and inflation pushed Australian yields higher. Markets expect further tightening, but weaker growth may reverse rates. Locking income and maintaining duration is a sound strategy for widening credit spreads.

Investment strategies

One risk after another

Investors often focus on front-of-mind risks, reacting to each headline event without considering long-term impacts. Cass Sunstein and Timur Kuran define this as an "availability cascade," affecting financial decision-making.

Sponsors

Alliances

Site Map

About Firstlinks

© 2026 Morningstar, Inc. All rights reserved.

Disclaimer
The data, research and opinions provided here are for information purposes; are not an offer to buy or sell a security; and are not warranted to be correct, complete or accurate. Morningstar, its affiliates, and third-party content providers are not responsible for any investment decisions, damages or losses resulting from, or related to, the data and analyses or their use. To the extent any content is general advice, it has been prepared for clients of Morningstar Australasia Pty Ltd (ABN: 95 090 665 544, AFSL: 240892), without reference to your financial objectives, situation or needs. For more information refer to our Financial Services Guide. You should consider the advice in light of these matters and if applicable, the relevant Product Disclosure Statement before making any decision to invest. Past performance does not necessarily indicate a financial product’s future performance. To obtain advice tailored to your situation, contact a professional financial adviser. Articles are current as at date of publication.
This website contains information and opinions provided by third parties. Inclusion of this information does not necessarily represent Morningstar’s positions, strategies or opinions and should not be considered an endorsement by Morningstar.