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Superannuation Update Print
Thursday, 03 July 2008 07:19

The changes to superannuation announced in the 2006 federal budget have been legislation and commenced on 1 July 2007. Some of the opportunities and changes to superannuation are summarised below:

Catalyst Financial

Superannuation Update

The changes to superannuation announced in the 2006 federal budget have been legislation and commenced on 1 July 2007. Some of the opportunities and changes to superannuation are summarised below:

Superannuation Opportunities
 
  1. Taxpayers who are 60 and over can convert taxable salary into a tax free pension payment from their superannuation funds;
  1. Taxpayers who are over 60 and retired or over 65 and still working can access tax free lump sum payments from their superannuation funds;
  1. Taxpayers who are 55 and over can commence a transition to retirement pension and access a 15% tax offset;
  1. All assets invested in pension phase in a superannuation fund will generate tax free income and tax free capital gains in the superannuation fund.
New Contribution Limits from 1 July 2007
 

Contribution Type
Treatment before 30 June 2007
Treatment from 1 July 2007
Undeducted Contributions (these are made voluntarily by taxpayers out of after tax income)
Limited to $1 million for people under 75 eligible to contribute to super
Limited to $150,000 per year or $450,000 averaged over 3 years for people under 65
 
Employer Contributions for people aged 50 and over (these are made by employers out of pre tax income)
Deduction is limited to $105,113
Limited to $100,000 per year until 30 June 2012
Employer Contributions for people under 50 (these are made by employers out of pre tax income)
Deduction is limited to $42,384 for people aged 35 to 49 and $15,260 for people under 35
Limited to $50,000 per year
Self Employed / eligible person contributions (these are made by eligible self employed people out of pre tax income)
First $5,000 is deductible and then 75% of the amount over $5,000 limited to a maximum deduction equal to the age based limits above
Same as limits above for employer contributions.