Super Contribution Caps 2026-27
Key superannuation numbers for the 2026-27 financial year. The concessional cap has increased to $32,500 and the general transfer balance cap has risen to $2,100,000, while the employer SG rate holds steady at 12%.
Looking for last year's caps? See the 2025-26 edition.
Key Numbers at a Glance
Concessional Contributions ($32,500)
Concessional (before-tax) contributions are taxed at 15% within your super fund — generally less than your marginal tax rate. They include:
- Employer SG contributions — 12% of your ordinary time earnings
- Salary sacrifice — additional before-tax amounts redirected to super
- Personal deductible contributions — contributions you claim as a tax deduction
The combined total of all concessional contributions must not exceed $32,500 per financial year (unless using carry-forward — see below).
Carry-Forward Unused Cap
If your total super balance was below $500,000 at 30 June of the previous year, you can use any unused concessional cap amounts from the past 5 financial years.
For example, if you only contributed $20,000 in concessional contributions last year, you have $10,000 in unused cap space that can be carried forward.
| Scenario | Available Cap |
|---|---|
| Standard cap (no carry-forward) | $32,500 |
| With 1 year unused ($10k unused) | $42,500 |
| With 3 years unused ($10k each) | $62,500 |
| Maximum (5 years fully unused)* | $195,000 |
*Actual carry-forward amounts depend on the cap applicable in each prior year (e.g. $30,000 in 2024-25 and 2025-26, $27,500 from 2021-22 to 2023-24, $25,000 before that). The maximum shown assumes $32,500 for all years as a simplified illustration.
Non-Concessional Contributions ($130,000)
Non-concessional (after-tax) contributions are not taxed going into super because you've already paid income tax on them. The annual cap is $130,000.
Bring-forward rule
The bring-forward rule is triggered when you contribute more than $130,000 in a financial year, or when you intend to. It lets you pull up to 3 years of non-concessional cap into a single year, up to $390,000 over 3 years. To be eligible you must be under 75 at the start of the year, and your total super balance (TSB) must be below the general transfer balance cap ($2,100,000) as measured on 30 June of the prior financial year.
Exactly how many years you can bring forward depends on where your TSB sits on 30 June 2026:
| TSB on 30 June 2026 | Bring-forward period | Max NCC over period |
|---|---|---|
| Under $1,840,000 | 3 years | $390,000 |
| $1,840,000 to under $1,970,000 | 2 years | $260,000 |
| $1,970,000 to under $2,100,000 | 1 year (no bring-forward) | $130,000 |
| $2,100,000 or more | Not eligible | $0 |
The $1,840,000 and $1,970,000 cutoffs are derived from the general transfer balance cap ($2,100,000) less two and one years of the $130,000 annual cap respectively.
Division 293 Tax
Division 293 imposes an additional 15% tax on concessional super contributions for high-income earners, bringing the total super tax to 30%.
It applies when your income plus concessional contributions exceed $250,000. The additional tax is on the lesser of:
- Your concessional contributions, or
- The amount by which your Division 293 income exceeds $250,000
| Income | SG (12%) | Div 293 Income | Div 293 Tax |
|---|---|---|---|
| $200,000 | $24,000 | $224,000 | Nil |
| $230,000 | $27,600 | $257,600 | $1,140 |
| $250,000 | $30,000 | $280,000 | $4,500 |
| $280,000 | $33,600 | $313,600 | $5,040 |
| $300,000 | $36,000 | $336,000 | $5,400 |
Employer SG Rate History
| Financial Year | SG Rate |
|---|---|
| 2026-27 | 12.0% |
| 2025-26 | 12.0% |
| 2024-25 | 11.5% |
| 2023-24 | 11.0% |
| 2022-23 | 10.5% |
| 2021-22 | 10.0% |
Frequently asked questions
What is the concessional contribution cap for 2026-27?
What is the non-concessional contribution cap?
How much can I bring forward if my total super balance is $1.8M?
What are carry-forward contributions?
What is Division 293 tax?
What is the employer SG rate for 2026-27?
What happens if I exceed the concessional cap?
Plan your super strategy
Use our Superannuation Calculator to project your retirement balance, or the Salary Sacrifice Calculator to see how additional contributions affect your take-home pay.
Tax Accuracy & Sources
This page covers the 2026-27 concessional and non-concessional contribution caps, carry-forward rules, and Division 293 threshold. It does not calculate individual carry-forward balances or account for defined benefit funds.