What even is the Super co-contribution?

If you have Super and you put some of your own after-tax money into it, the government may throw in extra, up to $500 a year. That's the Super co-contribution. You don't apply for it. Lodge your tax return and the ATO works out if you're eligible, then pays it into your fund.

It's an optional extra if you already have Super. If Super is new, start with Super 101 for your first job.

How does the Super co-contribution work?

You put money into Super from your take-home pay. That's a personal non-concessional contribution: after-tax money you put in yourself. It's not the Super your boss pays, and it's not salary sacrifice.

If you're eligible and your income is under the lower threshold, put in $1,000 and the government adds $500. That's a 50% match. Between the two thresholds the amount drops off as your income rises, and above the higher threshold you get nothing.

For 2026-27, the ATO thresholds are:

• Lower: $49,293 (full $500 if you contribute $1,000)
• Higher: $64,293 (nothing from this point)
• Matching rate: 50%, max $500

For 2025-26 they were $47,488 and $62,488. Thresholds move each year, so check ato.gov.au for the year you're in.

Who's eligible?

In short, you need to:

• put after-tax money into a complying Super fund during the financial year
• earn under the higher income threshold
• earn at least 10% of your total income from work or a business
• be under 71 at the end of the financial year
• not hold a temporary visa (unless you're a New Zealand citizen or on a specific prescribed visa)
• lodge your tax return for that year
• have your Super balance under the transfer balance cap (most first-job people are nowhere near this)
• stay under your non-concessional contributions cap

Your fund also needs your TFN, or it can't accept the payment. What even is a TFN?

A worked example

Sam is 22, works casually and earns about $35,000, under the lower threshold. Sam puts $40 a fortnight from take-home pay into Super, about $1,040 for the year, meets the other rules and lodges a return. The ATO pays $500 into Sam's fund, where it grows with the rest of the pile.

You can put it in as one lump or drip it through the year. It just needs to hit your fund by 30 June.

Should I take advantage of the Super co-contribution in my early 20s?

If you fit the income tests and your Emergency Fund and Investing habit are already running, it's a nice optional boost. A few things to weigh:

• The money is locked. Your contribution and the government's both sit in Super under the usual preservation rules. You generally can't get either out until you're much older.
• Cover the basics first. An Emergency Fund for surprises and your Investing pot (aim for at least 10% of your pay) both come before parking extra in Super.
• Your take-home week still needs to hold. Don't starve Everyday spends or Fun to chase the $500.

If those are sorted, great. If not, leave it for another year. It's not a test you have to pass.

How to do it, if you want it

1. Check this year's income thresholds on the ATO site
2. Ask your Super fund how to make a personal contribution, and make sure they've got your TFN
3. Put the money in by 30 June (a drip or a lump)
4. Lodge your tax return for that year
5. Wait. The ATO usually pays co-contributions between November and January. It shows up on your next fund statement.

No special form. There's a co-contribution calculator on the ATO site if you want an estimate first.

How this fits with the rest of your Super

The co-contribution sits alongside the other ways Super can grow:

• Super guarantee: the percentage your employer pays (if you're eligible)
• Salary sacrifice: optional, before-tax money you choose to put in
• Personal after-tax contributions: which can unlock the co-contribution if you're eligible

None of them replace your Investing pot outside Super, the pile you control and can use before you're old. More on putting extra into Super: How do I even salary sacrifice into Super?

See also

Super 101 for your first job · What even is the Super guarantee? · How do I even salary sacrifice into Super? · How do I even check my Super is landing? · First Pay Playbook