Proudly sponsored by Hostplus.
Superannuation is a powerful resource for workers in Australia. For many, it will prove to be one of, if not the biggest investment of their lives. And while some employees may be comfortable to build their nest egg with employer-lead superannuation guarantee (SG) contributions alone, others may prefer to top up their accounts with additional contributions of their own. Depending on their individual circumstance and retirement goals there are a variety of options available ranging from one-off, after-tax deposits through to pre-tax contributions like salary sacrifice.
Salary sacrifice is a popular and effective option for members looking to grow their superannuation balance. In addition to SG payments, ongoing or lump-sum amounts can be taken from your staff’s income before tax and deposited directly into their super accounts. Because this type of contribution is taxed at just 15% – typically lower than an employee’s marginal tax rate of up to 47%, your staff can effectively retain a greater portion of their earnings.
Hostplus can help your organisation make the necessary arrangements with your staff and facilitate the additional contributions via the QuickSuper clearing house ensuring the contributions are processed in accordance with legislative requirements. QuickSuper also offers accurate and detailed reporting so you can be confident your obligations to both your staff and the tax office will be met every time.
Low, and middle-income earners in your organisation may benefit from government assistance to boost their super. The Low-Income Superannuation Tax Offset (LISTO) and government co-contribution are both designed to help workers retire with more. The LISTO means members with an adjustable taxable income of up to $37,000 can receive up to $500 in refunded contributions tax paid into their super account. Similarly, workers earning between $38,564 and $53,564 in the 2019-20 financial year who make personal after-tax contributions can receive up to an extra $500 to their accounts from the government. The Australian Tax Office (ATO) will determine eligibility for both the LISTO and government co-contribution during end of financial year tax assessments and the payments will be made automatically to members’ accounts.
Superannuation is a long-term investment and Hostplus continues to deliver exceptional long-term investment performance. According to data released by SuperRatings, our MySuper Balanced investment option has delivered highest, or second highest returns to members over the 20, 15, 10, 7, 5 and 3 year periods to 30 June 2019*. And while results like this deliver obvious benefits to members, when it comes to retirement, a larger balance is almost always likely to be desirable. Hostplus members can enjoy a no-obligation discussion with a licensed financial planner at no additional cost to help them better plan for the future. Planners can help your staff to assess the best strategies available to them right now to benefit them today and tomorrow.
To learn more about how salary sacrifice, government co-contributions and how our financial planning services could help your staff, visit hostplus.com.au
*Hostplus Balanced investment option, number one Fund over 7 years (11.13% p.a.) (48 funds), 5 years (9.65% p.a.) (48 funds) and 3 years (10.80% p.a.) (48 funds), and number two Fund over 20 years (8.10% p.a.) (21 funds), 15 years (8.16% p.a.) (29 funds) and 10 years (9.67% p.a.) (45 funds) – SuperRatings Fund Crediting Rate Survey, June 2019. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance.