Super co-contribution: What is the government co-contribution scheme?

Earn less than $62,488? You could get a government bonus paid to your super every year. Here's who qualifies.

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By

Alison Banney

&

Sarah Megginson

Updated

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Key takeaways

  • The super co-contribution is available to those who earn less than $64,293 per year.
  • You must make at least 1 personal super contribution of your own throughout the year.
  • If eligible, you'll receive the co-contribution automatically and don't need to apply for it.

What is the super co-contribution?

The government superannuation co-contribution is an initiative designed to give a boost to the retirement savings of low and middle-income Australians.

Eligible Australians earning below a certain amount will be entitled to have any extra personal contributions they make towards their super matched by the government. This is matched at a rate of 50c for every $1 you contribute, to a maximum of $500.

Who is eligible for the government co-contribution?

To receive the government super co-contribution you need to meet the below income test, plus all the following criteria:

  • At least 10% of your income needs to come from employment or from running your own business
  • You've made at least 1 personal (after-tax) contribution to your super within the financial year
  • You're less than 71 years old
  • You're a permanent Australian resident and don't hold a temporary resident visa
  • You must lodge a tax return

The income test takes into account your total income, including your wages or salary, investment earnings, assessable income, reportable fringe benefits and reportable employer super contributions.

Income eligibility test

The 2026/27 financial year income tests are:

  • If your annual income is less than $49,293: You're entitled to the full co-contribution of $500.
  • If your annual income is between $49,293 and $64,293: You're entitled to part of the government co-contribution. The contribution amount will gradually decrease the more you earn, and it's calculated by the ATO using a complicated formula.
  • If you earn more than $64,293: You're not eligible for any co-contribution.

That is, you receive the maximum co-contribution of $500 if your income is equal to or less than the lower threshold ($49,293) and you make personal contributions of up to $1,000 into your super account. The government matches your contributions with 50c for every dollar you put in, with a potential maximum of $500 for the financial year.

Examples

Let's explore how the co-contribution scheme works through a couple of fictional examples.

Example 1

Matt works part-time as an administrative assistant with an annual salary of $36,000, and meets all eligibility requirements for a co-contribution. He contributes $40 each fortnight to his super account, totalling $1,040 in the 2025/26 financial year.

Matt is eligible for a co-contribution of $500, which the ATO will pay directly into his super account in November 2026.

Example 2

Hassan, a 45-year-old delivery driver, earns $50,000 annually in wages and receives $5,000 in investment income. His total income is $55,000 and in the 2026/27 financial year, Hassan contributed an extra $2,000 to his super account. Hassan is eligible for a super co-contribution worth $310 as his total income of $55,000 p.a. is between $49,293 and $64,293.

How to get the government super co-contribution

If you're eligible to receive the government super co-contribution it will be applied automatically to your super account, so you don't need to do anything. The government will use your income statement from your annual tax return to calculate how much of the co-contribution you're eligible for. Here's how it works:

  • The co-contribution will be applied to your super account once a year.
  • You can't receive the money directly into your bank account. Once added to your super, the co-contribution can't be withdrawn until you've met a condition of release (such as when you've retired).
  • The ATO makes most super co-contribution payments between November and January each year for personal contributions made in the previous financial year.
  • Once the government co-contribution is applied to your super account, you'll receive a letter or an email from the ATO confirming you've received the payment.

How to make your own voluntary super contributions

You can transfer money from your bank account into your super account at any time you like via direct debit. This is the same process as transferring money to another bank account.

The money that your employer pays towards your super (known as the super guarantee) doesn't count as a personal contribution for this scheme. Money that you salary sacrifice into your super from your pre-tax income also does not count – it needs to be a personal contribution from your post-tax income.

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Our expert says: Making a personal contribution

"You don't need to make your personal contribution in one lump sum. You can make smaller contributions throughout the year, which might be easier to manage as you can set up a direct debit to your super each week or month.

The government will add up your total personal contributions across the year when calculating your co-contribution amount."

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Editorial Manager, Money

Finder survey: Do Australians make additional contributions into their super fund?

ResponseFemaleMale
No47.04%40.24%
Yes24.28%30.28%
Source: Finder survey by Pure Profile of 1016 Australians, December 2023

Why was the Government super co-contribution scheme created?

The government super co-contribution scheme was created to help lift the super balances of Australians with lower incomes.

Because the compulsory superannuation guarantee sees 12% of your pay directed into your super, those with higher incomes will also have higher super balances. This means Australians with lower incomes throughout their working life can retire with hundreds of thousand of dollars less, especially if they aren't making any extra contributions themselves.

To help combat this, the government designed the co-contribution initiative to not only contribute some money to the super funds of low-income earners, but to encourage low-income earners to make voluntary contributions to their super.

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Expert insight

"The government co-contribution is one of my favourite super incentives as it's essentially free money."

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Pascale Helyar
Superannuation and wealth expert

Are children eligible for the co-contribution?

Yes, children are eligible for the Australian Government superannuation co-contribution, provided they meet the same strict eligibility criteria as adults. There is no minimum age to receive it.

Do I pay tax on the co-contribution?

If you receive a co-contribution this will go directly into your super, so it won't be assessed as income when you lodge your tax return. It also won't be taxed when it's deposited into your super account.

However, the investment earnings on the money will be taxed in the same way that all your super investment earnings are taxed. This money will come out of the returns before it's applied to your super balance, so you don't need to do anything.

Not eligible for the co-contribution?

If you're not eligible to earn the government super co-contribution, don't worry, there are lots of other ways to boost your super balance. Read our 6-step guide to growing your super balance for some ideas. Additionally to learn more about other contributions have a read of our super contributions guide or if you want to make extra contributions to your spouse, then read our spouse super contribution guide.

The first step to boosting your super balance is to make sure you're with a high-performing, low-fee super fund. You can see some of our best super fund picks to get started.

Frequently asked questions

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Written by

Editorial Manager, Money
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Alison is an editor at Finder and a personal finance journalist with over 10 years of experience, having contributed to major financial institutions and publications such as Westpac, Money Magazine, and Yahoo Finance. She is frequently quoted in media outlets like SmartCompany and SBS, offering expert insights on superannuation and money management. Alison holds a Bachelor of Communications in Public Relations and Journalism from the University of Newcastle, and has earned three ASIC RG146 certifications in superannuation, securities and managed investments and general financial advice, ensuring her expertise is fully aligned with ASIC standards. See full bio

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Alison has written 592 Finder guides across topics including:
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Sarah is the author of How to Raise Rich Kids. With over 20 years of experience in property, finance and investment journalism, she is a trusted expert whose insights regularly appear across television, radio and print media, including Sunrise, Channel 7 News, Bloomberg and Yahoo! Finance. She has previously served as managing editor for Your Investment Property and Australian Broker. Her expert advice has been shared in the media over 4,000 times. Sarah holds a Bachelor’s degree in Communications and a Tier 1 Generic Knowledge certification, which complies with ASIC standards. See full bio

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Sarah has written 225 Finder guides across topics including:
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