You can open a spouse account for your spouse, if they meet the eligibility criteria and are aged under 70. Making spouse contributions may be tax-effective for you if your spouse is a low income earner, as you may be entitled to claim a tax rebate.
You and your spouse must complete an application form to open a spouse account. Please refer to the Fact Sheet: Spouse accounts for more information.
Any after-tax contributions you make for your spouse count towards your spouse’s annual non-concessional (after tax) contributions cap.
When you open a spouse account, your partner can enjoy many of the benefits that you do for being a Health Super member.
Tax rebate on spouse accounts
Under current rules, if your spouse earns less than $10,800 a year, you can claim a rebate of 18% on the first $3,000 of your contributions, saving up to $540 a year. The $3,000 threshold reduces by $1 for every $1 that your spouse earns over $10,800, and reduces to nil if your spouse earns more than $13,800. Other eligibility criteria apply (for example, both you and your spouse must not be living separately and apart on a permanent basis when the spouse contributions are made).
Your spouse may also qualify for the Government Co-Contributions on their own after-tax contributions to the spouse account. For further information about relevant eligibility criteria (including what counts as income when calculating your spouse's earnings), please refer to the ATO website or call 13 10 20.
How do you make a contribution to your spouse’s superannuation?
Once the spouse account has been opened and you’ve made an initial deposit by cheque (of at least $200), you can then make contributions to your spouse’s super by:
- Regular after-tax contributions – just ask your employer to deduct your nominated amount (either a monetary value or percentage) from your salary each pay period and put it into your spouse’s super (check with your employer to see if they allow this). Alternatively, you can download the Boost my superannuation form and return it to your HR/Payroll department so they can process your request.
- Lump sum payments – to make a one off payment, all you need to do is complete the Boost my super form and return it to Health Super with a cheque for the amount you wish to contribute.
- Direct debit – to top up your spouse’s super directly from your nominated bank account, complete the Boost my super form.
- BPAY – to make a contribution into your spouse’s account, please use the following reference numbers:
