Planning on making super contributions this financial year?

As we move into the fourth quarter of the financial year, it is time we turn our mind to tax planning and the things we need to be considering as 30 June approaches.

You need to be very careful of the correct timing to make superannuation contributions. Every year we hear stories of people who made contributions to super, only to find out their contribution wasn’t made in time.

You would think that in this modern age of electronic transactions, making a super contribution by way of electronic transfer or BPAY would be pretty straightforward.

Let’s assume that I plan to make a personal contribution to super. On top of that, I intend to claim a tax deduction for my contribution in the current financial year.

Being like most people, I will leave it to the very last minute and on 29 June I will go online and transfer the contribution from my bank account to my super fund. I will use their BPAY code for the payment.

It is all so simple – what could possibly go wrong?

  1. When making a super contribution by way of electronic funds transfer, the contribution is not deemed to be made until it appears in my super fund’s bank account. If I initiate the transfer on 29 June 2018 (a Friday), it may not appear in my super fund’s bank account until early in the following week – around 2 or 3 July.
  2. As my contribution was not technically received by my super fund until early July, it is unlikely I will be able to claim a tax deduction for my contribution until the 2018-19 financial year. This may result in me paying more tax than planned this year.
  3. My contribution will be counted against my contribution cap for the 2018-19 financial year. While this may generally be fine, it can create an undesirable outcome if I have also planned to maximise my contributions in the 2018-19 year.
  4. What if I have turned 65 in the 2017-18 financial year and had retired at some point during the year. As I am now 65, I will need to meet the work test (be gainfully employed for at least 40 hours worked within a period of 30 consecutive days) for my super fund to be able to accept my (2018-19) contribution.
  5. Even if I wasn’t intending to claim a tax deduction for my contributions, but instead I wanted to maximise my non-concessional contributions, not having made my 2017-18 contribution in time will have similar ramifications, particularly where I intended to maximise contributions both this year and next.

As 30 June falls on a Saturday this year, planning ahead is so important.

Where possible make your super contributions early so there is plenty of time for it to be received.

 

Source:  Peter Kelly | Centrepoint Alliance

A comfortable retirement: what and how achievable is it?

According to the Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia (ASFA) numbers, released for the September 2017 quarter, a couple will need $60,457 per annum to fund a comfortable lifestyle in retirement, assuming they own their own home and have no debt and a single person would need $44,011 per year.

So how can the income required for a comfortable retirement be funded, and how much should be put aside each year prior to retirement to accumulate the funds required to fund a comfortable retirement?

Funding a comfortable retirement

ASFA calculates that $640,000 is sufficient to fund a comfortable retirement lifestyle. Their calculations assume a couple owns their own home and will receive Government age pension support when they retire.

It is assumed that $640,000 is held in a superannuation fund and used to commence an account-based pension. However if the funds were held outside super in joint names, there wouldn’t be any significant change in the outcome, as the couple are unlikely to pay any income tax on the portfolio returns. It is also assumed that the couple’s home contents and car are valued at $25,000.

The couple, both aged 67, would only draw what they need from their superannuation account-based pension to top up their age pension income to the required level for a comfortable retirement. The level of income needed, based on ASFA’s model, decreases from approximately $60,000 per year prior to age 85, to approximately $55,000 per year – this reflects a relatively less active lifestyle as age increases.

Although their age pension entitlement is just $12,000 (approx.) per annum in the first year, that entitlement grows over time as their assets reduce – the couple become entitled to the full age pension from age 91.

This analysis indicates that the income needed could be maintained until age 99, well beyond the life expectancy of a 67 year old female (age 87.3 years) or male (age 84.6 years). The couple’s account-based pension would run out by age 101.

This outcome is sensitive to the earnings rate assumption (6.7 per cent per annum). ASFA’s assumption of 7.0 per cent per annum increases the age to which the income level can be maintained by a year, to age 100.

Other sensitive assumptions include the amount of non-financial assets ($25,000) and financial assets, for example cash holdings ($nil). These assumptions may affect the couple’s age pension entitlement, hence the amount of pension payments that need to be drawn from the account-based pension. Note that financial assets may have a net positive impact due to the additional income produced.

Saving for a comfortable retirement

Taking ASFA’s numbers ($640,000 for a couple, $545,000 for singles) as appropriate funding targets, then a natural question is:

How much should be saved each year to reach the relevant funding target?

We are focusing on a single person reaching the $545,000 (in today’s dollars) funding goal by age 67, which is the Government age pension eligibility age for those born on or after 1 January 1957.

A key feature of retirement funding for Australian employees is the compulsory superannuation contributions employers are required to make on behalf of certain employees – the Superannuation Guarantee (SG) system.

The current SG rate is 9.5 per cent of an employee’s Ordinary Time Earnings (OTE). Generally, OTE relates to ordinary hours (excluding overtime), and includes commissions, shift loadings and certain allowances. The 9.5 per cent rate will increase by 0.5 per cent per annum from 2021 to 2025, ultimately to 12 per cent.

The Average Weekly Ordinary Time Earnings (AWOTE) for the October 2017 quarter was $1,567.90 or $81,755 per year. In our modelling we have used $80,000 per year. Employees with this amount of income will have SG contributions of 9.5 per cent ($7,600 per year, paid quarterly) paid by their employer to a superannuation fund. These contributions are generally taxed at 15 per cent, so $6,460 is available to be invested by the superannuation fund each year.

Table 1 below shows that a 30 year old with earnings of $80,000 per year may accrue $536,000 in superannuation between now and retirement at age 67 from their future SG contributions alone, assuming no breaks in their employment. This amount is only slightly short of the comfortable retirement target of $545,000.

Table 1: future SG contributions accrual to age 67

Current age Current Ordinary Time Earnings
$40,000 $80,000 $120,000
       
20 $419,000 $837,000 $1,256,000
30 $268,000 $536,000 $804,000
40 $159,000 $319,000 $478,000
50 $81,000 $163,000 $244,000
60 $25,000 $51,000 $76,000

 

Table 2 below shows the amount the same individual in Table 1 would need to contribute to superannuation on an after-tax basis (non-concessional contributions) to reach the funding target of $545,000, assuming they have nothing in super currently. The 30 year old individual considered above would need to contribute only $124 per annum

Table 2: After-tax super contributions per annum to reach retirement goal at age 67

Current age Current Ordinary Time Earnings
$40,000 $80,000 $120,000
       
20 $1,109
30 $3,773 $124
40 $8,723 $5,114 $1,495
50 $20,024 $16,506 $12,988
60 $64,940 $61,765 $58,587

These charts show that many Australians may be in a position to achieve a comfortable retirement, based on ASFA’s definition and assumptions. The Australian Superannuation Guarantee system is a significant part of achieving this outcome, which relies on the currently legislated increases in the SG rate to 12 per cent.

Before making any financial decisions you should seek personal financial advice from an Australian Financial Service licensee.

 

 

Source:  Macquarie

USING SUPER TO BUY YOUR FIRST HOME

In the 2017 Federal Budget, the government announced its intention to introduce legislation that would allow first home buyers to access part of their super to purchase a home. The proposal is referred to as the First Home Super Saver (FHSS) scheme.

The relevant legislation was introduced into parliament in early September 2017 and at the time of preparing this article (late October 2017), the legislation is before the Senate.

How the scheme will work

The FHSS scheme will allow people to withdraw up to 85% of voluntary concessional contributions and up to 100% of non-concessional (after-tax) contributions, with the associated earnings on those contributions and use them towards the purchase of their first home.

Voluntary contributions include concessional contributions – contributions other than compulsory employer contributions, such as the 9.5% superannuation guarantee contributions – and non-concessional contributions – those made from after-tax income. A voluntary concessional contribution may include additional employer contributions made under a salary sacrifice arrangement and/or personal tax-deductible contributions.

The scheme will only allow access to voluntary contributions made from 1 July 2017. Voluntary contributions made in past years cannot be accessed under the FHSS scheme.

Contributions that may be withdrawn are limited to a maximum of $15,000 per annum, capped at a total of $30,000 plus associated earnings. This limit is ‘per person’. A couple may, therefore, have access to up to a combined $60,000 plus earnings.

Withdrawals under the FHSS scheme cannot be made before 1 July 2018.

Amounts withdrawn (other than non-concessional contributions) will be taxed at the individual’s marginal tax rate, however, a tax offset of 30% will apply.

Eligibility

There are a number of conditions that need to be met for a person to be eligible to participate in the FHSS scheme, including:

1. A person must not have previously held a freehold interest in real estate property in Australia in the past. This not only includes a principal residence but also extends to investment and commercial property.
2. While people under the age of 18 are able to make contributions to superannuation and are able to participate in the scheme, only a person aged 18 or over will be able to request the release of funds.
3. A person will only be able to submit a request for release of benefits provided they haven’t previously submitted a request. That is, payments under the scheme can only be accessed once.

Associated earnings

A person participating in the FHSS scheme may withdraw their contributions, plus associated earnings.

Rather than having to calculate the actual investment earnings on each contribution made under the scheme, a simplified approach is used to calculate the earnings.

For voluntary contributions made under the FHSS scheme during the 2017/18 financial year, the associated earnings will be calculated as if the contributions were made on 1 July 2017, irrespective of the date they are actually made. From 1 July 2018, associated earnings will be calculated from the first day of the month in which the contribution is made. Therefore, where contributions are made at different times during the year, associated earnings will need to be calculated in respect of each contribution.

Associated earnings have nothing to do with the actual investment earnings that may be derived by a superannuation fund in respect of the contributions. They are merely used to determine the amount that may be withdrawn from super under the FHSS scheme in addition to voluntary concessional contributions.

When calculating associated earnings, the ‘shortfall interest charge’ is used, and compounds daily. The shortfall interest rate is the 90 day Back Accepted Bill rate plus 3%. At the time of writing, the shortfall interest rate was 4.7%.

Releasing contributions

When a person wishes to withdraw contributions under the FHSS scheme, the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) will make an FHSS determination. The ATO will calculate the person’s eligible voluntary contributions and the associated earnings. The total amount is referred to as the ‘FHSS maximum release amount’.

If a person then wishes to withdraw that amount from the super, they will need to request the ATO to issue a release authority. This will then be given to their superannuation fund. A fund will be unable to release benefits under the FHSS without the release authority.

After funds have been released

Once the funds have been released, they must be used to assist with the purchase of a first home.

A person will have 12 months from the date of release to use the funds to enter a contract to purchase or construct their first home. The 12 month period may be extended at the ATO’s discretion.

Once the purchase is complete, the purchaser must live in the property for a period of at least six months in the first year. The FHSS scheme is not intended to be used to purchase an investment property.

Where a property is not purchased within 12 months, the released amount must be re-contributed back to super, or additional FHSS tax becomes payable. The tax payable on the released amount is equal to 20% of the amount released.

Is the FHSS scheme a good thing?

Making voluntary contributions to super with the view of withdrawing them to help purchase a first home will depend on an individual’s personal circumstances. Making additional voluntary contributions to super provides discipline. The money can’t simply be accessed for other purposes such as an overseas trip or a new car. It is set aside for the purchase of a first home, or it is locked away for retirement.

In the end, individuals will need to consider their own situation when deciding if the scheme is appropriate for them. Appropriate financial advice will be essential.

 

 

Source: Peter Kelly | Centrepoint Alliance