In Australia, you generally stop paying tax on withdrawals from your superannuation (super) when you reach 60 years of age. At this age, payments from a taxed super fund become entirely tax-free.
How much tax you pay on retirement income depends on your age and the type of income stream. For most people, an income stream from superannuation will be tax-free from age 60. If someone has died and you need information on tax paid on their super death benefit, see tax and super.
To retire on $70,000 a year in Australia, a single person typically needs around $800,000 - $1.1 million, while a couple might need about $700,000 - $1.1 million, depending on if you're single/couple, your age, and if you own your home outright, with estimates suggesting a balance of roughly $690,000 combined for couples and $595,000 for singles for a comfortable lifestyle. The exact amount varies, but expect figures in the $700k to over $1M range for a comfortable life, assuming you get the Age Pension and own your home.
2) Excess Contributions Tax. This tax applies when your contributions exceed your contribution threshold in a tax year. This tax is designed to remove and tax benefit from the contributions over the cap. It does this by taxing you at your marginal rate. It then gives you a 15% offset as this part is paid by your fund.
All income payments received by you personally from an account-based pension are tax-free from age 60 onwards.
No tax is payable on either lump sum payments or account-based pension payments received on or after age 60. By converting your super account to an account-based pension account, investment earnings – including realised net capital gains – are generally tax-free within your pension account.
Yes, retiring comfortably with $500,000 is achievable. This amount can support an annual withdrawal of up to $34,000, covering a 25-year period from age 60 to 85. If your lifestyle can be maintained at $30,000 per year or about $2,500 per month, then $500,000 should be sufficient for a secure retirement.
Personal super contributions
You don't pay any contributions tax on non-concessional contributions. If you claim a tax deduction for personal super contributions, they become part of your concessional contributions. You may be able to claim a tax deduction on any personal super contributions you make until you turn 75.
Super income stream
This is when you withdraw funds from your super as a regular income. Our Choice Income account-based pension is an example of an income stream. It is available to set up when you're over 60 and retired. If you're over 60, income payments are generally tax-free.
You can contribute up to $30,000 each year. These are contributions you have not paid any personal income tax on. They are called 'concessional contributions' because the concessional rate of tax paid on super is 15%. This is less than the lowest income tax rate of 16% (if you earn more than $18,200 per year).
While exact real-time figures vary, recent analyses suggest hundreds of thousands of Australians hold over $1 million in superannuation, though it's a minority, with estimates from around 2021 pointing to over 400,000 people, a number that has grown significantly due to investment returns, though many still don't reach this milestone. About 2.5% of the population held >$1 million in super as of mid-2021 (around 417,000 people), with forecasts indicating a larger number, while projections suggest over 10% of women and 15% of men retiring by 2060 could reach this goal, and recent studies highlight that a large majority (around 94%) of retirees don't hit $1 million.
The top ten financial mistakes most people make after retirement are:
$800,000 in retirement can last anywhere from 15 to over 30 years, depending heavily on your annual spending, investment returns (e.g., 4-6%), and lifestyle (e.g., modest vs. comfortable), but factors like inflation, taxes, and fees also significantly impact longevity, with higher spending and lower returns depleting funds faster. For example, spending $50k/year with good growth might last decades, while spending $60k-$70k with modest returns could see it gone in 20-25 years.
The 3-year bring-forward rule allows Members in an SMSF to contribute more than the Non-Concessional Contribution (after-tax Contributions) cap of $120,000 during a 3-year financial period from 1 July 2024. From 1 July 2021 to 30 June 2024, the non-concessional contributions cap was $110,000.
To retire on $70,000 a year in Australia, a single person typically needs around $800,000 - $1.1 million, while a couple might need about $700,000 - $1.1 million, depending on if you're single/couple, your age, and if you own your home outright, with estimates suggesting a balance of roughly $690,000 combined for couples and $595,000 for singles for a comfortable lifestyle. The exact amount varies, but expect figures in the $700k to over $1M range for a comfortable life, assuming you get the Age Pension and own your home.
The government has announced that the State Pension age (SPa) timetable will, for the time being, remain unchanged from the current legislated timetable: SPa will increase from 66 to 67 – between April 2026 and April 2028. SPa will increase from 67 to 68 – between April 2044 and April 2046.
As a single person, a balance of around $360,000 would be enough for an income of about $52,000 per year (using a combination of super drawdown and Age Pension payments), which is close to what ASFA estimates is needed for comfortable retirement.
You can have a significant amount of super and still get a part Age Pension in Australia, with the cut-off for homeowners being around $714,500 (single) or $1,074,000 (couple), and for non-homeowners, roughly $972,500 (single) or $1,332,000 (couple) as of late 2025. These figures are part of the Assets Test, where higher assets reduce your pension amount, with payments stopping entirely once you exceed these limits.
You can access your super as long as you've permanently retired. And if you leave your employment on or after you turn 60, you can also access the super you've earned up until then. Not ready to retire? You could use some of your super while you're still working, with a Transition to Retirement Income account.
If you're aged 60 or over and withdraw a lump sum: You don't pay any tax when you withdraw from a taxed super fund.
This means that if you earn €20,000 or less, you do not pay any income tax (because your tax credits of €4,000 are more than or equal to the amount of tax you are due to pay). However you may need to pay a Universal Social Charge (if your income is over €13,000) and PRSI (depending on how much you earn each week).
Super is a great way to save money for your retirement. It is generally taxed at a lower rate than your regular income. You typically pay 15% tax on your super contributions, and your withdrawals are tax-free if you're 60 or older.
According to Wealth and Society, while there aren't any legal definitions of wealth, there are some widely accepted ranges: High Net Worth Individuals (HNWI) have an investable net worth of $1 million to $5 million. Very High Net Worth Individuals (VHNWI) have an investable net worth of $5 million to $30 million.
"You can live off $500,000 in the bank and do nothing else to make money, because you can make off that about 5% in fixed income with very little risk. Or you can make 8.5 to 9% in equities too, if you're willing to ride the volatility."
The 7% rule for retirement suggests withdrawing 7% of your savings in the first year and adjusting for inflation in subsequent years, assuming your investments generate a similar return, but it's considered riskier and less sustainable than the popular 4% rule, often used by those with higher risk tolerance, shorter retirement horizons, or in specific markets like India with lower-risk investments. While the 4% rule aims for a portfolio lasting 30+ years, the 7% rule often supports shorter periods (under 20 years) or requires higher returns, balancing spending more early in retirement with potential shortfalls later, making it better for flexible retirees or specific contexts.