Help Your Team Grow Their Super Without Spending a Cent

There are a few ways your employees can grow their super that many people don’t know about. None of them cost your business anything, and they can make a real difference down the track.

Here are the three main ones.

1. Salary sacrifice, from pay before it’s taxed

Salary sacrifice is basically just asking for part of your pay to go into super before tax comes out of it. That money is generally taxed at 15 per cent going in, which for most workers is less than what they’d pay on it as wages, so more of each dollar ends up working for them.

It’s voluntary (they can change the amount or stop any time) and setting it up is as simple as a chat with whoever runs payroll. If you’re the one running payroll, these amounts go to the fund with every pay run under the Payday Super rules, same as regular super, so check your settings before the first payment goes through.

To give you an idea of what it can mean, a 35-year-old who starts putting in $20 a week could end up tens of thousands better off by the time they retire, between the lower tax going in and years of investment returns on top. It’s not enough to hurt the weekly budget, but it’s enough to matter later.

To see what it could mean for you, put your own numbers into First Super’s Contribution calculator. It shows what regular extra amounts could grow into over the years, including the tax savings.

2. Adding from take-home pay, with help from the government

The second way is even simpler again. Your employees can put some of their normal take-home pay into their super, by BPAY or direct debit, whenever it suits them.

And for workers on lower and middle incomes, there’s a neat little bonus. If they add some of their own money and fit within the income rules, the government may add up to $500 on top. There’s nothing to apply for, as the ATO works it out when they do their tax return and pays it straight in.1.

3. Claiming a tax deduction

Some people who add their own money to super claim it as a tax deduction, which can lower the tax they pay. There’s just one rule to get right: before they lodge their return, they need to send their super fund a form called a notice of intent and wait for the fund to confirm it.

Watch our webinar

Our Boost Your Super webinar, recorded earlier this year, is well worth a look. Andrew, Jayson, and Daniela from our Financial Advice team go through ways to grow your balance, the tax savings inside super and working out how much you’ll need for retirement. 2.

Questions?
For employer enquiries, call Employer Services on 1300 943 171 or email employers@firstsuper.com.au. Members can call 1300 360 988 or visit firstsuper.com.au.

1. For the 2026-27 financial year, the full $500 is available to those earning under $49,293, with a partial co-contribution available up to $64,293. Other eligibility rules apply, see the ATO website for details. 
 
 2. First Super Financial Planners are authorised representatives of Industry Fund Services Limited (ABN 54 007 016 195, AFSL 232514) and can provide personal advice tailored to your objectives, financial situation and needs.

Issued by First Super Pty Ltd (ABN 42 053 498 472, AFSL 223988) as Trustee of First Super (ABN 56 286 625 181). This article contains general advice only and does not consider your objectives, financial situation or needs. You should consider whether the advice is appropriate for you and read the Product Disclosure Statement and Target Market Determination before making any decisions. A copy is available at firstsuper.com.au/pds.