SMSF contribution caps for 2025–26: concessional, non-concessional and bring-forward rules

Contribution caps are the dollar limits the ATO sets on how much can go into super each year before extra tax applies. For SMSF trustees they matter twice — once as a member making contributions, and once as a trustee responsible for accepting only allowable amounts. Here are the caps that apply for the 2025–26 financial year, and the rules that decide who can use them.

Concessional contributions cap: $30,000

Concessional contributions are before-tax amounts — employer Super Guarantee, salary sacrifice, and personal contributions you claim a tax deduction for. The cap for 2025–26 is $30,000 per member, indexed in $2,500 increments to AWOTE. Contributions inside the cap are taxed at 15% in the fund. Amounts over the cap are added to your assessable income and taxed at your marginal rate, with a 15% offset for the contributions tax already paid.

Carry-forward unused concessional cap

If your total super balance was under $500,000 on 30 June of the previous financial year, you can carry forward unused concessional cap amounts from the previous five years and use them in the current year. This is how members with broken work patterns can catch up — but only the most recent five years of unused cap are available, and the $500,000 test is checked each year.

Non-concessional contributions cap: $120,000

Non-concessional contributions are after-tax personal contributions where no tax deduction is claimed. The standard cap for 2025–26 is $120,000 per member. To make any non-concessional contribution, your total super balance on 30 June of the previous financial year must be under the general transfer balance cap of $1.9 million. If it's at or above $1.9m, your non-concessional cap is nil.

Bring-forward rule

If you're under 75 at any time in the financial year and your total super balance is below the relevant threshold, you can bring forward up to two years of non-concessional cap and contribute up to $360,000 in a single year. The amount you can bring forward tapers as your balance approaches $1.9m:

• Total super balance below $1.66m: bring forward 3 years, cap $360,000
• $1.66m to less than $1.78m: bring forward 2 years, cap $240,000
• $1.78m to less than $1.9m: standard cap only, $120,000
• $1.9m or more: nil non-concessional cap

Work test for personal deductible contributions over 67

Members aged 67 to 74 who want to claim a personal tax deduction for a contribution must meet the work test — gainfully employed for at least 40 hours over 30 consecutive days in the financial year. The work test no longer applies to non-deductible (non-concessional) contributions in this age bracket.

Trustee responsibilities

As trustee you must only accept contributions allowed under the SIS Regulations. That means checking member age, total super balance, and whether the contribution is within type-specific caps before crediting it to a member account. Excess contributions create paperwork — and sometimes refunds — for the member, so it pays to track running totals through the year.

Source: Australian Taxation Office — Contribution caps (ato.gov.au). Always confirm current figures with the ATO before acting; caps are reviewed annually.