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Grow your super with a tax refund on your contributions
Get a little help for your future savings with the low income super tax offset (LISTO). If you’re earning $37,000 a year or less and meet the rules, you could get up to $500 back into your super.
The LISTO refunds the tax paid on your before-tax super contributions - up to $500.
The payment helps you save for retirement if you're a low-income earner.
You don't need to apply for the refund - just make sure we have your tax file number (TFN).
The LISTO is a payment the Australian Government makes to your super to help those who earn $37,000 or less a year. It's designed to make sure you pay less tax on your super contributions than on your take-home pay, so you have more for retirement.
The LISTO replaced the low income super contribution (LISC) in 2017.
Before-tax payments made to your super account – including salary sacrificing and employer contributions – are taxed at 15%. The LISTO refunds up to $500 of that tax back into your account each year if you're eligible.
You can work out how much you might get back using the Australian Taxation Office's (ATO) online calculator.
Here's how LISTO works if you're earning $37,000 a year or less:
Have you given us your TFN? It's easy to check or add your TFN to your super account through Member Online.
You must meet all the rules below to get the low income super tax offset:
To get the tax offset on your super contributions, you need to make sure we have your tax file number. We can't accept the LISTO payment without it. Here's how to check or add your TFN:
You don't need to worry about applying for the LISTO. If you're eligible and we have your TFN, you'll get a refund paid directly into your account.
Other options for low-income earners may include making after-tax contributions to claim the government's super co‑contribution, or using spouse contributions to boost your savings.
If you're a low-income earner, you may not get any tax benefits from salary sacrificing, so it's worth exploring your options.
Download our Personal Contributions Guide (pdf) for more details.
To really make the most of your super, our members can get personal financial advice over the phone. Or check out some other options, like:
If you've reached age 60 and are retired, or you're age 65 or over you can apply to have your LISTO paid directly to you. Find out more on the ATO website.
The low income super tax offset replaced the LISC and has the same features, giving support to low-income earners and making sure they are taxed fairly. The last year contributions were eligible for the LISC was 2016-17.
Log on to Member Online to make sure we have your TFN, and to check if you've received a LISTO payment.
See if you can get even more back from the government with the co-contribution on personal super contributions.
1. Your adjusted taxable income is the income you get taxed on (not including any First Home Super Saver released amount) plus any adjusted fringe benefits, target foreign income, total net investment loss, any tax-free pension or benefit that you get from the government, plus any reportable superannuation contributions that have had a child support amount deducted.
Case study
Leslie, 35, works casually as a teacher aide, and earns $36,000 a year (without super). Her employer pays the 11.5% superannuation guarantee into her super - $4,140 - and 15% of this goes to tax. Leslie's on a tight budget so she doesn't make any salary sacrifice contributions, and she has no other income.
Leslie meets all the LISTO rules so when she puts in her tax return for the year, the government will refund $500 of the $621 tax she paid on super. This goes straight to her super account, helping her savings to grow.