James earns $100,000. He didn't get a raise. He didn't change jobs. He didn't hire an accountant. He made one 10-minute change to his payroll settings in October — and at tax time, his bill was $2,200 lower.

The strategy is called salary sacrifice into superannuation. It's been legal for decades. It's ATO-approved. And the vast majority of working Australians have never used it.

What Salary Sacrifice Actually Is — In Plain English

Salary sacrifice into super means redirecting part of your pre-tax pay directly into your superannuation fund. Instead of that money hitting your bank account — where it gets taxed at your marginal rate (up to 47%) — it goes into super and gets taxed at a flat 15%.

The gap between your marginal rate and 15% is your tax saving. The wider the gap, the bigger the win.

"People always say they can't afford to sacrifice salary. But you're not giving up $10k — you're giving up $6,500 in take-home because the other $3,500 was going to the ATO anyway. The question is: do you want the ATO to have it or your future self?"
— u/melb_accountant, r/AusTax (2.1k upvotes)

James's exact numbers: Earns $100,000. Marginal rate 34.5% (32.5% + Medicare). Salary sacrifices $10,000.

  • Tax at marginal rate on $10,000: $3,450
  • Tax his super fund pays at 15%: $1,500
  • Net saving from contribution tax difference: $1,950
  • Additional saving from lower taxable income: ~$250
  • Total annual saving: ~$2,200
💡 James's take-home pay dropped by $6,550 — not $10,000. The rest was going to the ATO anyway. He redirected it to his future instead.

Real Savings at Every Income Level

You don't need to earn $100k for this to work. Here's what the numbers look like across incomes:

Annual Income Marginal Rate Salary Sacrifice Annual Tax Saving
$65,000 34.5% $5,000 ~$925
$80,000 34.5% $10,000 ~$1,775
$100,000 34.5% $10,000 ~$2,200
$120,000 39% $15,000 ~$3,600
$150,000 41.5% $20,000 ~$5,300

Based on 2024–25 tax brackets including Medicare Levy. Source: AusTax Super Calculator

⚠️ High earners note: If combined income and concessional contributions exceed $250,000, Division 293 tax applies — an extra 15% on contributions, reducing (but not eliminating) the benefit. Check the ATO's Division 293 guide →

What Australians On Reddit Are Saying

The One Number You Need to Know: $30,000

The concessional contributions cap for 2024–25 and 2025–26 is $30,000 per year. This includes your employer's SGC (currently 12%), any salary sacrifice, and any personal deductible contributions.

How to calculate your space:

  1. Annual salary: e.g., $80,000
  2. Employer SGC: $80,000 × 12% = $9,600
  3. Remaining cap space: $30,000 − $9,600 = $20,400
  4. You can salary sacrifice up to $20,400 without exceeding the cap

The Carry-Forward Rule: A Hidden Bonus

If your total super balance was under $500,000 on 30 June 2024, you can carry forward unused concessional cap space from the past 5 years — meaning you could contribute more than $30,000 this year.

Example: Sarah is 38, super balance $180,000. She used only $12,000 of her $27,500 cap in 2022–23 (leaving $15,500 unused). She can now add that to this year's cap — potentially contributing up to $45,500 concessionally.

💡 Your myGov account shows your carried-forward cap balance. Check it before EOFY — this is one of the most overlooked legal tax moves in Australia.

How to Set It Up — 4 Steps

  1. Check your cap space — Log into myGov ATO account. How much of your $30,000 cap is your employer already using?
  2. Decide your contribution — Use PayWize's Tax Advisor to model the exact saving at different levels
  3. Email HR or payroll — Ask to set up a salary sacrifice arrangement. Most employers process this in 1–2 pay cycles
  4. Lodge your tax return — Your super fund reports concessional contributions to the ATO automatically
⚠️ Personal deductible contributions: If contributing from your own bank account (not salary sacrifice), you must lodge a Notice of Intent to Claim (s290-170) with your super fund before lodging your tax return. Missing this step forfeits the deduction.
See your exact salary sacrifice tax saving.

Enter your income and planned super contribution into PayWize — get an instant ATO-accurate breakdown.

See My $2,200 Super Tax Saving → Free · No account needed · 100% private · ATO 2024–25 rules

Frequently Asked Questions

How much tax do you save with salary sacrifice into super in Australia?

Salary sacrificed amounts are taxed at 15% inside super instead of your marginal rate (32.5%–47%). On a $10,000 sacrifice at a 34.5% marginal rate, the annual tax saving is approximately $1,950–$2,200 including the reduction in overall income tax.

What is the salary sacrifice super cap for 2024–25?

The concessional contributions cap for 2024–25 is $30,000. This includes your employer's SGC (12.0% from 1 July 2025), any salary sacrifice, and personal deductible contributions.

Does salary sacrifice affect my take-home pay?

Yes, but less than the contribution amount. If you sacrifice $10,000, take-home pay falls by approximately $6,500–$6,750, because the remainder would have been paid as income tax anyway. The difference goes to your super instead of the ATO.

What happens if I exceed the concessional contributions cap?

Excess concessional contributions are included in your assessable income and taxed at your marginal rate, with a 15% offset to account for contributions tax already paid. The ATO will send you an excess contributions determination.

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