A concessional contribution is made into your superannuation fund before tax or as a tax-deductible contribution. This is typically made by your employer when you're living and working in Australia.
Superannuation for Expats
Retirement strategies and advice for global Australian expats
Superannuation for Australian Expats
Superannuation is one of most tax efficient vehicles for you to save for your retirement, and just because as an Australian expat, you’re no longer working in Australia, this doesn’t mean you should forget about your super. As an Australian expat, your superannuation back at home can be a valuable tool to both manage your tax position as well as boost your retirement savings.
Many Australian expats make the mistake of assuming that just because they’re working abroad they can’t keep contributing to their Australian super, which is often not the case. In fact, for most Australian expats, you can be making both concessional and non-concessional contributions.
Expat Concessional Contributions
Expat Non-Concessional Contributions
A non-concessional contribution is made from your after-tax funds into your superannuation fund and isn't taxed by your fund on the way in. This can be a great tool to accelerate your super savings as an expat.
Many Australian expats have multiple superannuation funds back at home paying unnecessary fees.
There are many important considerations when it comes to superannuation for Australian expats.
We’ve outlined just a handful of these helpful tips below:
Consolidation
If you don’t need to have multiple insurance funds with fees being deducted, it’s time to get your super into one place. Be sure to review your insurances and other information with an experienced Adviser prior to consolidating or closing down any of your funds.
Review Insurance
Do you have insurance policies within your superannuation fund? Have you checked if they’re still valid or are you paying for cover that you don’t actually need?
Contributions
Are you making contributions to your Australian super fund as an expat? Should you consider doing so if you’re not already? Review your options and explore what’s right for you.
Performance
Just because you may not be living in Australia and contributing to your Australian super fund, it does not mean that this money shouldn’t be working hard for you. Be sure to review your performance on a regular basis.
Underlying Investments
It’s important to review how your superannuation is invested to ensure that not only is your money working for you but that it fits in with your overall asset allocation and investment strategy.
Risk Profile
When was the last time you reviewed how much risk you’re taking on with your superannuation portfolio? For many, accessing superannuation is many years away so it’s important that your investment strategy is aligned with your time frame and overall goals.
Did you know that there are over 200 APRA regulated superannuation funds for you to choose from?*
*KPMG Super Insights 2019
Managing your superannuation as an Australian expat is an important piece of your financial puzzle, which is why it’s important to work with a specialist Australian expat financial planner here.
Whether you’re looking to make concessional contributions to offset other taxable Australian income, or make non-concessional contributions to boost your retirement savings as you approach your later years, having the right plan in place can help you to get there. Reach out to our team at Ally to start exploring your options.
