§ Rules · Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 (Cth) s 291-20
Carry-forward concessional contributions and the $500,000 gate
Worked example: A member under the gate with $30,000 of unused cap
| Concessional cap, FY 2026-27 | $32,500 |
| Total super balance at 30 Jun 2026 | $480,000 |
| Gate test: balance under $500,000 | passed ($480,000 < $500,000) |
| Unused cap carried from the prior five years | $30,000 |
| Concessional cap available this year ($32,500 + $30,000) | $62,500 |
| Same unused amounts at a $500,000 balance | gate fails, standard cap only |
Unused amounts expire after five years, oldest first, and the gate is retested against the 30 June balance every year.
Unused concessional cap from up to five prior financial years can be added to the current year's cap, but only if total super balance at the prior 30 June is strictly under $500,000. A balance of exactly $500,000 fails the gate.
How the rule counts
- 01The gate is on total super balance at the 30 June before the contribution year, and it is a strict less-than: $499,999.99 passes, $500,000.00 does not.
- 02Unused cap accrues from FY 2018-19 onwards and expires five years after the year it arose.
- 03The current-year cap ($32,500 in FY 2026-27, AWOTE-indexed) is used first; carried amounts apply oldest first.
- 04The gate is retested each year; a balance that crosses $500,000 pauses access without erasing the carried amounts that are still inside their five-year window.
Sources
- ATO: contributions caps (concessional cap and unused carry-forward)
- Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 (Cth) s 291-20 (unused concessional cap carry-forward)
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