Income Stream Transfer Balance Cap

AvSuper summarises the new transfer balance cap and its potential impact for members in and nearing retirement.

A Government imposed maximum balance (known as a transfer balance cap) for Australian Income Streams was introduced on 1 July 2017. Previously, there had not been a limit on how much money could be in an Income Stream.

From 1 July 2023, the cap is $1.9 million for new income stream holders but this amount will be indexed in line with CPI in $100,000 increments after 1 July 2023. The personal cap is pro-rated for those who have previously commenced an income stream. Note that increases in the cap only apply until you reach your cap – if you have reached your cap, give us a call to discuss the implications of any increases.

There are various implications from this new law and it can be complex to decide the best approach, so please consider contacting our Member Advice Consultants for assistance in understanding the impact for your super and your retirement.

Summary of the key points

  • You can have additional retirement savings in a tax-effective accumulation account at the same time as having up to $1.9 million in an income stream.
  • The cap applies to the total balance of all income stream accounts you may have in any Australian super fund — you can’t have two accounts of $1.5 million, for example.
  • Lifetime index pensions such as CSS and PSS will also count towards the cap using a statutory formula.
  • Once you have a transfer balance cap, it cannot be reduced by regular drawdowns.
  • Once you reach the transfer balance cap, you cannot add money to an Australian income stream – even if the legislated cap increases in later financial years.

What is the transfer balance cap?

The transfer balance cap is a Government imposed maximum amount you can put into Australian income streams.

The cap covers any and all income streams you may have, excluding any Transition to Retirement (TTR) income streams. Note that AvSuper may not know of other income streams you hold so it is your responsibility to ensure the combined balance remains under the cap.

Fluctuations in account balances due to earnings will not impact the cap. So if earnings put you over the cap, it will not be counted as a breach.

What happens if I exceed the transfer balance cap?

As long as you commence a new income account with less than $1.9 million, it won’t matter if your balance later grows to more than $1.9 million due to investment earnings.

If you exceed the cap (ie have an excess transfer balance), you will have to reduce the balance to the cap and be liable for a tax on the notional earnings of the excess amount. You can reduce your income stream balance by transferring the money into an accumulation account (where there is no maximum balance rule) or by withdrawing the excess as a lump sum. Note that tax implications may apply in either scenario.

Note that tax will apply to each day you have an excess transfer balance so you may want to reduce your balance before the Tax Commissioner issues an assessment to you as that could take months. If you don’t withdraw sufficient money to go under the cap within a specified time in your assessment, the Commissioner will direct your super fund to make a withdrawal for you.

Impact for AvSuper members
Once you exceed the cap, you will not be able to increase the cap in the future (ie indexation will not apply to your account).

If you don’t reduce your balance, the ATO will direct us to withdraw the excess from your income stream and put it into an accumulation account on your behalf.

Since your AvSuper defined benefit will be crystallised into an accumulation account before being transferred into any income stream, the transfer balance cap works in exactly the same way as it does for other members.

An AvSuper income stream has the same benefits as our accumulation accounts, such as investment choice without switching fees, access to personalised financial advice and a long history of strong investment returns, and with lower fees!

Email: avsinfo@avsuper.com.au  |  Local call: 1300 128 751  |  Phone: 02 6109 6888  |  www.avsuper.com.au

This information is of a general nature only and does not take into account your personal objectives, situation or needs. Before making a decision about AvSuper, you should consider your own requirements and the relevant Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) and Target Market Determination (TMD). For a copy call us or visit the AvSuper website, www.avsuper.com.au. AvSuper Pty Ltd (ABN 46 050 431 797, AFSL 239078) is the Trustee of the AvSuper Fund (ABN 84 421 446 069). FS3000.5 02.2021