When planning for retirement, many high-income earners focus solely on their own superannuation balance. But this individual approach often leaves a powerful opportunity untapped—strategic contributions and structuring between spouses.

With June 30 approaching, it’s the perfect time to think beyond your own super account. By aligning your strategy with your partner’s position, you can not only reduce household tax but also accelerate your combined wealth creation and protect your legacy.

Here’s how smart families are using EOFY to rebalance their super together.

Why Spouse Contributions Matter More Than You Think

In many households, one partner earns significantly more than the other—whether because of career breaks, part-time work, or business ownership. This often leads to a large gap in super balances over time.

While not uncommon, this imbalance can create:

• Missed tax benefits
  
• Reduced flexibility in retirement planning
  
• Estate planning complications
  
• Less financial security for the lower-balance partner
  

By approaching super as a family strategy, couples can equalise balances, minimise tax, and unlock more financial options across retirement.

Spouse Super Contributions and Tax Offsets

If your spouse earns below $37,000 (phasing out at $40,000), you may be eligible for a tax offset of up to $540 by making an after-tax contribution of at least $3,000 into their super account.

This strategy benefits:

• High-income professionals with non-working or part-time spouses
  
• Families looking to reduce taxable income this financial year
  
• Couples wanting to grow the lower-balance partner’s super more efficiently
  

Note: This is separate from contribution splitting and non-concessional caps—meaning it can complement other strategies.

Contribution Splitting: A Powerful but Underused Tool

Another often-overlooked strategy is contribution splitting—where you redirect up to 85% of your previous year’s concessional (pre-tax) contributions to your spouse’s super.

This works especially well when:

• One partner is older and closer to preservation age (providing earlier access to tax-free income)
  
• There is a meaningful super balance gap
  
• You want to manage Total Super Balance (TSB) caps to enable other strategies like bring-forward contributions
  

Example: If you’re 50 and your spouse is 58, splitting contributions could allow them to start a pension phase earlier, reducing tax and increasing household cash flow.

Catch-Up Concessional Contributions for Your Spouse

If your partner has had irregular income or time out of the workforce, they may have unused concessional cap space going back up to five years—provided their TSB is under $500,000.

This means:

• They may be able to contribute well above the standard $30,000 cap
  
• You can use surplus cash or structured transfers from other assets to build their super in a tax-effective way
  
• It provides a tax deduction while balancing wealth across the household
  

Want a deeper understanding of how personal deductible and catch-up contributions work? Read our EOFY guide for high-income earners here.

Why Now Is the Right Time

With 30 June fast approaching, EOFY presents the ideal moment to assess both partners’ super positions and take action. Many of the strategies mentioned require:

• Contributions to be received and cleared by your fund before June 30
  
• Coordination between financial institutions and professionals
  
• Consideration of TSB thresholds and previous-year contribution data
  

These aren’t last-minute decisions. Getting advice now ensures execution is smooth, compliant, and aligned to your goals.

The Broader Benefits: Protection, Access, and Estate Planning

Superannuation isn’t just about accumulating a balance—it’s about how and when you can access it, how it impacts your lifestyle, and how it transfers to the next generation.

Strategic spouse contributions help you:

• Mitigate legal risk (by transferring assets out of the higher-earning partner’s name)
  
• Access super earlier through the older partner’s preservation age
  
• Ensure estate planning outcomes reflect your family’s intentions
  

This is especially important for professionals with exposure to litigation, or couples with children approaching independence.

Planning Together Creates Flexibility Later

Approaching super as a household asset—not just an individual one—gives you far greater flexibility and financial control. Whether you’re planning to retire at 60 or simply looking to reduce tax while building wealth, EOFY is the best time to take action.

At Lighthouse Financial Group, we work closely with high-income professionals, couples, and family decision-makers to implement spouse-focused strategies that are often overlooked. We help you structure your retirement plans with purpose—so both partners benefit equally.

Want to Align Your Super Strategies as a Couple Before EOFY?

Contact Lighthouse Financial Group today to discover how you can use spouse contributions, splitting, and catch-up caps to maximise tax efficiency and retirement flexibility.

📞 Contact Lighthouse Financial Group today to discuss your EOFY 2025 strategy.

Lighthouse Financial Group Pty Ltd, Authorised Representative 000287794 ABN 221 13 759 952 is a corporate authorised representative of Fortnum Private Wealth Ltd ABN 54 139 889 535 AFSL 357 306. The information contained within this article does not consider your personal circumstances and is of a general nature only. You should not act on it without first obtaining professional financial advice specific to your circumstances.