How is tax paid in my super account?

Under the Macquarie Superannuation Plan, tax is calculated and paid at the fund level. To manage this, tax is handled in two main stages:

  • Throughout the year – Tax may be withheld from contributions and income. The benefits of tax deductions on expenses like administration fees and insurance premiums are also applied as they occur.
  • After year-end – An annual tax calculation is performed for each of your accounts to determine its share of the fund's final tax liability.

What’s included in my annual tax calculation?

The annual tax calculation includes various tax benefits and obligations that can only be assessed after the financial year has closed. This includes items such as:

  • Franking credits from dividends
  • Offsetting of capital losses against capital gains.

How is the tax adjustment applied to my account?

Following the annual tax calculation, your account is either credited or debited. This transaction represents the difference between the tax amounts handled during the year and the account's final tax liability.

  • A tax credit (refund) is applied if the tax withheld and benefits received were more than the final tax liability.
  • A tax debit (charge) is applied if the tax withheld and benefits received were less than the final tax liability.

The final tax adjustment for a financial year is typically applied to your account before the end of April in the following calendar year.

How does the tax adjustment appear on statements and online?

The final tax adjustment will appear as a specific transaction on your annual statement and in your online transaction history. It will be labelled as either a 'Superannuation Tax Calc Adjustment' or 'Distributed Tax Benefit Adjustment'.

What happens to tax adjustments if I change or close my super account?

When you change or close your super account, it’s important to know how tax-related adjustments are handled to ensure you receive everything you’re entitled to. See below for how tax adjustments are managed when:

For further information, please refer to the ‘Annual taxation adjustments’ section of the relevant Product Disclosure Statement. 

Changes within the Macquarie Superannuation Plan

If you switch or move your super balance to another account within the fund, any tax adjustments that are calculated after the change (such as annual tax adjustments) are still applicable. 

Where eligible, these amounts are generally:

  • calculated as part of the fund’s standard annual tax process, and
  • carried over to your new account, provided the accounts are correctly linked within the fund under the same individual, and are active at the time of the annual tax adjustment. 

You don’t usually need to delay a change within the same fund to receive these adjustments. Please note that timing can vary each year, and adjustments are applied once calculations are complete.

Moving super to a different fund

If you exit the fund prior to the year's annual processing date, you won't receive the benefit of any franking credits, foreign income tax offsets or any revenue/capital losses that have accrued. The balance of this benefit is retained in the fund’s reserves and may be used to cover certain fees and costs of the fund.

Deceased member’s account

For a reversionary pension, the beneficiary carries on the account of the deceased member and will receive any tax credit or be subject to any tax debit accruing to the deceased member’s accounts.

For a non-reversionary pension, the beneficiary starts a new pension account in the fund. Therefore, there will be no tax debits or credits paid across to the new account.

Why was I charged tax separately on a withdrawal?

A tax charge on a withdrawal is separate from the annual tax calculation process. This is typically for:

  • Capital gains tax (CGT) – Tax on investments sold to fund the withdrawal
  • Outstanding tax – Any tax that couldn't be deducted previously due to a low cash balance.

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