Retirement Action Plan (Australia 2025-26)

Pick your stage (accumulation, TTR, or drawdown), enter your numbers, and we'll rank the retirement decisions that apply to you — ordered by dollar impact and deadline urgency. Each lever links to the dedicated calculator behind it.

Lifecycle stage

Tax year

Age

Annual taxable income

Current super balance

YTD employer SG contributed

YTD personal concessional

YTD non-concessional

Have a spouse or de facto partner?Owned home ≥ 10 years?

Next deadlinesPre-EOFY trigger·NCC Bring-Forward (2- or 3-year)·281d 30 Jun (EOFY)·Non-Concessional Cap Headroom·281d

Recommended actions

NCC Bring-Forward (2- or 3-year)

Pre-EOFY trigger

Up to $29,250

Why: Your balance ($400,000) qualifies for a 3-year NCC bring-forward (up to $390,000).

Do: Triggering before 30 June commits to a 3-year cap window. Verify total super balance at last 30 June.

NCC bring-forward bands: <TBC-2cap → 3yr ($390,000); TBC-2cap to TBC-cap → 2yr ($260,000); TBC-cap to TBC → 1yr ($130,000). FY 2026-27 TBC $2,100,000.

Open super calculator →

Non-Concessional Cap Headroom

30 Jun (EOFY)

Up to $9,750

Why: You have $130,000 unused non-concessional cap, and your balance ($400,000) is under the TBC ($2,100,000).

Do: Consider a non-concessional contribution up to $130,000 before 30 June. NCC contributions are after-tax money but earnings inside super are taxed at 15% (or 0% in pension phase).

NCC cap $130,000 (FY 2026-27); cap = $0 once total super balance ≥ TBC at start of FY.

Open super calculator →

Concessional Contribution Cap Headroom

30 Jun (EOFY)

Up to $5,525

Why: You have $32,500 unused concessional cap. At 32.0% marginal vs 15% contributions tax, contributing the headroom saves ~$5,525.

Do: Make a personal deductible super contribution of up to $32,500 before 30 June. Lodge a Notice of Intent before lodging your tax return.

Concessional cap $32,500 (FY 2026-27); saving = headroom × (marginal − 15% concessional tax).

Open contribution optimizer →

This tool covers Australian tax residents only. Non-resident scope is in development.

What financial decisions does an Australian pre-retiree or retiree need to make across accumulation, transition-to-retirement, and drawdown?

Accumulation: maximise concessional cap headroom ($32,500) before 30 June, claim the government co-contribution if eligible, consider spouse contributions for tax offset and spouse-split to balance balances, and trigger NCC bring-forward if balance is well below TBC. TTR: start a TTR pension once preservation age is met (typically 60), re-check salary-sacrifice headroom mid-year, and evaluate the TTR roundtrip if your marginal rate is above 30%. Drawdown: meet the ABP minimum drawdown by 30 June (4-14% by age band), watch the transfer balance cap, run a recontribution strategy to convert taxable to tax-free for estate planning, and lodge an age pension claim at Age Pension age. The Action Plan above ranks these for your specific situation.

Formula lever_score = dollar_impact x urgency_multiplier (3.0 if 14d or less, 2.0 if 30d or less, 1.5 if 90d or less, 1.0 otherwise). Stage-conditional input reveals; all tax data sourced from src/data/taxYears/{year}.ts (drift-audit enforced).

Age Pension toolkit

Continue with the test that answers your next question

Full Age Pension Calculator Combine normal income and assets tests with basic qualification checks. Assets Test Calculator See the full-rate threshold, $3 taper and part-pension cut-off. Income Test & Work Bonus Trace deeming and work income through one fortnight’s personal bank ledger. Pension + Work Income Tax Combine taxable pension and work income with SAPTO and Medicare. Centrelink Debt Repayment Project a fortnightly repayment arrangement and finish date. Rates & Thresholds Reference every current payment, means-test, deeming and Work Bonus figure. Deeming Calculator Calculate the income Centrelink assumes financial assets produce. Seniors Health Card Screen the income-tested alternative when Age Pension is unavailable. Gifting & Deprivation Calculator Track gifts against the $10k/year and $30k/5-year free areas. Age Pension by Asset Level See the estimate from $200k to $2M in financial assets, single or couple. Aged Care Fee Calculator The pension counts as income in the residential aged care means assessment.

FAQ

How much can I contribute to super before EOFY?

For 2026-27, the concessional cap is $32,500 (this includes employer SG, up from $30,000 in 2025-26). The non-concessional cap is $130,000 — or you can trigger a bring-forward up to $390,000 over 3 years if your total super balance allows. The Action Plan above evaluates your remaining headroom and dollar impact at your marginal rate. Use the super calculator to model scenarios.

What is the transfer balance cap and why does it matter?

The Transfer Balance Cap (TBC) is the lifetime cap on amounts you can move into retirement-phase pensions. For 2026-27 it is $2,100,000 (up from $2,000,000 in 2025-26, indexed in $100k steps). Excess amounts attract the excess transfer balance tax (15% in year 1, 30% from year 2). The Action Plan flags warnings if your pension balance approaches the cap.

Who qualifies for the downsizer contribution?

From age 55, after selling your main home held for at least 10 years, each individual can contribute up to $300,000 to super (couples: $600k combined). Lodge ATO form NAT 75073 within 90 days of settlement. The downsizer contribution does not count towards your NCC cap and is unaffected by your total super balance.

What is a recontribution strategy?

A recontribution strategy converts the taxable component of super into the tax-free component by withdrawing a lump sum (after preservation age) and recontributing as a non-concessional contribution. For non-dependant beneficiaries (e.g. adult children), this saves 15% (plus 2% Medicare) death-benefit tax on the taxable component.

How does the age pension means-test work?

Centrelink applies an income test and an assets test, and the higher reduction applies. Income test: above the free area, your pension is reduced by 50c per $1. Assets test: above the free area, $3 reduction per fortnight per $1,000 of excess assets. The Action Plan estimates your annual age pension entitlement based on your inputs. Use the age pension calculator for a detailed breakdown.

Should I start a TTR pension?

A TTR pension can be useful from age 60 (preservation age) when you are still working: it lets you draw 4-10% of your super balance per year, often with no earnings tax inside the pension if you have also met a condition of release. Pair it with salary-sacrifice to capture (marginal minus 15%) tax savings. Use the TTR calculator to model your scenario.

Tax Accuracy & Sources

Reviewed: March 2026 · Tax year: 2026-27

This calculator is an estimate tool and may not cover all personal circumstances. For state-based taxes, confirm details with your state or territory revenue office.

ATO: Tax rates for Australian residents