What this Australian super calculator models
The calculator projects an accumulation account from the current age to the chosen retirement age. Each month it adds employer contributions, optional salary sacrifice and optional after-tax contributions, deducts contributions tax where applicable, applies the return assumption, then deducts administration fees and insurance.
The most useful comparison is the projected balance with voluntary contributions versus the same scenario with employer contributions only. It isolates the modelled effect of the amounts you can change without pretending the final balance is guaranteed.
FY 2026–27 contribution settings
The default Super Guarantee is 12%. The salary input is explicitly treated as FY 2026–27 qualifying earnings. For FY 2026–27, the maximum contribution base is A$270,830 per year and the concessional contribution cap is A$32,500.
The ordinary non-concessional cap is A$130,000 and the transfer balance cap starts at A$2.1 million. Regular after-tax contributions are limited to the modelled annual cap and are stopped for a model year when its opening balance reaches the modelled transfer balance cap. Bring-forward treatment is not included. Future caps remain projections: actual legal indexation may differ.
Return, fees and contributions tax
The return field has one strict meaning: after investment tax, before the fees and insurance entered below. Employer and salary-sacrifice contributions are reduced by 15% contributions tax. After-tax contributions are added without that deduction.
Fixed administration and insurance costs are spread across months and increased each model year by the entered inflation rate because the cited Moneysmart defaults are in today's dollars. The balance-based administration fee is charged monthly as one-twelfth of the annual percentage. Investment fees already embedded in the return should not be entered again.
Nominal balance and today's dollars
A nominal future balance includes decades of price growth and can look large without showing its future purchasing power. The today's-dollars result divides the projection by the selected inflation rate for the years remaining. Both figures rely on steady assumptions; real returns, inflation, salary and fees vary.
Worked example
For a 35-year-old retiring at 67 with A$100,000 qualifying earnings, an A$80,000 balance and the displayed defaults—12% employer contribution, 6.1% return, 3% salary growth, 2.5% inflation, A$59 fixed administration fee, 0.11% balance fee and A$599 insurance—the projected nominal balance is A$1,855,700.03, or A$842,062.02 in today's dollars. Net contributions total A$535,528.14, contributions tax A$94,504.97 and fees plus insurance A$55,160.07.
Input variations
| Scenario | Nominal balance | Today's dollars | Net contributions | Extra vs employer-only |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Employer 12% only | A$1,855,700.03 | A$842,062.02 | A$535,528.14 | A$0 |
| Plus A$5,000/year salary sacrifice | A$2,266,860.04 | A$1,028,634.33 | A$671,528.14 | A$411,160.02 |
| Plus A$5,000/year after tax | A$2,339,417.69 | A$1,061,558.86 | A$695,528.14 | A$483,717.66 |
The salary-sacrifice row deducts 15% contributions tax before investment. The after-tax row does not, which is why equal cash contributions do not produce equal projections.
Differences from a fund statement or Moneysmart
A fund statement uses actual transaction dates, investment-option returns, tax, fees and insurance. Moneysmart also applies its own timing and policy assumptions. This model uses steady monthly returns and salary growth and smooths future caps; it cannot predict market paths or future legislation.
Thresholds and documents to check
Check the fund statement for balance, contributions, fees, insurance and investment option; payslips and myGov or ATO online services for employer and personal contributions; and the product disclosure statement for return definitions and costs. Review carry-forward concessional amounts, total super balance, Division 293 and bring-forward eligibility before acting on a cap warning.
Important exclusions
The calculator does not model Division 293, carry-forward unused concessional caps, the non-concessional bring-forward rule, government co-contributions, LISTO, multiple employers, defined benefits or retirement-income withdrawals. Qualifying earnings are entered excluding super.
Sources
Current assumptions are checked against the ASIC Moneysmart superannuation calculator and ATO Super Guarantee guidance.