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Super Guarantee Rate Rise to 10% – Are you Ready?

SGC increases from 9.5% to 10% July 2021

The super guarantee rate will rise in July this year to 10%. This rate increase will impact employer expenses and may affect salary packages. Now is the time to plan what steps are required to be ready for the increase. 

Super Guarantee History

The superannuation guarantee statutory rate has remained at 9.5% since July 2014. However, plans have been in place for some years now, to increase the rate to 12% incrementally.

In July 2021, the rate will rise to 10%. From then on, the rate will increase by 0.5% each year until July 2025 when it will reach the legislated 12%.

Prior to the delayed 2020 federal budget, there was discussion about the possibility of deferring the rate rise because of COVID-19. However, the rate rise had been postponed from 2018 to 2021, so the plans to start increasing the rate each year remain in place – at least for now.

How to Prepare for the July Rate Rise
  1. Review your current superannuation costs for all employees, both hourly and salaried.
  2. Review any salary packaging arrangements. Is the agreement inclusive of superannuation or is super paid on top of the agreed salary?
  3. For salary packages inclusive of super, you will need to check the contract’s wording to make sure you apply the changes correctly. This change may also impact annualised salary arrangements.
  4. Calculate your revised payroll costs from July, showing the current wages and superannuation expense compared to the new rate from July 2021. Highlight the increased amount per month or quarter, so you know precisely what the impact will be.
  5. Discuss the super rate increase with your employees now. Let them know that this is the first year since 2014 that the rate has risen. Also that unless the law changes, there will be an increase of 0.5% each year from now until July 2025 when the statutory rate will reach 12%.
  6. Review your payroll software and ensure the super guarantee rate rise to 10% will be reflected for all wages / salaries paid from 1 July 2021. 
Late Super

Remember – short payment or late payment of super can incur hefty penalties – its best to plan now for higher payroll expenses from July, so you don’t get caught short.

We recommend you review your current superannuation liabilities and ensure it is up to date for all employees. If you have late super owing, contact us to assist you with the Superannuation Guarantee forms as soon as possible.

If you would like help reviewing payroll costs and employee agreements, talk to us now, and we’ll make sure you have accurate reports to make planning for the rate rise easy. Being organised means that you’ll be prepared for the increased costs when the first payment is due later this year.

We can help you manage your superannuation obligations routinely & easily – email us to find out how we can help.

Disclaimer: The information contained on this website is general in nature and does not take into account your personal situation. You should consider whether the information is appropriate to your needs, and where appropriate, seek professional advice from a financial adviser. Taxation, legal and other matters referred to on this website are of a general nature only and are based on Goad Accountant’s interpretation of laws existing at the time and should not be relied upon in place of appropriate professional advice. Those laws may change from time to time.
Karen Goad
Karen Goad
Owner & Founder of Goad Accountants & BusinessSpark. Karen is a Chartered Accountant and Certified Tax Adviser with over 23 years of experience advising property investors, property developers, veterinarians, small and medium business and helping them get the most out of their business through accurate record keeping, tax advice, KPI monitoring and profit improvement strategies. Goad Accountants also specialises in self-managed super fund administration.

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