For professionals who’ve transitioned from salaried associate to partner in the last 5 years, there is a distinct possibility that you have not maximised your concessional superannuation entitlements over this period. This will be the case where previous salary levels didn’t translate into the maximum possible employer contribution. Now
that you’re a partner, there’s no employer contribution at all, every dollar you put into super, pre-tax, is a deliberate choice.

The gap you may not realise you have

The concessional cap for 2026–27 is $32,500. If your total superannuation balance was under $500,000 as at last 30 June, you can carry forward unused concessional cap amounts from the previous five financial years, the same years you were on salary and, quite possibly, not contributing anywhere near the cap.

For many professionals, income in the years before making partner doesn’t stretch to maximising super, especially earlier in a career. Those unused amounts don’t disappear they accumulate and remain available to you now, at exactly the point your income (and capacity to contribute) has typically increased.

Why it’s worth acting on

Making a personal deductible contribution using carried-forward cap gives you a lever to manage your tax position in a strong year, while directing that money into a 15%- taxed environment rather than your marginal rate.

A five-year clock

Carry-forward amounts expire five years after they arise. A 2021–22 unused amount, for example, is only available until the end of 2026–27. The transition to partnership is a natural trigger to review exactly what’s still available before it lapses.

If you’ve recently transitioned from salary to self-employed concessional contributions, it’s worth reviewing your contribution history from your employee years, the gap between what was contributed and what could have been may represent a meaningful, time-limited opportunity now.