Superannuation is calculated at the rate of 9.5 per cent of your ‘ordinary-time earnings’. (For most people, ordinary-time earnings are their gross annual salary or wages.) So if you had a salary of $50,000, your superannuation would be 9.5 per cent of that, or $4,750. This would be paid on top of your salary.
As the Australian Taxation Office explains, some items are excluded from ordinary-time earnings. They include:
- Overtime work paid at overtime rates
- Expense allowances that are fully expended
- Expenses that are reimbursed
- Unfair dismissal payments
- Workers’ compensation payments
- Parental leave
- Jury duty
- Defence reserve service
- Unused annual leave when employment is terminated
- Unused long service leave when employment is terminated
- Unused sick leave when employment is terminated
Although the superannuation guarantee is currently at 9.5 per cent, it is scheduled to rise to 10.0 per cent in 2021-22, 10.5 per cent in 2022-23, 11.0 per cent in 2023-24, 11.5 per cent in 2024-25 and 12.0 per cent in 2025-26.