The downsizer contribution: how to put up to $300,000 from your home sale into super

If you're 55 or older and selling the family home, you may be able to contribute up to $300,000 of the proceeds directly into super - outside the normal contribution caps. Here's how it works.

Last updated: June 2026  ·  ATO-aligned  ·  General information only     5 min read

What the downsizer contribution is

The downsizer contribution is a special type of after-tax super contribution available to Australians aged 55 and over when they sell a property that has qualified - either fully or partially - for the main residence CGT exemption at some point during their ownership. It doesn't need to be your current home; a former main residence qualifies provided it met the exemption criteria at some stage. Unlike normal non-concessional contributions, the downsizer contribution sits outside the usual contribution caps - it doesn't count toward your annual NCC cap or your total super balance limit for contribution eligibility purposes.

It's designed to encourage older Australians to free up larger homes and simultaneously boost their retirement savings. But it has strict rules around timing, property eligibility, and how the money is treated once it's in super.

Who is eligible

To make a downsizer contribution you must meet all of the following:

• You are aged 55 or over at the time of the contribution (lowered from 60 in January 2023, then to 55 in January 2023)
• You or your spouse owned the property for at least 10 years before the sale
• The property is in Australia and is not a caravan, houseboat, or mobile home
• The sale proceeds are at least partially exempt from CGT under the main residence exemption (full or partial - you don't need to be fully exempt)
• You have never previously made a downsizer contribution (it's a once-per-lifetime measure)
• The contribution is made within 90 days of settlement

Note there is no work test and no total super balance restriction for the downsizer contribution - unlike most other super contributions. Even if your super balance exceeds $1.9 million, you can still make a downsizer contribution. You also don't need to actually buy a smaller home - the name is a misnomer. You can rent, move in with family, or buy something of equivalent value.

How much you can contribute

You can contribute up to $300,000 per person, capped at the total sale proceeds of the property. For a couple who both meet the eligibility criteria, that's up to $600,000 combined - even if only one person was on the title, as long as the other person was their spouse at the time of sale.

The contribution doesn't need to equal the sale price - you can contribute any amount up to the $300,000 cap, provided it doesn't exceed the total proceeds received. You can also split the contribution across multiple super funds, provided the total per person stays within the cap.

How the contribution can be structured

How to make the contribution

Before or at the time of making the contribution, you must give your super fund a completed downsizer contribution into super form (ATO form NAT 75073). Your fund needs this before or at the time you contribute - not after. If you submit the form late, the contribution may be treated as a normal non-concessional contribution and count against your NCC cap, which can create excess contribution issues.

The 90-day window runs from the date of settlement, not the date contracts are exchanged. Given the paperwork involved, it's worth starting the process well before settlement so you're not scrambling in the final days.

Tax treatment inside super

Once the money is in super, it is treated as a non-concessional (after-tax) contribution - meaning it goes into the tax-free component of your super balance. There's no additional tax on the way in (you've already paid income tax on the sale proceeds). Investment earnings on the money in accumulation phase are taxed at up to 15%, and in retirement (pension) phase at 0%.

Importantly, the downsizer contribution does count toward your transfer balance cap - the $1.9 million limit on how much you can move into the tax-free pension phase. If you're already close to your cap, a large downsizer contribution could limit how much of it earns tax-free returns in pension phase.

Impact on the Age Pension

This is the part many people overlook. Your family home is exempt from the Age Pension assets test. Super is not. When you sell your home and put the proceeds into super, you're potentially converting an exempt asset into an assessable one - which can reduce or eliminate your Age Pension entitlement.

Things to watch out for

It's once per lifetime. You can only use the downsizer contribution once. If you sell one home now and put in $150,000, you can't use the remaining $150,000 cap when you sell a future property. Use it all in one go or accept you're leaving some capacity on the table.

The 90-day clock is strict. Missing the deadline means the contribution can't be treated as a downsizer contribution. Notify your fund early and don't assume you can sort the paperwork post-settlement.

Investment properties don't qualify. The property must have been your main residence at some point during the ownership period and must qualify (at least partially) for the main residence CGT exemption. A pure investment property that has never been your home doesn't qualify.

Transfer balance cap interaction. If you're already in or near retirement phase, a large downsizer contribution may push you toward or over your transfer balance cap, limiting future tax-free earnings in pension phase.

Modelling it in Canwi

The downsizer contribution involves a trade-off between super's tax advantages and the Age Pension assets test - and the right answer depends entirely on your numbers. In Canwi, you can model a property sale event, add the downsizer contribution, and see the downstream impact on your super balance, Age Pension eligibility, and net worth trajectory over time.

Comparing the scenario with and without the contribution - and layering in the Age Pension impact - is exactly the kind of analysis that used to require a financial adviser. Now you can run it yourself.

This post is general information only and is not financial, superannuation, or tax advice. Eligibility rules and contribution caps may change. The interaction between super contributions and Age Pension entitlements is complex and depends on your individual circumstances.