Spouse contributions

Contributing to superannuation on behalf of a spouse is one of the most tax-effective ways for a couple to accumulate savings for retirement and achieve the tax benefits associated with income splitting in the future. 
A person (of any age) can make after-tax contributions into superannuation on behalf of a spouse if they have received income, including investment income, in the year in which the contribution is made.
The recipient spouse must be under age 70 (though must be gainfully employed on a part time or full time basis if they are between the ages of 65 and 70) and is not required to be a taxpayer at the time of receiving the contribution.
The benefits of spouse contributions are listed below:

A tax rebate may also be available if the receiving spouse’s annual assessable income is below $13,800.

Government co-contribution

Who is eligible for the superannuation co-contribution?

To be eligible you must:

• make personal superannuation contributions (providing they are not salary packaging contributions, and you are not entitled to claim a tax deduction for your contributions);
• have an assessable income + reportable fringe benefits of less than $61,920;
• earn 10% or more of total income from eligible employment, carrying on a business or a combination of both
• be less than age 71 at the end of the financial year;
• not be a temporary resident; and
• lodge a tax return.

Do I need to apply for the superannuation co-contribution?

No. Simply lodge your income tax return as normal. The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) will use the information on your income tax return, and contribution information from your superannuation fund, to work out whether you are eligible.
If you are eligible, the ATO will automatically calculate the superannuation
co-contribution amount and deposit it into your superannuation account.

What contributions qualify for the co-contribution?

Contributions made via salary packaging are not regarded as qualifying contributions for the superannuation co-contribution. If you are salary packaging contributions, you will need to make an after tax contribution to qualify for the Government superannuation Co-contribution

Salary sacrifice

Salary sacrifice is one of the simplest, yet most tax-effective ways you can build wealth for retirement.
It involves arranging your employer to contribute a portion of your pre-tax salary into superannuation on your behalf rather than receiving that amount as after tax cash in hand.
In addition, the accumulation of these funds for your retirement will be within a concessionally taxed environment, where earnings are taxed at a maximum rate of 15% as compared to your higher marginal rate of tax.
The standard 15% contributions tax will be deducted upon entry into the fund.  You should be aware that salary sacrifice benefits are restricted in that they generally cannot be accessed until retirement or after age 65.
Personal superannuation contributions are acceptable from the following people:
Under age 65
Between 65 and 70, must be gainfully employed at least 40 hours in a period of not more than 30 consecutive days in that financial year (able to claim a tax deduction)
Between 70 and 75, must be gainfully employed at least 40 hours in a period of not more than 30 consecutive days in that financial year (unable to claim a tax deduction)
Over 75, personal contributions are not allowed.
A tax deduction for personal contributions made in a financial year is allowable if you:
Have no superannuation support for the year; or receive superannuation support and your assessable and exempt income and reportable fringe benefits, from eligible employment is less than 10% of your total assessable income and reportable fringe benefits.
Personal deductible contributions are ‘taxable contributions’ and therefore subject to the 15% contributions tax. The contribution will be preserved until a condition of release has been satisfied.
There is a limit of $25,000 of concessional contributions per person per year for people under age 50. . However, from 1/7/2009 to 30/06/2012 a transistional cap of $50,000 per person per year applies to individuals aged 50 or over during that period.

Superannuation guarantee contribution

The superannuation guarantee contribution scheme requires employers to make contributions to superannuation on behalf of their employees.  The amount to be contributed is determined by a set percentage of annual salary.  This percentage is currently 9%.
Contributions made in this manner attract a 15% direct contributions tax.

Rollover

Rolling over is the process of moving your superannuation benefits from one fund to another.  This strategy will provide you with the following benefits:
There is no lump sum tax incurred in transferring your superannuation benefits from a superannuation fund to a rollover fund.  You will thus be deferring any tax due on the lump sum (if applicable) which will give you the potential to earn investment growth on money that otherwise would have been paid in tax;
The investment earnings of the rollover fund are taxed in the hands of the fund manager and do not form part of your taxable income;
The income tax that is paid by the rollover fund is a maximum of 15% and this can be considerably reduced if the fund is investing in Australian shares.  You may pay tax when you withdraw money from the rollover fund; and
The status of any non-preserved portion of your benefit will not change and can be withdrawn at any time after you rollover.

Superannuation withdrawal

Benefits may be cashed out of superannuation depending on how the benefits are classified.
Unrestricted non-preserved amounts may be cashed in whole or part at any time. 
In order for preserved and restricted non-preserved benefits to be released from a super fund, a condition of release is required to be met by the member.
Lump sum tax is generally payable upon withdrawing funds from superannuation. This is dependent on your age at the time of the withdrawal, the total amount withdrawn, and the superannuation component from which the funds are taken.