TaxBanter February 2026 Special Topic: Superannuation – keeping up to date

Recorded 4 February 2026. Recent responses from the Government’s addressing some of the inequities by announcing or implementing measures to encourage savings in superannuation for those with low balances and curbing the generous tax breaks.

Recorded 4 February 2026

Many taxpayers still have relatively modest levels of superannuation.  

This session will consider the recent responses from the Government’s addressing some of the inequities by announcing or implementing measures to encourage savings in superannuation for those with low balances and curbing the generous tax breaks for those estimated 80,000 Australian with already substantial balances of some $3 million, including:  

• The non-arms’ length expenditure (NALE) rule for SMSFs which treats the amount of NALI arising from a NALE that is a general expense as being twice the difference between the expense that the SMSF incurred and the amount that might have been expected to be incurred  
• The (proposed) Div 296 tax which imposes a tax at a rate of 15 per cent for superannuation earnings corresponding to the percentage of an individual’s superannuation balance that exceeds $3 million for an income year commencing in 2025–26  
• Reducing the age from which a person can make a downsizer contribution into superannuation from 60 years to 55 years  
• Requiring – from 1 July 2026 – employers to pay their employees´ super at the same time as their salary and wages  

 Other changes relevant to superannuation include:  

• Exercise of the Commissioner’s remedial power to ensure that persons aged 67 to 75 who are an employee under the extended meaning in the SIS Act can meet the ‘work test’ for personal contributions  
• The Commissioner’s clarification of when a payment by a trustee to a fund to establish and build a risk reserve is deductible  
• Further clarification on the employee / contractor distinction for the purposes of the Superannuation Guarantee obligation  
• Changes to the treatment of the transfer balance cap for successor funds

Investment

Individual - $195 ex GST incl
Team - $585 ex GST (up to 6 team members)

If you do not already have an account, please create one here to:

• Register a team
• Access the 25% discount for the full year series!
   

Total 1.5 CPD Hours

Sheoni Dunlop

Senior Tax Trainer

Sheoni started her career in a big four accounting firm, where she developed her skills in corporate and international tax as well as GST, stamp duty, managed investment trusts and superannuation funds.

After leaving the big four, she primarily worked in mid-tier firms providing and managing the provision of advice in respect of both federal and state based taxes to domestic and foreign wealthy individuals, private and public groups and investment funds.

She also worked as a senior tax advisor in a large Australian company, which headed a multinational group. While working as a tax manager and then senior tax manager in mid-tier firms, Sheoni developed training materials and presented training while also being responsible for oversight of training programs.

Sheoni is very passionate about tax education and particularly enjoys helping others understand complex tax issues.