First Home Super Scheme to be extended for withdrawals up to $50,000
The Budget confirmed that the maximum amount of voluntary superannuation contributions that can be released under the First Home Super Saver (FHSS) scheme will be increased from $30,000 to $50,000.
Voluntary contributions made from 1 July 2017 up to the existing limit of $15,000 per year will count towards the total amount able to be released (which includes voluntary concessional and non-concessional contributions).
Currently, the FHSS scheme allows for future voluntary contributions up to $15,000 per year (and $30,000 in total) to be withdrawn for a first home purchase. To be eligible, a person must be 18 years or over, have not used the FHSS scheme before and have never owned real property in Australia. Withdrawals of eligible FHSS contributions (and associated earnings) are taxed at the individual’s marginal rate less a 30% tax offset. Effectively, the scheme provides a 15% tax saving on money channelled via super for a first home purchase.
Home Guarantees for single parents and new homes
Other first home buyer measures, announced as part of the Budget, include:
- New Home Guarantee - to be expanded for a second year, providing an additional 10,000 places in 2021-22. First home buyers seeking to build a new home or purchase a newly built home will be able to do so with a deposit of as little as 5%; and
- Family Home Guarantee for single parents -to be established with 10,000 guarantees made available over 4 years to single parents with dependants. The Family Home Guarantee allows them to purchase a home sooner with a deposit of as little as 2%.
