Are you eligible for First Home Super Saver?
Save for your first home through super with the First Home Super Saver Scheme.
You can contribute up to $15,000 each year and release up to $50,000 plus earnings.
First Home Super Saver at a glance
Who it's for
Australians aged 18 or over who have never owned property in Australia
Annual contribution limit
$15,000 per financial year
Maximum releasable amount
$50,000 plus associated earnings
Eligible contributions
Salary sacrifice, voluntary concessional (pre-tax) and personal non-concessional (after tax) contributions
Ineligible contributions
Super Guarantee, spouse contributions, contributions required by legislation or fund rules, child contributions, personal injury contributions or small business CGT contributions
Tax of amount released release
The amount of concessional contributions and associated earnings released are taxed at your marginal tax rate less a 30% tax offset. Any non-concessional contributions released are tax free
Time to use funds
Once you have requested the release of funds, you must generally enter into a contract to buy or build your first home within 12 months
Occupancy requirement
You must genuinely intend to live in the home as soon as practicable for at least 6 of the first 12 months from when it was possible to do so.
Who can use First Home Super Saver?
You may be eligible if you meet these conditions:
You haven’t owned property in Australia
You must not have owned property in Australia and must be 18 or older.
You plan to live in the property
You must live in the home for at least 6 months.
You make voluntary contributions
Only voluntary contributions count towards your release.
What counts as a first home under the First Home Super Saver Scheme?
The property must be residential and must be occupied by you. Properties that are intended to be used for investment purposes only are not eligible. Your name must be on the title of the property that you purchase.
- houses, apartments and townhouses
- vacant land on which you’re constructing your first home
- this doesn’t include:
- non-residential properties
- houseboats or motor homes.
How much you can contribute and release using First Home Super Saver?
The First Home Super Saver Scheme only includes voluntary contributions. Employer super guarantee contributions do not count towards your First Home Super Saver amount.
Eligible contributions could include:
- salary sacrifice contributions
- personal concessional contributions (pre-tax)
- personal non-concessional contributions (after tax)
Maximum eligible contribution for release under the First Home Super Saver Scheme
Annual First Home Super Saver contributions counted
$15,000
Combined voluntary contributions per year
Lifetime First Home Super Saver contributions counted
$50,000
Total across all years
Maximum First Home Super Saver release amount
$50,000 plus associated earnings
Calculated by the ATO
How First Home Super Saver earnings are calculated?
The ATO calculates First Home Super Saver earnings using a deemed rate based on the Shortfall Interest Charge rate.
First Home Super Saver earnings are not based on your super fund’s actual returns.
Eligible and ineligible First Home Super Saver contributions
Salary sacrifice contributions
Yes
Personal concessional contributions
Yes
Personal non-concessional contributions
Yes
Super Guarantee (SG) contributions
No
Spouse contributions
No
Government co-contributions
No
LISTO payments
No
How your maximum releasable amount is calculated
When considering the annual limit of $15,000 and the overall limit of $50,000, 100% of non-concessional contributions and only 85% of concessional contributions will count towards the FHSS maximum release amount calculation.
Example: salary sacrifice and the annual $15,000 limit
In the 2025–2026 financial year, Mary made $25,000 salary sacrifice (concessional contributions). Because of the annual limit, only $15,000 will count as eligible FHSS contributions and only 85% of that $15,000 ($12,750) will count towards the calculation of the maximum releasable amount.
Saving a home deposit using the FHSSS
Brooke and Daniel save a deposit of $114,505 using the FHSSS
Brooke and Daniel are saving up to buy their first home. Brooke earns $85,000 per year and Daniel earns $78,000. They both decide to contribute an additional $15,000 to super each year from their before-tax income using a salary sacrifice arrangement with their employers. These contributions will be subject to 15% super contributions tax, which means the net amount of their annual contributions will be $12,750 each.
After four years, and assuming an earnings rate of 6.96% p.a.,* Brooke and Daniel will have each saved an additional $58,799 that they can apply to withdraw using the FHSSS.
The ATO deducts tax from these contributions and earnings at their marginal tax rates, but with a 30% tax offset. This gives Brooke and Daniel a net withdrawal amount of $57,008 and $57,498 respectively, meaning they have a combined amount of $114,505 that they can put towards their first home deposit.
*The ATO uses a deemed interest rate (the ‘shortfall interest charge’ rate) to calculate daily compounded earnings that can be released under the FHSS scheme. This rate is 6.96% p.a. for the April to June quarter of the 2025–26 financial year. This case study assumes contributions are made half way through each year for earnings calculation purposes.
How to apply for release of your FHSSS to buy a house
Step 1
Make voluntary contributions to your super.
Step 2
When you think you have enough money saved, apply to the ATO for what’s known as a FHSSS determination. You can do this through your myGov account. The ATO will let you know your maximum FHSSS release amount.
Step 3
Submit a release request through myGov. The ATO will assess your request, contact your super fund, withhold tax, and pay the remaining amount into your bank account. This usually takes 15 to 20 business days.
Step 4
Use the funds for your home deposit. You have 12 months from your release request to buy a property or sign a building contract. You may be able to request a 12‑month extension from the ATO.
Step 5
Within 90 days of signing the property contract, use myGov to let the ATO know you’ve bought a property. If you skip this step, you may have to pay additional tax.
Tax on First Home Super Saver withdrawals
Concessional contributions and associated earnings released under the FHSS scheme are taxed at your marginal tax rate less a 30% tax offset.
Non-concessional contributions are released tax free.
The ATO calculates and withholds an estimate of the applicable tax before your First Home Super Saver funds are paid to your bank account.
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Frequently asked questions
No, you can only generally request a First Home Super Saver release once.
Each eligible person can use the First Home Super Saver Scheme and release up to $50,000 plus associated earnings.
First Home Super Saver funds are typically received within 15 to 20 business days after you request the release.
Yes, by withdrawing from your super you super balance will be lower. Only eligible voluntary contributions plus earnings are released under the First Home Super Saver Scheme. Compulsory employer contributions and earnings on these contributions remain in your super account.
If you don’t request a release of your First Home Super Saver funds, they simply stay in your super account.
They’ll continue to be invested and are generally preserved until you meet a condition of release, like retirement, just like the rest of your super.
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Important information
Avanteos Investments Limited ABN 20 096 259 979, AFSL 245531 (AIL) is the trustee of the Colonial First State FirstChoice Superannuation Trust ABN 26 458 298 557 and issuer of FirstChoice range of super and pension products. Colonial First State Investments Limited ABN 98 002 348 352, AFSL 232468 (CFSIL) is the responsible entity and issuer of products made available under FirstChoice Investments and FirstChoice Wholesale Investments.
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