Calculator
Self-Employed Superannuation Calculator
Self-employed Australians generally don't receive compulsory employer superannuation contributions, so building a retirement balance relies on personal contributions you choose to make yourself. This calculator defaults the employer contribution rate to zero and focuses on projecting the effect of your own voluntary contributions.
Projected balance at retirement
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Years until retirement
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Total contributions
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Investment earnings
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Projected balance over time
Age → BalanceYear-by-year projection
| Age | Salary | Employer | Voluntary | Earnings | Fees | Balance |
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Personal super contributions when you're self-employed
As a self-employed person, you can generally make personal contributions to super from your business income, and many of these contributions may be tax-deductible up to the concessional contributions cap — turning a personal contribution into a similar tax outcome to an employee's salary sacrifice arrangement. Deductibility rules and notice-of-intent requirements apply, so it's worth checking current ATO guidance or speaking with an accountant before relying on a deduction.
Why starting early matters even more without employer contributions
Without a compulsory employer contribution steadily building a balance in the background, self-employed super depends entirely on contributions you actively choose to make. Because investment returns compound on your whole balance every year, starting voluntary contributions earlier — even a modest, regular amount — tends to produce a meaningfully larger projected balance than the same total amount contributed in a rush closer to retirement. Try adjusting the voluntary contribution amount and frequency below to see the effect for yourself.
Want the full picture? Try the main Superannuation Calculator, browse all calculators, or readhow superannuation works.