Tax on super withdrawals at different ages
The tax on withdrawing super depends on three things: your age, the components of your super (taxable vs tax-free), and whether the fund is 'taxed' or 'untaxed'. Most APRA-regulated funds and most SMSFs are taxed funds — the typical case. Untaxed funds are mostly older public-sector schemes (Commonwealth, state government funds for long-serving employees) and have separate rules.
From a taxed fund: at age 60+, all super withdrawals (lump sum or pension) are completely tax-free. Below preservation age (60 for everyone in 2026-27 after the multi-year phasing finished on 1 July 2024), the taxable component is taxed at a flat 22% (20% + 2% Medicare levy) on lump-sum withdrawal. The 'low-rate cap' that historically gave a concessional 17% rate between preservation age and 59 is no longer in play for new entrants — preservation age IS 60, so the window has effectively closed. The tax-free component is always tax-free at any age.
Critically: you can't generally access super before preservation age unless you meet a condition of release — terminal illness, severe financial hardship, permanent incapacity, compassionate grounds, or specific COVID-era release programs (now ended). The vast majority of super stays locked up until 60. The calculator above assumes you've met a condition; it's calculating what tax would apply, not whether you can withdraw.