Can I use the bring-forward rule and downsizer contribution in the same year?

Yes. Downsizer contributions sit outside the non-concessional cap and bring-forward rule entirely, so both can be used together in the same financial year, subject to each having its own eligibility rules.

How much can the bring-forward rule let me contribute?

Up to $390,000 over three years if your total super balance was below $1.84 million as at 30 June 2026, with lower amounts available at higher balances and none at all above $2.1 million.

Does a downsizer contribution affect the Age Pension?

Yes. Once downsizer proceeds are in super, they become assessable under the Age Pension assets and deeming rules, so the impact should be modelled before contributing.

Is there an age limit for the downsizer contribution?

There's a minimum age of 55, but no upper age limit, and no work test applies. You can make a downsizer contribution even if you're fully retired.

Can each partner in a couple use both strategies?

Yes, provided each partner individually meets the eligibility rules for the strategy they're using u2014 age and ownership for the downsizer contribution, and their own total super balance for the bring-forward rule.

Bring-Forward Rule Explained: Combining It With the Downsizer Contribution

by Nasser ZreikaAug 3, 2026Superannuation

The bring-forward rule lets eligible retirees contribute up to $390,000 in non-concessional contributions in a single year by using three years of cap at once. A downsizer contribution of up to $300,000 per person ($600,000 per couple) sits completely outside this cap. Combined in the same year, a couple selling their home could potentially add close to $1 million into super in one go, subject to eligibility and total super balance limits.

The short version

In this guide

Key Takeaways
What Is the Bring-Forward Rule?
What Is the Downsizer Contribution?
Can You Combine the Bring-Forward Rule With a Downsizer Contribution?
Worked Example
How to Combine Both in Practice
Traps to Watch

Key Takeaways

The bring-forward rule lets you use up to three years of non-concessional cap at once — up to $390,000 — depending on your total super balance.
Downsizer contributions (up to $300,000 per person, $600,000 per couple) sit completely outside the non-concessional cap and bring-forward rule.
Both can be used in the same financial year if you meet each strategy’s own eligibility rules.
A couple selling a long-held home could add close to $1 million into super in a single year using both strategies together.
Contributions this large can raise your total super balance enough to affect Age Pension eligibility.

What Is the Bring-Forward Rule?

Instead of being limited to the standard $130,000 non-concessional cap each year, the bring-forward rule allows you to access up to three years of cap in a single financial year. How much you can bring forward depends on your total super balance (TSB) as at 30 June of the previous financial year.

Total Super Balance (30 June 2026)	Bring-Forward Amount
Below $1.84 million	$390,000 over 3 years
$1.84m to under $1.97 million	$260,000 over 2 years
$1.97m to under $2.1 million	$130,000, standard annual cap only
$2.1 million or more	Not eligible to contribute

Once you trigger the bring-forward rule, your cap for the following one or two years is reduced accordingly, since you have already used that capacity upfront. You’ll also need to be 74 or younger on 1 July of the year you trigger it.

What Is the Downsizer Contribution?

The downsizer contribution allows eligible Australians aged 55 and over to contribute up to $300,000 each ($600,000 per couple) into super from the proceeds of selling their home, provided they owned it for at least 10 years. There’s no total super balance test for eligibility and no upper age limit. Full eligibility detail is covered in our downsizer super contribution guide.

Can You Combine the Bring-Forward Rule With a Downsizer Contribution?

Yes. Downsizer contributions do not count towards, and are not limited by, the non-concessional contributions cap or the bring-forward rule. This means in the year you sell your home, you can make a downsizer contribution and separately trigger the bring-forward rule for standard non-concessional contributions, provided you meet the eligibility and total super balance requirements for each.

Worked Example

A couple in their early 60s sells their family home and has a combined total super balance well under $1.84 million. Each person could potentially contribute $300,000 as a downsizer contribution, plus trigger the bring-forward rule to add up to $390,000 each in non-concessional contributions — well over a million dollars combined added to super in one financial year, spread across both partners’ accounts.

How to Combine Both in Practice

Confirm eligibility for the downsizer contribution separately: age 55+, 10+ years of ownership, and the home qualifies for the main residence CGT exemption.
Check your total super balance at 30 June of the prior financial year to see which bring-forward tier you fall into.
Lodge the ATO downsizer contribution form with your fund before or at the time of making that contribution.
Make the downsizer contribution within 90 days of receiving the sale proceeds (usually settlement).
Separately decide how much of your bring-forward non-concessional cap to use in the same financial year, keeping in mind it will reduce your cap in future years.
Model the combined impact on your total super balance and Age Pension position before committing, since both strategies can push your balance up significantly at once.

Traps to Watch

Contributions this large will significantly raise your total super balance, which can affect Age Pension eligibility under the assets test and deeming under the income test.
Triggering the bring-forward rule reduces your non-concessional cap for the following one or two years.
The downsizer contribution must be made within 90 days of receiving the sale proceeds, and a specific ATO form must be lodged with your fund.
Total super balance thresholds are assessed as at 30 June of the prior financial year, so timing a sale near the end of a financial year matters.
Missing the downsizer form or the 90-day window means the contribution can’t be treated as a downsizer contribution at all.

Because this strategy affects both your super caps and your Age Pension position at once, it is worth modelling the combined outcome before acting. See our full breakdown of 2026-27 contribution caps for the standard annual limits this builds on.