How to make your first spouse contribution

Making a contribution to your spouse’s super is a great way to build your shared retirement savings.

There is no minimum contribution you need to make. If your spouse doesn’t already have an account with us, we will automatically open a GESB Super account for them.

Below you’ll find the steps you need to take to make your first spouse contribution. If you have made a spouse contribution before, you can make another one by completing the Additional spouse contributions form.

1. Learn about spouse contributions

We recommend you read the information below to check that making spouse contributions is the right option for you:

2. Download the form

First, click this link to download a Spouse contributions brochure. You will need to print out the form on pages 3 and 4 as you can’t type directly into the form.

The form has five steps.

3. Provide your personal details

If you are making the contribution, you are the contributing spouse. If the contribution is made on your behalf, you are the receiving spouse.

These details include your name, date of birth, email address and mobile phone number.

This image shows part of the ‘Section 1 - Your details’ section of the Spouse contributions form. In this section, you need to provide the contributing spouse’s GESB member number and personal details, including title, last name, given name or names, date of birth, gender, email address and mobile phone number.

Start with your own details, then provide your spouse’s details. If your spouse already has an account with us, please include their member number. If they don’t have an account yet, we’ll automatically open a GESB Super account for them.

This image shows part of the ‘Section 1 - Your details’ section of the Spouse contributions form. In this section, you need to provide the receiving spouse’s GESB member number (if any) and personal details, including title, surname, given name or names, date of birth, gender, residential address and post address (if different from residential).

This image shows part of the ‘Section 1 - Your details’ section of the Spouse contributions form. In this section, you need to provide the receiving spouse’s email address, work phone number and mobile phone number.

You’ll notice that we ask for more contact details about your spouse, as these details relate to the account the money goes into.

4. Enter the amount you would like to contribute

This image shows the ‘Section 2 - Initial contribution’ section of the Spouse contributions form. In this section, you need to specify the amount you are contributing on your spouse’s behalf. A cheque or money order, made payable to GESB, must accompany this form. Contributions cannot be made by BPAY as an acknowledgement must accompany each contribution (see Section 3 of this form).

Write the amount you would like to contribute to your spouse’s account. You can only make this contribution by cheque or money order which must be submitted with the form as you have to sign an acknowledgement.

Please note, as of 1 October 2022 we don't accept foreign cheques.

This form is for the first contribution only. For any further contributions you’ll only need to complete an Additional spouse contributions form.

5. Check that your spouse can receive contributions

This image shows part 1 of the ‘Section 3 - Declaration and signature’ section of the Spouse contributions form. In this section both partners acknowledge that in signing this form they confirm that at the time of making this spouse contribution they live permanently together on a bona fide domestic basis as a married couple or de facto partners (including same sex partners) and are Australian residents. The receiving spouse also needs to note in order to be oble to receive contributions from your spouse, you must be under the age of 75.

You can only receive contributions to your super when you are under the age of 75.

6. Read and sign the declaration

This image shows part 2 of the ‘Section 3 - Declaration and signature’ section of the Spouse contributions form. In this section, you need to acknowledge that you: 1. Understand that the contribution will be allocated to your eligible GESB account and invested in your nominated investment plan. If you have not nominated an investment plan, all monies will be invested in the My GESB Super plan (the default investment plan). 2. Have read the ‘GESB Super Product Information Booklet’ and the ‘Spouse contributions’ brochure and understand that they contain general information only and do not take into account your investment objectives, financial situation or needs. 3. Understand that any benefits accruing on your behalf in your GESB account are subject to rules and conditions of release applicable to that scheme, including preservation standards (see the ‘GESB Super Product Information Booklet’). The contributing spouse and receiving spouse then need to sign and date the completed form.

When you sign the form, you’ll need to acknowledge that you live permanently together on a bona fide domestic basis as a married couple or de facto partners (of any gender) and are both Australian residents.

If you’re making the contribution, you sign first, followed by your spouse.

7. Provide your spouse’s tax file number

This image shows part 1 of the ‘Section 4 – Receiving spouse’s tax file number (TFN)’ section of the Spouse contributions form. This section is to be read and completed by the receiving spouse. This section explains that GESB is authorised to collect your TFN for certain purposes, however you are not obligated to provide your TFN to us. As spouse contributions are personal after-tax contributions, GESB can only accept your spouse contributions if you provide your TFN. It then explains that before you provide us with your TFN please note: We are authorised to collect your TFN under the Superannuation Industry (Supervision) Act 1993, which will only be used for lawful purposes. These purposes may change in the future. We may disclose your TFN to other super funds, when your benefits are being transferred, unless you request in writing that we don’t. It’s not an offence for you not to provide us with your TFN. However giving your TFN to us will have the following advantages (which may not otherwise apply). 1.We will be able to accept all types of contribution to your account(s) 2.The tax on contributions to your super account(s) will not increase. 3. Other than the tax that may ordinarily apply, no additional tax will be deducted when you start drawing down your super benefits.

This image shows part 2 of the ‘Section 4 – Receiving spouse’s tax file number (TFN)’ section of the Spouse contributions form. This section continues on from part 1 and explains an additional advantages of providing your TFN to us (which may not otherwise apply). It will make it much easier to trace different super accounts in your name so that you receive all your super benefits when you retire This section also explains that if you do not provide your TFN: 1. You may pay more tax on your super benefits than you have to. 2. Additional tax may be applied to super contributions made by your employer (including salary sacrifice contributions). 3. We may be unable to accept your personal, after-tax contributions which could affect your eligibility for the Commonwealth Government Super Co-contribution 4. You may be unnecessarily liable for the Super Contributions Surcharge in relation to contributions pre-1 July 2005. 5. It may be more difficult to locate and amalgamate your super benefits in the future. It then explains the purpose for which your TFN can be used and the consequences of not quoting it may change in the future as a result of changes in the law. For more information on providing your TFN to your super fund visit www.ato.gov.au Lastly, you need to provide your spouse’s details including their title, surname, given name or names and tax file number. There is a box that can be ticked if your spouse does not wish for their tax file number to be passed onto another super fund. Your spouse then needs to sign and date the completed form.

A spouse contribution is a personal after-tax contribution, so we can only accept your spouse contribution if you provide their tax file number (TFN).

This section has to be signed by your spouse as it is their TFN you need to include on the form.

8. Use the checklist to make sure you’ve done everything

This image shows the ‘Section 5 - Checklist’ section of the Spouse contributions form. This section provides a checklist to help you check if you have done everything you need to when making this first spouse contribution. You need to check and confirm the following 1. This is your first spouse contribution. If not, use the ‘Additional spouse contributions’ form. 2. You and your spouse have signed the acknowledgement in Section 3. 3. You have enclosed a cheque or money order made payable to GESB for your spouse contribution. 4. Your spouse has completed Section 4 if they have not previously provided their TFN to GESB.

We’ve provided a checklist to help you check if you have done everything you need to when making this first spouse contribution.

9. Send the form in

Now that you’ve completed and signed the 'Spouse contributions' form, you need to send your completed form and cheque or money order, made payable to GESB, to:

GESB
PO Box J 755
Perth WA 6842

Australia Post can take up to six business days to deliver regular mail. Please take this into account when submitting contributions to us, especially when you need to meet a processing deadline.

Page last updated 03 July 2023

Thank you for printing this page. Remember to come back to gesb.wa.gov.au for the latest information as our content is updated regularly. This information is correct as at 25 April 2024.