First Home Super Saver scheme
The First Home Super Saver (FHSS) scheme is a Commonwealth Government initiative to help Australians aged 18 years or older save for their first home.
If you meet eligibility requirements, you can apply to the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) to withdraw voluntary contributions made to your GESB Super account after 1 July 2017 (and the associated earnings on those contributions) to use towards the purchase or construction of your first home1.
Important things to know about the FHSS
Here are some important things to know about accessing the FHSS:
It applies to contributions made to GESB Super accounts only
As West State Super and Gold State Super are constitutionally-protected funds, contributions made to these schemes are not eligible for the FHSS scheme.
There’s a limit of up to $15,000 of your voluntary contributions made to GESB Super from any one financial year, and up to a total of $50,000 across all years, plus earnings.
You can make different types of voluntary contributions
Depending on your circumstances, you could make:
- Before-tax contributions (known as concessional contributions) including salary sacrifice amounts or contributions you have claimed as a tax deduction
- After-tax contributions (known as non-concessional contributions) including contributions from your take home pay that you haven’t claimed as a tax deduction
Your contributions will count towards your contribution limits or caps for the year they are originally made. Having contributions released under the FHSS scheme doesn’t affect your contribution caps for the year they are withdrawn.
Ready to apply for the FHSS?
The ATO administers the FHSS scheme and will assess your eligibility once you apply. You can apply through your myGov account.
You can find more information on the ATO’s website including the rules and requirements for applying.
Keep track of FHSS contributions in Member Online
You can easily see how much you’ve saved by checking your transaction history in Member Online.
You can also use the BPAY® option to make voluntary after-tax contributions to your GESB Super account.
Please note: we are required to send you confirmation every time you make a contribution using BPAY.
More information
- To find out whether you are eligible, or to learn more about the scheme, visit the ATO’s website
- Apply to withdraw your funds through myGov
- Learn more about contributing to your super and the caps that apply
Need help
- Call us on 13 43 72
1 If you lost ownership of your first home due to financial hardship you may be able to apply to the ATO to use the FHSS scheme to help you purchase or construct a home which is not your first home. See the ATO website for details.
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 07 May 2024.