Australian law provides an exemption from tax for benefits paid to dependants on the death of a member of a superannuation fund. The federal government recently amended the law to recognise people in an 'interdependency relationship' as dependants for the purpose of this exemption. In contrast...

Australia's retirement income system combines private and public provision for old age. Retirees rely on private (but highly regulated) superannuation saving that attracts large tax concessions; a public, means-tested age pension; home ownership; and other private savings. Despite recent changes...

This paper discusses the tax and transfer treatment of private superannuation retirement saving and the public means tested age pension in Australia. Superannuation savings benefit from concessional treatment in Australia's tax system by comparison with other forms of saving, measured against an...