Best super fund for small business owners and self-employed
Self-employed Australians are not legally required to pay themselves super — and most don't. The best fund for you handles voluntary personal contributions, claimable deductions, and catch-up caps without friction.
AustralianSuper accepts personal deductible contributions cleanly, has simple online deduction notice processing, competitive fees, and strong long-term returns — all without needing an employer to administer on your behalf.
Runners up
Solid alternatives if AustralianSuper doesn’t fit your situation:
- Australian Retirement Trust — 7.70% p.a. 10y return, $410/yr at $50k. Merger of Sunsuper and QSuper — second-largest fund in Australia.
- Hostplus — 8.20% p.a. 10y return, $563/yr at $50k. Industry fund for hospitality, tourism, sport and recreation.
What to check before switching
- Lodge a Notice of Intent to Claim before your tax return to get the deduction
- Catch-up concessional caps are gold if your balance is under $500k — see our contribution caps calculator
- An SMSF may suit if you want to hold commercial property your business occupies — get advice first
The three things that matter for every occupation
- 10-year net return beats any marketing claim. Check the ATO YourSuper tool.
- Fees in dollars, not percentages. At your balance, what does each fund actually charge per year?
- Insurance defaults vs your actual needs. Use our insurance cost calculator to see the retirement-savings trade-off.
Use the calculator
Plug any two funds into our compare funds calculator with your actual balance — the dollar gap over 20 years can be enormous even between “similar” funds.
General information only — not financial advice. Super decisions are long-term; verify with a licensed adviser. This page is general information; the “best” fund depends on your personal circumstances.