TPD tax guide

TPD Tax Rates: What You'll Actually Pay

The tax on a Total and Permanent Disability (TPD) payout from super depends on your age at the date of payment, your preservation age, and whether the benefit is paid as a lump sum or income stream. Here's a clear breakdown of the rates that apply.

TPD lump sum tax rates by age

Your age at paymentTax on taxable component
Under preservation ageUp to 22% (incl. Medicare)
60 and overGenerally 0% (tax-free)

The tax-free component of your benefit is never taxed. The taxable component is the portion the ATO can tax — and the rates above are the maximums. In practice the disability tax-free uplift usually shifts a large share of the payout into the tax-free bucket.

Why most claimants pay less than the headline rate

When a TPD benefit is paid from super, the ATO recalculates your tax-free component using a disability uplift — a formula based on your service period and the days remaining until age 65. This uplift can move tens of thousands of dollars out of the taxable component. See how to reduce TPD tax for the full strategy.

General information only — confirm your position with a licensed adviser.

See what you'd actually keep

Run the free TPD tax calculator and have a specialist call you to confirm your numbers.

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