Advice for your GESB super.
If you work or worked in the WA public sector, which GESB scheme you’re in depends on when you started — and two of them are untaxed. That single word changes what happens when you roll money out or start an income stream, and it catches people out.
Which GESB scheme am I in?
The date you started in the WA public sector usually decides it. Your statement will name the scheme at the top.
- Gold State Super
- A defined benefit scheme, closed to new members on 29 December 1995. Your final benefit comes from a formula, not a balance that rises and falls with markets.Closed — defined benefit
- West State Super
- An untaxed, market-linked accumulation scheme. It was the default for WA public sector staff until it closed to new members on 16 April 2007.Closed — untaxed
- GESB Super
- The open, taxed accumulation scheme. It became the default after West State Super closed in April 2007, and it works the way most Australian super accounts do.
What does an untaxed super scheme actually mean?
This is the part that surprises people, and it only matters at the moment money leaves.
In a normal taxed fund, 15% comes out of employer and salary sacrifice contributions as they go in. GESB Super works that way. Gold State Super and West State Super don’t: no contributions tax is taken along the way, so your money compounds on the full amount instead.
The tax hasn’t been forgiven, though — it has been deferred. It is generally payable when your benefit is paid to you, or when you roll it over into a taxed scheme or a retirement income stream. Think of it as a bill that sits with the money and follows it out the door.
That is why moving an untaxed benefit is a different decision from moving an ordinary super account. The same rollover that would be a routine housekeeping step in a taxed fund can trigger tax here, and the untaxed plan cap can apply to how much is moved.
Both closed schemes are constitutionally protected, which is part of why they are treated this way. Your own numbers are on your GESB statement, and the amount at stake depends on your balance and your timing.
What members ask us
Is Gold State Super still open to new members?
No. Gold State Super closed to new members on 29 December 1995. If you’re in it, you joined the WA public sector before that date and stayed. It is a defined benefit scheme, so your final benefit is worked out by a formula rather than being a balance that moves with markets.
When did West State Super close?
West State Super closed to new members on 16 April 2007. Before that it was the default scheme for WA public sector employees, so if you started before that date you would generally have been put into it automatically. It is an untaxed, market-linked accumulation scheme.
Why is my GESB super called untaxed?
Because no 15% contributions tax was taken from employer and salary sacrifice contributions as they went in. West State Super and Gold State Super work this way; GESB Super does not. The tax is deferred rather than avoided — it is generally payable when the benefit is paid to you or rolled into a taxed scheme or income stream. It means your money has compounded on the full contribution amount.
Should I roll my West State Super into another fund?
That isn’t a decision to make on general information, because rolling an untaxed benefit into a taxed fund can bring the deferred tax forward and the untaxed plan cap can apply. It is a different decision from moving an ordinary taxed account, and it is not always reversible in its effect. Your GESB statement shows the amounts involved, and this is worth talking through before you act.
Can I start a transition to retirement income stream with GESB?
Yes, once you reach your Commonwealth preservation age. GESB’s Transition to Retirement Pension lets you draw between a minimum of 4% and a maximum of 10% of the account balance each financial year, worked out at the start of the year. How it is taxed depends on which scheme the money comes from and your age.
Do you give advice to GESB members outside Western Australia?
Yes. We meet by video or phone anywhere in Australia, which suits former WA public sector staff who have since moved interstate. Guideway Wealth specialises in government and corporate schemes, and untaxed schemes like these are the kind of thing we look at. The first half hour is free.
We’re not owned by a bank, super fund or insurer.
Guideway is separate from GESB and from the WA public sector. We use the scheme names so you can find advice for the benefit you hold.
Your current product first
We work from the latest statement and the current documents that match it.
We’ll say if we can take it
After the first chat, you’ll know whether the work is something we do and what it would cost.
The outcome stays yours
That might mean keeping the account, changing a setting, or looking at another option.
What happens next
- 1. Book a free half hour
- Pick a time that suits. Video, phone, or in person in Melbourne.
- 2. We listen
- You tell us what’s on the statement and what’s worrying you.
- 3. You decide
- There’s no obligation, and nothing goes ahead unless you say so. If you’d like us to take the work on, you’ll see the cost first.
Ready to talk?
You’ll speak with Nareena Aracas or one of her team. The half hour is free. If we take it further, you’ll see the fee before you agree to anything.
About our adviser team
Nareena Aracas leads the Guideway Wealth advice practice, supported by a broader team of advisers.
- Nareena AracasSenior Financial Planner · Authorised Representative no. 398311
- Scott NanfroSenior Financial Planner in the broader adviser team · Authorised Representative no. 1255832
Authorised Representatives of Guideway Financial Services Pty Ltd ABN 46 156 498 538, AFSL & ACL 420367. Ask us for a Financial Services Guide at any time.
Looking for your GESB login or contact details?
Guideway Wealth is a separate financial advice service. For your balance, login, forms or statements, go directly to the official GESB website.