The First Home Super Saver (FHSS) Scheme and the downsizing contributions into superannuation measures passed Parliament on 13 December 2017. As of 1 July 2017, individuals can make voluntary concessional and non-concessional contributions into their super fund as part of the FHSS Scheme. The scheme may help first home buyers save faster due to the…
The Australian Tax Office will start sending Excess Transfer Balance (ETB) Determinations from January 2018. ETB determinations will be sent to any individuals who have exceeded their transfer balance cap and have not taken any steps to correct this error. If you manage a SMSF and have exceeded the balance transfer cap by less than…
The Australian Tax Office (ATO) is cracking down on self-managed super funds (SMSFs) that have overdue SMSF annual returns, particularly those with two or more returns overdue. As part of its compliance action, the ATO is currently: – Cancelling approximately 9,000 ABNs of SMSFs that show no evidence of operating – Writing to SMSF trustees…
The ATO is warning self-managed super fund (SMSF) trustees about the risks of some emerging retirement planning arrangements. Retirees or SMSF trustees who are involved in any illegal arrangement, even by accident, may face severe penalties, risk losing their retirement savings, and potentially, their rights as a trustee to manage their own fund. The Tax…
Self-managed super fund (SMSF) trustees who are in pension phase must lodge their SMSF annual returns if they remain active, or choose to wind up the fund. The ATO is warning SMSF trustees about their regulatory obligations and is paying close attention to those SMSFs that are not meeting their lodgment obligations. Trustees must lodge…
The Australian Tax Office (ATO) has released its June 2017 quarterly SMSF statistical report detailing key SMSF figures. As of June 2017, the number of SMSFs increased to 596,516. The number of SMSF members in Australia is 1,124,453. The estimated value of total Australian and overseas SMSF assets is $696.7 billion. The number of annual…
Self-managed super funds (SMSFs) have access to a range of tax deductions for expenses incurred. Whether the expenses are capital in nature or are considered as revenue will affect eligibility for claiming such deductions. The Tax Office considers an expense that is incurred in establishing or making enduring changes to a super fund’s structure or…
While many Australian’s sit firmly on either side of the first home super scheme debate, the Lower House has passed the scheme. The scheme was proposed in the Budget released in May 2017 and was only just passed by the Lower House. The Government has notioned that Australia’s retirement savings system will not come under…
Individuals may be eligible for a Government super co-contribution. A Government co-contribution means the Government adds to your super. You may be eligible for the super co-contribution, low-income super contribution (LISC) from the 2012-13 to 2016-17 financial years, or low-income super tax offset (LISTO) from 1 July 2017. Super co-contribution The Government will make a…
When partners in an SMSF separate, there are specific legal and tax implications that should be considered. It is possible to split super benefits, i.e., transfer assets, such as property, from one super fund into another and roll money over to another fund; however, trustees need to keep the following in mind: Separating couples need…
