With the Federal Government’s proposed changes to the transition to retirement (TTR) pension to take effect from 1 July 2017, those with existing arrangements should review them to avoid any adverse impact on their retirement funds. Following changes in the 2016 Federal Budget, from 1 July 2017, transition to retirement (TTR) pensions will no longer…
The amount of tax an individual pays on their super contributions depends on whether the contributions were made before or after they paid income tax; they have exceeded the super contributions cap or they are a very high-income earner. Before-tax super contributions Concessional (before-tax) super contributions are taxed at 15 per cent. They include employer…
Australians are required to meet a condition of release under superannuation law before they are allowed to cash preserved benefits, restricted non-preserved benefits or access any of their super. Some conditions of release restrict the form of the benefit or the amount of benefit that can be paid. These are known as ‘cashing restrictions’. The…
Adding your own contributions to your super fund is a simple and effective way to boost your superannuation. Personal super contributions are amounts an individual contributes to their super fund from their after-tax income. These contributions are in addition to any compulsory super contributions an individual’s employer makes on their behalf and do not include…
Self-managed super funds (SMSFs) are allowed to invest a private company or business provided the business is operated for the sole purpose of providing retirement benefits for fund members and it is allowed under the trust deed. SMSF trustees must take into account the sole purpose test when determining whether purchasing a private company or…
The Australian Tax Office (ATO) is taking a more serious approach to SMSF non-compliance over the coming year. The Tax Office has found that more than an acceptable number of SMSF trustees are lacking transparency and are operating of the system, i.e. not lodging SMSF annual tax returns and/or not undergoing an annual independent audit.…
Carrying forward significant capital losses can be a viable strategy for trustees wanting to offset gains and achieve tax savings in the near future. This kind of strategy is suitable in circumstances where it is likely that younger members may join the fund or when members are considering switching back to the accumulation phase. One…
Self-managed super funds (SMSFs) that are not well diversified are quite risky investments since they aren’t as protected as they could be against shocks and volatility in the market. Diversification aims to maximise an individual’s return by investing in different asset classes that react differently to the same event. Although it does not guarantee avoiding…
Starting a self-managed super fund (SMSF) may be a good idea for those after more control over investment choices and fund running costs. However, those considering an SMSF need to ask themselves some key questions such as: if they can do a better job investing their super than the trustees of their existing super fund…
It is vital for those with a self-managed super fund (SMSF) to carry out all the necessary checks before purchasing a property in their SMSF, especially when borrowing is involved. Investment strategy The SMSF’s investment strategy must be considered. If the purchase of a property will cause the fund’s other investments to be out of…
