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Retirement

Beware of using family to build SMSF property

  • August 09 2019
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Retirement

Beware of using family to build SMSF property

By Grace Ormsby
August 09 2019

Last week, nestegg considered the question of whether individuals could develop their SMSF property via a knock down and rebuild. While being a compliance minefield in itself, this could become even more complicated where family members are involved in the development.

Beware of using family to build SMSF property

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  • August 09 2019
  • Share

Last week, nestegg considered the question of whether individuals could develop their SMSF property via a knock down and rebuild. While being a compliance minefield in itself, this could become even more complicated where family members are involved in the development.

Property

Townsends Business and Corporate Lawyers solicitor Jeff Song has reminded SMSF property owners that from a compliance perspective, it would be safer for an SMSF manager to “engage entities that aren’t related to the fund” and be “mindful of the prohibition against providing financial benefits to the members and/or other related parties”. 

If, however, an associated entity is involved, Mr Song said “the SMSF’s dealing with the entity must be on arm’s length terms, and appropriate documentation should be in place to support this”. 

Before members or their families are engaged for any paid service, Mr Song reminded SMSF-associated individuals to consider the prohibitions against financial benefits for related parties, “and ensure there is rationale for engaging their service and their pay rate”. 

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“You should also ensure that the fund does not acquire assets such as building materials from related parties of the fund,” Mr Song also flagged. 

Property

He went as far to warn that SMSF property owners who are developing their property and acquiring assets such as building materials should not acquire assets from related parties of the fund. 

“Make sure the fund trustee buys directly from third parties or obtain advice about having an agency agreement in place for purchasing materials through related parties.”

Mr Song said that the above considerations are not exhaustive and not suited for all circumstances and therefore recommended interested or affected SMSF property owners “obtain formal advice before committing to such investment”.

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About the author

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Grace is a journalist on Momentum Media's nestegg. She enjoys being able to provide easy to digest information and practical tips for Australians with regard to their wealth, as well as having a platform on which to engage leading experts and commentators and leverage their insight.

About the author

author image
Grace Ormsby

Grace is a journalist on Momentum Media's nestegg. She enjoys being able to provide easy to digest information and practical tips for Australians with regard to their wealth, as well as having a platform on which to engage leading experts and commentators and leverage their insight.

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