Retirement
Top red flags for DIY super with the ATO
Ahead of tax time for 2019, the Tax Office has revealed the top items that will capture its attention with self-managed super funds.
Top red flags for DIY super with the ATO
Ahead of tax time for 2019, the Tax Office has revealed the top items that will capture its attention with self-managed super funds.
ATO assistant commissioner Dana Fleming has revealed some of the common areas where SMSFs have breached the rules for SMSFs and their auditor has reported the breach to the ATO.
The ATO, she said, received a total of 16,909 regulatory contraventions for 8,215 SMSFs in the 2018 financial year.
This financial year so far, there have been 8,412 regulatory contraventions for 3,549 SMSFs.
“The most common contraventions are related-party loans, loans to members, in-house assets, investing in related-party assets and separation of assets where members are not keeping their personal assets separate from the assets of the SMSF,” Ms Fleming said.
“Together, these top three account for more than 50 per cent of the contraventions reported to us and are the common repeated contraventions that we see.”
Contraventions relating to loans accounted for 21.1 per cent, in-house assets accounted for 18.7 per cent, and failure to keep assets separate represented 12.8 per cent.
While the highest number of contraventions were for related-party loans, the contraventions relating to in-house assets and separation of assets represented the greatest value, she said.
“Contraventions also revolved around growing wealth in the SMSF environment and trying to access the low tax rate. Poor record-keeping is often a culprit here,” she said.
Some of the other contravention categories listed by the ATO related to administrative errors, sole purpose breaches, borrowings, operating standards and acquisitions of assets from related parties.
The main drivers of these contraventions, she said, tend to be financial stress and the ease of accessibility with SMSFs in terms of accessing assets and dollars and poor record-keeping to substantiate transactions.
In the 2017–18 financial year, there were a total of 257 trustees disqualified, Ms Fleming said. Enforcement actions including direction to rectify, enforceable undertakings and notice of non-compliance were taken for 180 trustees.
In this financial year so far, 75 trustees have been disqualified, she said.
Read more of DIY super here.
Self managed super fund
Superannuation guarantee to be paid on government paid parental leave, says ASFA
The Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia (ASFA) has hailed the government's decision to include Superannuation Guarantee payments with its Paid Parental Leave policy as a critical step ...Read more
Self managed super fund
SMSF experts advise against hasty reactions to potential super tax changes
As the Australian Government proposes a new tax measure on superannuation earnings for balances exceeding $3 million, experts from the self-managed super funds (SMSF) sector are urging members not to ...Read more
Self managed super fund
Federal government announces changes to superannuation contribution caps
The Federal Government has announced changes to the superannuation contribution caps, impacting self-managed super funds (SMSFs) and their members from 1 July 2024. Read more
Self managed super fund
SMSF Association calls for joint effort to tackle early super access
The SMSF Association is calling on a collaborative approach including the Government, the Australian Taxation Office (ATO), the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC), and the ...Read more
Self managed super fund
Rest Super members file class action over alleged insurance premium deductions
Shine Lawyers has initiated a class action lawsuit against Rest Superannuation (Rest), alleging the unlawful deduction of income protection insurance premiums from members' superannuation accounts. Read more
Self managed super fund
Debunking a superannuation tax myth: SMSF Association clarifies the impact on Aussie farms
In the ongoing debate about a proposed new tax targeting superannuation funds exceeding $3 million, the SMSF Association has stepped in to challenge claims from the Association of Superannuation Funds ...Read more
Self managed super fund
Is an SMSF right for you?
When it comes to planning for retirement, one of the most significant decisions Australians have to make is how to manage their superannuation. Read more
Self managed super fund
SMSF growth continues after pandemic peak
The statistics have begun to change coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to new findings from Australian Investment Exchange Limited (AUSIEX). Read more
Self managed super fund
Superannuation guarantee to be paid on government paid parental leave, says ASFA
The Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia (ASFA) has hailed the government's decision to include Superannuation Guarantee payments with its Paid Parental Leave policy as a critical step ...Read more
Self managed super fund
SMSF experts advise against hasty reactions to potential super tax changes
As the Australian Government proposes a new tax measure on superannuation earnings for balances exceeding $3 million, experts from the self-managed super funds (SMSF) sector are urging members not to ...Read more
Self managed super fund
Federal government announces changes to superannuation contribution caps
The Federal Government has announced changes to the superannuation contribution caps, impacting self-managed super funds (SMSFs) and their members from 1 July 2024. Read more
Self managed super fund
SMSF Association calls for joint effort to tackle early super access
The SMSF Association is calling on a collaborative approach including the Government, the Australian Taxation Office (ATO), the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC), and the ...Read more
Self managed super fund
Rest Super members file class action over alleged insurance premium deductions
Shine Lawyers has initiated a class action lawsuit against Rest Superannuation (Rest), alleging the unlawful deduction of income protection insurance premiums from members' superannuation accounts. Read more
Self managed super fund
Debunking a superannuation tax myth: SMSF Association clarifies the impact on Aussie farms
In the ongoing debate about a proposed new tax targeting superannuation funds exceeding $3 million, the SMSF Association has stepped in to challenge claims from the Association of Superannuation Funds ...Read more
Self managed super fund
Is an SMSF right for you?
When it comes to planning for retirement, one of the most significant decisions Australians have to make is how to manage their superannuation. Read more
Self managed super fund
SMSF growth continues after pandemic peak
The statistics have begun to change coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to new findings from Australian Investment Exchange Limited (AUSIEX). Read more