While DBA is recognised as Australia’s leading SMSF law firm, it is also well known for its trust law experience and trust documents. We believe that we offer an excellent discretionary trust deed that is easy to read, provides great flexibility and reflects the latest legal developments. As lawyers advising on discretionary trust issues and [read more]
DBA Lawyers latest SMSF governing rules and related documents include many value-added features. This article briefly explains why our SMSF documents are the best available. Recent changes to DBA Lawyers’ SMSF governing rules Our latest DBA Lawyers’ SMSF governing rules (version 2024-25) comes with the following upgrades: enhanced wording to cater for Div 296 tax; [read more]
Unless carefully managed, unpaid present entitlements (UPEs) and beneficiary accounts in family/discretionary trusts can give rise to significant tax risks. Section 100A anti-avoidance provisions Section 100A of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1936 (Cth) (ITAA 1936) is an anti-avoidance provision that applies to arrangements where one person receives a benefit from a trust but another [read more]
Overview With recent increases in property values and ongoing changes to the land tax rules, more property owners may wish to object against their land tax assessments. Recent changes in Victoria include a reduction to the general land tax free threshold to $50,000 (prior to January 2024, this threshold was $300,000 resulting in an estimated [read more]
While DBA is recognised as Australia’s leading SMSF law firm, it is also well known for its trust law experience and trust documents. We believe that we offer an excellent discretionary trust deed that is easy to read, provides great flexibility and reflects the latest legal developments. As lawyers advising on discretionary trust issues and [read more]
Overview Unless a discretionary trust deed excludes foreign persons, foreign trustees and foreign corporations, significant additional duty and land tax is typically imposed if the trust acquires residential property. The best way to minimise such tax is to make sure you obtain assistance from a quality supplier and obtain advice well in advance. Why did [read more]
The case of Northgate Park v Floyd [2022] VSC 783 (Northgate Park) provides an interesting development in how courts may approach the issue of a lost trust deed. Northgate Park represents a less strict approach to determining the terms of a trust where a deed is lost. Facts Northgate Park resulted out of other litigation [read more]
The case of Re Rentis Pty Ltd [2023] QSC 252 (Re Rentis) provides a helpful interpretation of an attorney’s powers to make a binding death benefit nomination (BDBN). This case examines the meaning of a term often found in enduring powers of attorney (EPA) and provides an expansive view of an attorney’s powers to make [read more]
The Appointor of a discretionary trust is a role created under the terms of the trust that usually provides for that person to have the ultimate control of the trust. For example, the Appointor under the DBA Lawyers’ trust deed: • must consent to any variations to the trust deed; • has power to appoint [read more]
On 13 September 2023, Treasury Laws Amendment (Support for Small Business and Charities and Other Measures) Bill 2023 (Cth) was introduced into the House of Representatives (NALE Bill). The NALE Bill provide guidance on changes to the non-arm’s length expense (NALE) provisions introduced in s 295-550(1)(b) and (c) of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 [read more]
