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red cherry

Preservation rules — a little known quirk and how to use it for clients to cherry pick

A little known quirk in the preservation rules can have important implications for clients. This article explains how the quirk arises, and then how to use it to advantage clients. In a nutshell the quirk allows trustees of super funds to ‘cherry pick’ whether to fund pensions from unrestricted non-preserved benefits or preserved benefits. Legislative [read more]

Small People - Stands Out

ATO ID 2014/7 — latest from ATO on keeping SMSF assets separate

Australian Taxation Office Interpretative Decision ATO ID 2014/7 provides the latest on the rules regarding keeping SMSF assets separate. It suggests the position is very strict. However, a deeper technical analysis reveals there might often be some ‘flexibility’. This article concludes that the critical practical implication is that each SMSF should have a sole purpose [read more]

ATO ID 2014-2 and pensions deceased estate

ATO ID 2014/2 and pensions to a deceased estate?

Some advisers may have previously recommended that there are opportunities to continue paying a pension following a member’s death to their deceased estate. However, ATO ID 2014/2 provides a real hurdle to this strategy! (Note that this has been a somewhat busy time for the ATO and interpretative decisions regarding pensions. The ATO also recently [read more]

TR2013 D7 apportioning superannuation expenses

TR 2013/D7 — Apportioning SMSF Expenses

The ATO recently released an important draft tax ruling TR 2013/D7 (‘D7’) that focuses on the apportionment of expenses incurred by a superannuation fund where a fund derives both assessable and non-assessable income. D7 is proposed to take effect from 1 July 2014 and then supersede TR 97/13 which currently provides guidance on apportioning expenses. [read more]

latest on reserving-TD 2013-22

Latest on reserving — TD 2013/22

A new ATO release (TD 2013/22) provides further guidance for contribution reserving. In many ways, it is very similar to its predecessor, ATO ID 2012/16. However, it has some important differences. The facts The facts of TD 2013/22 are very comparable to ATO ID 2012/16, which encouraged the growth of contribution reserving. In TD 2013 [read more]

SMSF Trustee Disqualification

SMSF trustees — disqualified due to dishonest conduct

Many do not realise the extent of the disqualified person provisions in the Superannuation Industry (Supervision) Act 1993 (Cth) (‘SISA’). This can result in a person inadvertently acting as trustees of self managed superannuation funds (‘SMSF’) while disqualified. Doing so exposes these trustees to significant penalties. We explore some of the nuances of the disqualified [read more]