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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
Introduction Related parties can lend to SMSFs; however, many related parties wish to not just lend to an SMSF, but lend to the SMSF on very friendly terms, including nil interest rates. Many have said that this arrangement is okay, while others have gone so far as to say that the ATO have approved of nil interest [read more]
Introduction In recent times we have seen significant changes to the rules surrounding pensions. At last, these rules appear to be reasonably settled with the finalisation of TR 2011/D3 (in the form of TR 2013/5 and SMSFD 2013/2) and the expanded income tax regulations (refer to regs 307-125.02 and 995-1.01 of the Income Tax Assessment [read more]
