This article is part of a series of articles on SMSF succession planning. In Part 2 of the series we examine the tax considerations that arise in relation to paying superannuation death benefits comprising a taxable component. We also consider the options and pitfalls associated with planning to make a timely payment of benefits to [read more]
Soon the High Court will hand down a judgement being the appeal from Hill v Zuda Pty Ltd [2021] WASCA 59 which will definitively answer (among other things) whether an SMSF binding death benefit nomination (BDBN) can last either indefinitely or a maximum of only three years. Some in the SMSF industry have suggested that [read more]
For many years there was debate in the SMSF industry as to whether an SMSF binding death benefit nomination (BDBN) could last indefinitely. A number of supreme court cases from several different Australian states have held that an SMSF BDBN can last indefinitely, so long as the deed is written to provide for this. Then, [read more]
This article is the first part in a series of articles on SMSF succession planning. In Part 1 of the series we examine key considerations that arise for SMSF members seeking to formulate a robust succession plan in relation to their SMSF benefits. We also focus on planning for control of a fund in different [read more]
Overview SMSF Wills have become a topical issue in recent times as some claim they have certain advantages over binding death benefit nominations (BDBNs). This article briefly examines SMSF Wills and compares them to BDBNs. In broad terms, it is DBA Lawyers’ view that SMSF Wills are subject to significant legal risk, and therefore, we [read more]
Discretionary trusts are an extremely popular structuring and investment vehicle in Australia. In FY2016, there were around 850,000 trusts in Australia with assets of more than $3 trillion with one report predicting there could be more than a million trusts by 2022. In most Australian jurisdictions a discretionary trust can last up to 80 years (and in [read more]
DBA Lawyers latest SMSF governing rules and related documents includes 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 2021-22) comes with the following upgrades: expanded Trustee investment powers in respect of any [read more]
The Western Australian Court of Appeal recently handed down its decision in Hill v Zuda Pty Ltd [2021] WASCA 59. It provides a strong answer to the question of how long a binding death benefit nomination can last for in ALL Australian jurisdictions. Facts Ms Hill was the only child of Alec Kumar Sodhy (Deceased). [read more]
Key facts The case of Re Owies Family Trust [2020] VSC 716 (Owies) provides many lessons for trustees and advisers dealing with discretionary trusts. This article focuses on one key issue raised in Owies, being the limited variation power that did not allow for a number of purported variations. Owies involved a dispute between the [read more]
This article considers why the constitution of a corporate trustee is important and what should be included in an SMSF constitution. Firstly, there are many reasons why a coporate trustee is preferable to individual trustees for an SMSF. For example a corporate trustee has the following benefits over indiviuals: ease of succession planning and meeting [read more]
