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Variation powers — lessons from Re Owies Family Trust [2020] VSC 716

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]

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Merchant and Commissioner of Taxation [2021] AATA 915 – surprise risk to SMSF acquiring listed shares

The AAT yesterday handed down a decision regarding the disqualification of trustees or responsible officers of corporate trustees of superannuation entities. See Merchant and Commissioner of Taxation [2021] AATA 915. The decision involves Gordon Merchant, who appears to be the same Gordon Merchant as the founder of the famous Australian surf company Billabong. Facts The [read more]

NALI –– unit trusts and draft LCR 2019/D3

SMSFs – can all income be NALI?

Overview Broadly, SMSF trustees may assume that, in any related party dealing, NALI will apply unless they can prove otherwise given the ATO may issue an assessment and place the burden on the SMSF trustee to prove that it is excessive. One key criticism of the draft Law Companion Ruling 2019/D3 (the draft LCR) is [read more]

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Coronica v FCT — latest Tribunal decision provides important tips regarding valuations and related party acquisitions

Earlier today the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (Tribunal) handed its decision in Coronica and Commissioner of Taxation (Taxation) [2021] AATA 745. It resulted in the Commissioner’s decision to make an SMSF non-complying being affirmed. The decision is lengthy (103 pages) and covers many interesting issues. In this article, we focus on one particular issue: valuation of [read more]

Hand In Hand Between Project Contractors And Customers Due To Ne

Many building and similar contracts place SMSFs at risk

Overview SMSFs appear to have a great appetite for investing in real estate and becoming involved with making improvements to property and, in some cases, property development. However, while SMSFs frequently invest in property, many do not carefully review and negotiate their building and similar contracts to delete or exclude provisions which may result in [read more]

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G v G (No. 2) [2020] NSWSC 818 — implications for fiduciaries dealing with super

The recent New South Wales Supreme Court decision of G v G (No. 2) [2020] NSWSC 818 (G v G) provides important guidance on the limitations that apply to trustees and managers of protected estates in dealing with superannuation investments, including in relation to making super contributions and binding death benefit nominations (‘BDBNs’). In this [read more]

SMSFs, LRBAs and NALI

Related party LRBA variations and PCG 2016/5

What is PCG 2016/5? Advisers would be well aware of the ATO’s ‘safe harbour’ regarding the application of non-arm’s length income (NALI) to related party limited recourse borrowing arrangements (LRBAs). Broadly, the ATO’s Practical Compliance Guideline PCG 2016/5 (Guideline) sets out ‘safe harbour’ terms on which SMSF trustees may structure their LRBAs which the ATO [read more]

SMSFs, LRBAs and NALI

SMSFs, LRBAs and NALI

Overview When dealing with limited recourse borrowing arrangements (LRBAs), it is important to understand the consequences that may arise where the LRBA is not implemented and maintained on a proper basis. This is especially so in the case of a self managed superannuation fund (SMSF) undertaking a related party LRBA. The terms and conditions of [read more]