By Bryce Figot, Special Counsel ([email protected]), and Daniel Butler, Director ([email protected]), DBA Lawyers Introduction There has been a number of commentators suggesting that if a pension reversion nomination conflicts with a binding death benefit nomination (‘BDBN’), the pension reversion nomination prevails. While we acknowledge the answer is not necessarily black and white; as it depends [read more]
Daniel Butler, Director ([email protected]), and Bryce Figot, Special Counsel ([email protected]), DBA Lawyers Many advisers do not foresee the potential flow-on legal consequences from merely providing an investment strategy template to an SMSF client. Indeed, many believe they are merely assisting their client particularly to ensure the SMSF will have the necessary paperwork to survive an [read more]
By Daniel Butler, Director ([email protected]), DBA Lawyers When winding up a limited recourse borrowing arrangement (‘LRBA’), appropriate documentation is required. Broadly, an SMSF trustee has the right to acquire legal ownership of an LRBA asset (ie, from the relevant custodian/bare trustee) after the loan is fully repaid. Refer to s 67A(1)(c) of the Superannuation Industry (Supervision) Act [read more]
Daniel Butler, Director ([email protected]), and Bryce Figot, Special Counsel ([email protected]), DBA Lawyers This article provides some background and some key points to SMSF investment strategies. What is an investment strategy? An investment strategy is a plan for making, holding and realising assets consistent with the investment objectives adopted by an SMSF trustee. An investment strategy [read more]
By William Fettes ([email protected]), Senior Associate Introduction The $1.6 million transfer balance cap (‘TBC’) imposes a limit on the total amount that a fund member can transfer into an exempt (retirement phase) pension. The TBC was introduced with effect from 1 July 2017 with the intention of making the tax concessions in superannuation more sustainable [read more]
By Bryce Figot, Special Counsel, DBA Lawyers and Daniel Butler, Director There is a misconception that reversionary pension documentation will always apply before a binding death benefit nomination. If the SMSF deed is silent on the question, it can be entirely possible at times that the binding death benefit nomination (‘BDBN’) will apply before any [read more]
By Daniel Butler, Director ([email protected]), DBA Lawyers Employers are required to make the minimum superannuation guarantee (‘SG’) contribution for each employee to avoid a shortfall under the Superannuation Guarantee (Administration) Act 1992 (Cth) (‘SGAA’). This appears to be a simplistic rule. If an employer does not provide the minimum SG contribution, significant penalties apply. The real issue [read more]
Shaun Backhaus, Lawyer ([email protected]) and Daniel Butler, Director ([email protected]), DBA Lawyers Many advisers are aware of the potential duty exemption available under s 41A of the Duties Act 2000 (Vic) where dutiable property such as real estate is transferred to a member of an SMSF in respect of their interest in the fund. This potential exemption may also apply [read more]
Shaun Backhaus, Lawyer ([email protected]) and Daniel Butler, Director ([email protected]), DBA Lawyers With the imposition of foreign purchaser duty continuing to be implemented around the country there is a need to determine how this additional tax will apply to SMSFs. Background Most jurisdictions imposing some form of ‘foreign purchaser duty’ include a ‘foreign trust’ or ‘trustee [read more]
By Daniel Butler, Director, DBA Lawyers A unit trust is a popular structure to hold property and other investments. This article examines numerous methods how an SMSF may invest in a unit trust. Multiple unitholders Many publicly offered managed investment funds are structured as a unit trust to allow multiple investors to invest in a [read more]
