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The SMSF death tax and what it means for you

By Daniel Butler, Director, DBA Lawyers  In Australia, death duties (broadly inheritance taxes) were abolished in 1979. In the realm of superannuation, however, when a member dies, recipients of superannuation death benefits are sometimes liable to pay tax. Who doesn’t have to pay the super death tax? Superannuation death benefits are received tax free by [read more]

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Strategies to reduce your total superannuation balance: Part 1

Daniel Butler, Director and William Fettes, Senior Associate, DBA Lawyers An individual’s total superannuation balance (‘TSB’) determines many of their superannuation rights and entitlements, such as eligibility to contribute after-tax amounts into superannuation without an excess arising. Accordingly, there is a strong incentive for individuals to carefully monitor their TSB over time, particularly towards the [read more]

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Can SMSFs invest in Bitcoin?

Shaun Backhaus, Lawyer and Daniel Butler, Director, DBA Lawyers  While there are a large number of cryptocurrencies in existence (currently over 1600), this article will focus on Bitcoin for simplicity. Our comments contained here may apply to other cryptocurrencies with the same characteristics as Bitcoin. What is Bitcoin? As a very basic explanation, the Bitcoin [read more]

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How the Federal Budget 2018 will impact SMSFs

Daniel Butler ([email protected]), Director, DBA Lawyers We outline below the key superannuation changes announced in the Federal Budget 2018 on 8 May 2018. Some of the proposed changes will have a substantial impact on SMSFs if they are finalised as law. Nomination of superannuation guarantee (‘SG’) for certain employees with multiple employers Broadly, members with [read more]

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Is SMSF property development good or too good to be true?

By Daniel Butler, Director, DBA Lawyers The ATO has released material saying that SMSF property developments can be considered tax avoidance schemes that are ‘too good to be true’. Within the program called ‘Super Scheme Smart’, the ATO aims to educate the public about SMSF strategies that concern it. The page, which can be accessed [read more]

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Custodian appointment documents are required where fund trustees are practically unable to hold legal title to fund assets

By William Fettes ([email protected]), Senior Associate, DBA Lawyers The starting point at general law is that legal title to fund assets must generally be held in name of the current trustees of the fund. However, this is not always possible, eg, where an SMSF trustee is unable to hold legal title, and title is instead [read more]

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What is the status of contribution reserving in light of SMSFRB 2018/1?

Bryce Figot ([email protected]), Special Counsel, DBA Lawyers Earlier this month, the ATO released Self Managed Superannuation Fund Regulator’s Bulletin SMSFRB 2018/1. It contains some of the most important information available on the use of reserves for SMSFs. However, there is a vital question regarding contribution reserving that SMSFRB 2018/1 gives rise to. The question is [read more]

ATO's view on SMSFs and reserves

SMSFRB 2018/1: ATO’s view on SMSFs and reserves

Daniel Butler, Director, DBA Lawyers The Australian Taxation Office (‘ATO’) has issued SMSF Regulator’s Bulletin SMSFRB 2018/1 ‘The use of reserves by self-managed superannuation funds’. This is the most comprehensive material ever released by the ATO on the use of reserves by self managed superannuation funds (‘SMSFs’). This article highlights the ATO’s views on when [read more]