A new Penalty Regime for SMSFs will apply for contraventions that occur on or after 1 July 2014.   The new measures will provide the ATO, as the Regulator of SMSFs, with greater flexibility when dealing with a fund’s non-compliance with the law.   Where an administrative penalty is imposed it must be paid personally […]

Super funds are no longer viewed as an investment vehicle for individuals either in or approaching retirement.  The next decade in the superannuation segment will be Gen X and Gen Y’s as they build for their retirement.   Australia is currently experiencing a massive demographic shift as the baby boomer generation moves into retirement, with […]

The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) advise that there is more than $14 billion in lost super waiting to be claimed.   The Australian Commissioner, John Shepherd, advises that the main reason for the lost super was because many of the superannuation accounts have not been kept up to date with personal details and changes to […]

The latest statistics from the ATO statistical report for June 2014 indicate; 1. The number of SMSF’s have increased to more than 534,000. An increase of over 6%, 2. The total asset of all SMSF’s are estimated to total more than $557 billion. An increase of 12.5%. 3. Assets held by SMSF under limited recourse […]

Dividends from Australian Companies provide greater tax benefits than similar dividends paid by overseas non-resident companies to Australian tax residents. The Australian dividend imputation system can represent an important advantage for investors when compared to the dividend taxation system of other countries, as the Australian system, essentially eliminates the double taxation of corporate profits. If […]

Most experts agree that property in an essential investment within an appropriate investment portfolio. However, most people who have property investment do so through large property trusts. Unfortunately, as a result of the Global Financial Crisis (GFC) many of these investments were and in some cases are still frozen and accordingly investors cannot get access […]

There is no doubt that Self Managed Superannuation Funds (SMSF) have estate planning advantages over retail and industry funds. The primary reason that members establish SMSF is to have more control over their superannuation rather than leaving it all in the hands of the fund manager(s). One aspect of the control feature of a SMSF […]