australian taxation office

Superannuation

When is it time to outsource SMSF administration?

Due to growing costs and increasing workload, smaller accounting practices might wish to outsource SMSF administration, writes Olivia Long....

Superannuation

Govt warned on Budget superannuation fall-out

Towers Watson warns the Government on a Budget which injects more complexity into superannuation....

Superannuation

SMSFs facing regulatory upheaval

Self-managed superannuation was the clear winner of 2011, with healthy sector growth and satisfactory investment returns. However, as 2012 kicks off, SMSFs must turn thei...

Superannuation

A snapshot of the superannuation borrowing landscape

David Barrett briefly addresses two major challenges that loom for financial advisers: providing the strategic advice associated with a potential recommendation for a sup...

Financial planning

ATO urges taxpayers to seek independent financial and tax advice

The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) has urged taxpayers to seek independent financial advice before entering so-called tax avoidance schemes as they prepare to lodge the...

Superannuation

Common pitfalls when insuring your SMSF collectibles

John Kelly outlines the new rules regarding insurance and how they affect SMSFs when it comes to insuring collectibles and personal use assets....

Superannuation

Superannuation to take priority in year-end tax strategies

Superannuation is usually the biggest talking point for most advisers during tax season. Concessional contribution caps will certainly be top of mind this year given the ...

Financial planning

2012 financial planning tax checklist

Although clients’ tax issues are the main focus for financial advisers at this time of year, as business owners and employers they also need to ensure enough time is set ...

Superannuation

How to start an SMSF pension

Cecile Apolinario explains the key issues and steps trustees need to address when starting a pension for a SMSF member....

Editorial

Does Fair Work Australia have a role in a post-MySuper world

Mike Taylor reports that submissions to the Productivity Commission review of default superannuation funds under modern awards have raised important questions about the r...

Superannuation

Small SMSFs paying 7% in operating costs annually

SMSFs with less than $50,000 in assets pay around 7 per cent per year in operating costs, but due to the size of the average fund most pay less than 0.25 per cent....

Superannuation

ATO figures reveal SMSF scale benefits

The average annual operating expenses of running a self-managed super fund (SMSF) continues to trend down, but small funds are still incredibly costly, according to recen...

Editorial

The balancing act of SMSF auditors

If auditors are, indeed, the eyes and ears of the regulators in the SMSF sector, Liz Westover writes that the new auditor registration regime will prove to be crucial as ...

Superannuation

ATO holds $730m in lost super

The Australian Taxation Office is now the fourth largest holder of unclaimed superannuation by funds under management, and holds one-third of all lost accounts....