The new documentation includes packages to note the early release of superannuation benefits from an SMSF as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the request and confirmation of rental relief where the landlord of the property is an SMSF.

Topdocs Director Michael Spakman said of the release: “We’ve been hard at work putting together documentation to enable advisers to assist their clients to make use of the government’s early access to super and rental relief provisions.  We are pleased to provide our new COVID-19 Rental Relief and Early Access documentation packages free of charge to advisers. We’re all in this together, and this is one way Topdocs is looking to assist advisers and their clients during this pandemic.”

“In line with all documents we provide, our COVID-19 documentation is fully tailored for each transaction, not just a kit, so advisers will receive fully prepared documents for each Fund they require it for.  Both packages are also integrated with BGL Simple Fund 360, Class and SuperMate for ease of ordering.”

Spakman noted that the documentation can be used with any trust deed, not just the Topdocs trust deed, as long as the deed has the requisite early access to superannuation provisions.

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The three-part CPD accredited series is free for advisers and provides practical steps in the facilitation of estate planning services, as well as technical training on the key aspects of Wills, Enduring Powers of Attorney and non-estate assets.

Topdocs director Michael Spakman said of the new initiative “Estate Planning provides advisers with a perfect opportunity to ensure their client’s entire wealth plan is considered, enables them to consolidate their client base and also open up access to intergenerational clients. Importantly, in the current revenue environment, it provides a valuable source of income for advisory firms”.

“Our training series, presented in conjunction with The Legal Hub and McInnes Wilson Lawyers, is designed to provide advisers with the tools and confidence to facilitate estate planning services for their clients, whilst working with our legal panel who provide the advice and documentation and therefore assume the legal risk. This, in turn, delivers a great outcome for advisers and their clients.”

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Michael Spakman

Leading legal document provider Topdocs has, according to director Michael Spakman, ‘closed the loop’ for BGL users when setting up new SMSFs via a newly released integration with Simple Fund 360.

The new integration, available via Topdocs’s online platform, enables users to order the documentation to set up a new SMSF from Topdocs, and then to have the new Fund automatically created in their Simple Fund 360 account.

The new feature is the last piece of the puzzle, according to Mr Spakman, that provides users with the ability to perform all required tasks to set up the SMSF via a single application form.

‘The process of setting up a new SMSF can be time consuming, when you take all of the steps into consideration. First, you have to set up the corporate trustee, then establish the Fund, register an ABN and TFN, and then set everything up in your accounting and corporate secretarial software. Not to mention also having to document the investment strategy and open a bank account.

This process overall could take up to an hour and a half from start to finish.

Via our new integration with BGL, however, and in conjunction with our existing integration stack including links with CAS 360, Xero XPM and Macquarie, all of these steps can now be completed via a single online application form, cutting down the processing time by up to 80%.’

BGL managing director Ron Lesh said of the integration “It’s great to see our long term business partner Topdocs complete the loop. Topdocs have created sensational integration with both CAS 360 and Simple Fund 360 being able to extract data from our database, populate documents and load the data back into both our products. This is a great professional solution for our clients”.

Topdocs will be demonstrating its range of integrations at the SMSFA conference to be held on the Gold Coast in February 2020.

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Michael Spakman

Leading legal document provider Topdocs has announced a new partnership with The Legal Hub as well as the release of their newly updated online estate planning platform, Topdocs Protect.

Through Topdocs Protect financial planners and accountants nationwide can request online and full service estate planning documentation and services including Wills and Enduring Powers of Attorney.

Topdocs director Michael Spakman says Topdocs Protect provides financial planners and accountants with the opportunity to facilitate estate planning services for their clients, without assuming the risk associated with the provision of the legal documentation and advice.

“Topdocs Protect provides upfront and ongoing training for advisers to enable them to facilitate the provision of estate planning services, whilst also providing a central online platform where advisers can submit client information to have Wills, Enduring Powers of Attorney and other succession documentation created online, or full service by a panel of lawyers.”

A key element of the Topdocs Protect platform is Topdocs’ online Will, created by associated legal practice Topdocs Legal, which according to Spakman, “will enable advisors to provide clients with general needs with access to a comprehensively provisioned Will at a cost effective price, therefore encouraging more clients to get their estate planning in order.”

For more complex matters, the new partnership with The Legal Hub will provide advisers Australia wide with a cost effective and timely way to engage with a panel of law firms to have a full estate plan prepared for their clients.

Brant Dillon, director of The Legal Hub said of the new partnership: “We are pleased to partner with Topdocs to provide advisers with an easily adoptable estate planning solution for their clients which not only enables the adviser to generate a revenue stream, but most importantly, ensures their clients have proper estate plans in place”

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Michael Spakman

Legal document provider Topdocs has announced the release of its new integration with Xero Practice Manager (XPM) which enables users to enjoy seamless data sharing between the two platforms.

The new integration gives users the ability to have their new companies, trusts and SMSFs automatically created in XPM when the establishment documents are ordered from Topdocs, greatly reducing admin time.

Then, following the set up of these structures, users can utilise the data in their XPM account to order supplemental documents such as changes of trustee or deed updates in the future.

Speaking of the integration, Topdocs director Michael Spakman said it’s all about improving efficiency:

“Our goal is to continue to create time efficient ways for financial advisors to create new structures for their clients. By providing advisors with the option to automatically have their structure set up in their respective accounting, or in this case, practice management software, we can remove a great deal of time wastage in the industry.”

Last week Topdocs also released a new integration with BGL’s cloud company compliance software CAS 360 which enables users to have their new companies set up directly in CAS 360 when the company is registered through Topdocs.

Topdocs will be demonstrating their range of software integrations at the SMSF Association National Conference 2018 held in Sydney from 14-16 February.

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Michael Spakman

Leading legal document provider Topdocs has announced they have extended their range of integration tools to include new integration with BGL’s cloud company compliance software, CAS 360.

The new integration, available via Topdocs’ online platform, enables users to register a new company with Topdocs, and have the company instantly set up in CAS 360 with a single online application form.

Through Topdocs’ direct link with the Australian Business Register, users can also have the ABN | TFN online application for the company fully populated, free of charge, as part of their order.

The new option can be utilised when users are creating stand-alone companies, as well as ordering a new corporate trustee as part of a SMSF, discretionary trust or unit trust establishment.

Topdocs director, Michael Spakman, says the integration is designed to further extend the efficiencies CAS 360 provides users:

“CAS 360 is leading the way in corporate compliance efficiency, and Topdocs’ new integration with BGL ensures CAS 360 users enjoy the same levels of efficiency when creating new company structures.”

BGL managing director, Ron Lesh, said of the integration:

“It’s great to have Topdocs on board. The new CAS 360 API has been designed to make it easy for document providers to directly integrate new companies. This is a win-win for BGL, Topdocs and our mutual clients.“

Topdocs will demonstrate the new integration at the SMSF Association national conference, being held in Sydney from 14-16 February 2018.

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Michael Spakman

Leading legal document provider Topdocs has teamed up with SuperMate to release a new integration which enables users to generate their SMSF documentation using the fund data stored in their SuperMate account.

Available via the Topdocs online platform, SuperMate users can now populate their online application forms for new SMSFs, deed updates, changes of trustees, pensions and LRBAs with their existing Fund data.

In some circumstances, the new functionality will completely automate the document ordering process.

Topdocs Director Michael Spakman says “This new integration greatly reduces ordering time for SuperMate users, in some cases completing removing any requirement to key client information – a great advantage given how busy we know accountants are, particularly those specialising in SMSFs”.

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Michael Spakman

Leading legal document provider Topdocs has announced the release of Topdocs Protect, a new online platform that enables financial planners and accountants nationwide to request online and full service estate planning documentation and services including Wills and Enduring Powers of Attorney.

Topdocs director Michael Spakman says Topdocs Protect provides financial planners and accountants with the opportunity to facilitate estate planning services for their clients, without assuming the risk associated with the provision of the legal documentation and advice.

“Topdocs Protect provides upfront and ongoing training for advisers to enable them to facilitate the provision of estate planning services, whilst also providing a central online platform where advisers can submit client information to have Wills, Enduring Powers of Attorney and other succession documentation created online, or full service by a solicitor.”

A key element of the Topdocs Protect platform is Topdocs’ new online Will, which according to Spakman, “will enable advisors to provide clients with more basic needs with access to a comprehensively provisioned Will at a cost effective price, therefore encouraging more clients to get their estate planning in order.”

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Michael Spakman

Leading legal document provider Topdocs has announced the release of its new SMSF deed update software, which links directly with BGL, Class Super and SuperMate.

Following the introduction of the Superannuation Reform legislation, many accountants are speaking to their clients about updating their deeds, and according to Topdocs’ Director, Michael Spakman, Topdocs’ online Portal will greatly streamline the ordering process.

“Our links with BGL Simple Fund, Simple Fund 360, Class Super and SuperMate mean that accountants can use the information already stored in their accounting software to order their deed updates, without having to complete a single order form.”

With many accountants needing to update dozens or even hundreds of deeds, this creates an enormous time saving for them.

In addition to streamlining the ordering process, Topdocs, through their legal practice, Topdocs Legal, also provides individual legal review and sign off on each deed update they prepare, ensuring any discrepancy in the fund details stored in the accounting software, and the deed for the Fund, will be picked up and verified.

Spakman says that the legal review and sign off is a crucial aspect of the deed update process:

“Our safety net of legal review and sign off ensures that the legal risk associated with the updating of the deed stays with our legal practice, and not the advisor placing the order.”

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Jim Hennington

The end of the 2017 financial year will put an unprecedented compliance squeeze on accountants servicing Australia’s 580,000 self-managed super funds, according to industry experts Topdocs and A.S.A.P.

Speaking at the launch of Topdocs’ integration with A.S.A.P.’s revolutionary online advice service for SMSF accountants, A.S.A.P.

CEO Jim Hennington said: “Many won’t realise it yet, but this traditional tax planning period will present extraordinary compliance costs and risks for SMSF accountants, whether they’ve chosen to become financial licensees or not.

“The rule change imposes a burden on all SMSF accountants because they need to know when the advice line would be crossed. The rules are technical and safeguards are needed. Yet at the same time, the Government is introducing the biggest reforms to superannuation in a decade.

With the number of accountants being licenced still remaining very low, many practicing in the area of SMSFs are looking for a solution to mitigate their risk, but to still continue to be active in this space. Topdocs’ Managing Director, Jake Spakman, believes the new offering that Topdocs and A.S.A.P. have combined to develop provides accountants with such a solution.

“Unlicensed accountants can now utilise A.S.A.P.s online advice service to obtain Statements of Advice for SMSFs and pensions, and at the same time, create the necessary documents through Topdocs.

Without a license, accountants must refer their clients to a planner for financial product advice. This integration offers a streamlined alternative to obtain statements of advice and the necessary legal documentation.”

Topdocs new integration is one of a number of new services they will be launching at next weeks’ SMSF Association conference in Melbourne.

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