Uber SMSFs ($10m plus in asset value) are very hard to build now

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Capping super in pension phases is a solution to a legacy issue that has passed. The problem with capping the amount of super which can enjoy tax free earnings in

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Treating all children equally – SMSFs, estates, avoiding claims 

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Changes in composition + value of estate and/or super account balance over time can result in the children being treated unequally. At times, even the best intentions of a deceased

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Lost trust deed – trustee is in their 80s – should it be a cause for panic?

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Forgetfulness and ageing often seem to go hand in hand. Whether it’s full blown dementia that is getting acres of space in the media these days because the baby-boomer, damn

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Avoiding family feuds in SMSFs

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Self-managed super funds (SMSFs) revolve around family members which can make them extremely vulnerable to disputes that arise when SMSF members clash over money. In the worst case scenarios, the

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SMSF trustees – this is the Tax Office calling

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You have your own SMSF and you’re therefore a trustee of the fund.  The phone rings late one afternoon. You answer the phone. It’s the ATO wanting to discuss a

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Directors are liable if their company fails to pay employee super

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The director penalty regime was extended to make directors personally liable for their company’s unpaid superannuation guarantee charge (SGC) and pay as you go (PAYG) withholding amounts. They also limit

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Sole purpose test and dealing at arms-length go hand in hand

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Trustees were reminded earlier this month of the potentially heavy financial consequences of not understanding their responsibilities as trustees or directors of a corporate trustee of an SMSF. The reminder

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The Murray Report’s recommendation to ban SMSFs from borrowing is inconsistent

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The Murray Report’s recommendation to ban SMSFs from borrowing is inconsistent and based on a flawed approach to the regulation of the superannuation system. The Report’s argument that superannuation should

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The family trust: Asset guard dog

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Family trusts are most often thought of as vehicles to spread the tax burden throughout the family but, with both partners working these days, more and more the family trust’s

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Enduring attorney causes angst among financial advisers and clients

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What happens when a Death Benefit Nomination (DBN) created by the member is changed by a later DBN that has been signed by the member’s Enduring Power of Attorney (EPOA)? 

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