News : Compliance & Regulation

ATO, Compliance & Regulation

ATO watching non-lodgement behaviour

ATO non-lodgement

New SMSFs are failing to lodge annual returns and abide by their taxation obligations, drawing the attention of the ATO.

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ATO, Compliance & Regulation, SMSF

Fund wind-up timeframe extended

SMSF wind-up timeframe

The timeframe open for trustees to finalise the closing of an SMSF after the lodging of the final annual return has been extended.

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ATO, Compliance & Regulation, Contributions

Rounding can compromise compliance

Contribution rounding

The application of rounding when reporting contributions can inadvertently lead to very tough compliance penalties for SMSF trustees.

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ATO, Compliance & Regulation

New compliance guidance imminent

SMSF compliance guidance

New compliance guidance materials are being formulated by the ATO, one of which marks a change in approach with education directions.

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BDBN, Compliance & Regulation

Digital approvals increase BDBN risk

Digital BDBN authorisation

Executing a binding death benefit nomination is legally allowable, but exposes SMSF trustees to a significantly higher level of risk

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Compliance & Regulation

Trustee disqualifications increase

SMSF trustees disqualified

The ATO has disqualified 130 people from acting as SMSF trustees in the last quarter after removing twice that number in the previous quarter.

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ATO, Compliance & Regulation

Warning over asset protection schemes

asset protection schemes

The ATO has warned SMSF trustees to avoid using schemes that offer to protect assets within their fund via the use of an external trust.

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Compliance & Regulation, Documentation

Avoid trustee company deregistration

corporate trustee deregistered

SMSFs face several adverse consequences should a fund’s corporate trustee directors allow the company in question to be deregistered by ASIC.

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ATO, Compliance & Regulation

ATO imposes $3.4 million in fines

ATO SMSF penalties

Administrative penalties imposed on SMSF trustees by the ATO raised $3.4 million for the regulator in the 2022 income year.

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ATO, Compliance & Regulation

Two penalty unit rises in 2023

penalty units increase

The planned increase in penalty units in the budget is aimed at offsetting bad debts and will be one of two rises planned for next year.

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