The May budget was a quiet affair for the superannuation sector but its silence also leaves unanswered questions around a timetable to resolve issues with legacy pensions and residency rules.

The government has proposed an objective for superannuation but its vague terms raise concerns politicians could manipulate retirement savings.

The government’s additional 15% tax on superannuants with total superannuation balances over $3m will disproportionately affect SMSFs.

Government plans to add an extra tax to earnings inside superannuation impacts SMSFs more heavily and reduces confidence in the wider system.

The indexation of the general transfer balance cap will make superannuation administration and pension strategies more complicated raising the likelihood of errors being made.

ASIC has dropped references to a minimum starting balance for SMSFs reflecting a closer alignment between the views of industry and the regulator.

Concerns about tax concessions for superannuation seem to be based on a small sample size and are not representative of the sector.

Further indexation to the transfer balance cap is welcome but highlights the complexity of the formula used to calculate an individual’s cap.

The ATO often attracts criticism for tax policies that can create adverse outcomes for tax payers but the source of these issues usually start with our lawmakers.