Articles by Jason Spits

Retirement, Superannuation

Retirement objective a community decision

Retirement objective

The greater community needs to set the objective for the retirement income system but must avoid vague outcomes that achieve little, the Retirement Income Review has recommended.

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ATO

Now a good time to come clean

ATO SMSF breaches

No-action positions taken by the ATO should encourage SMSF trustees to voluntarily tackle other compliance-related issues in their funds, an SMSF lawyer has advised.

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ASIC, Financial Planning

Protocol will enable five-year work check

adviser work check

A draft reference-checking protocol includes the ability for licensees to check five years of an adviser’s work and audit history before deciding to employ them.

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Documentation

Trustees must check all death benefit claims

Trustees death benefits

A trustee should check all claims to any death benefits even where they may have total discretion over the payments, an SMSF lawyer has advised.

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ASIC

Adviser pleads guilty to $3m misappropriation

SMSF adviser misappropriation

A Sydney-based SMSF adviser has pleaded guilty to offences related to the misappropriation of $2.9 million of client funds.

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Documentation

Avoid legal advice, but document its request

accountants legal advice

Accountants should document any assistance they give to SMSF clients to avoid claims they provided legal advice, an SMSF legal expert has warned.

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ATO, Auditing

Audit termination doesn’t negate need for ACR

Audit terminated ACR

SMSF auditors must still lodge an ACR where required even if a fund trustee has terminated the audit arrangements, the ATO has warned.

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Investments

No excuse for non-diversified portfolios

cash SMSF portfolio

SMSF trustees have no excuse for holding shares and cash in a portfolio when tools exist to help them diversify their retirement savings strategy.

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Documentation

Deeds can be physically executed remotely

trustees deeds execute remotely

Trustees who remain separated can still execute physical deeds with wet-ink signatures under temporary relief measures.

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Auditing

Audit independence deadline unlikely to move

Audit independence deadline

SMSF auditors will have no excuse for not having complied with new independence standards by mid-2021 despite the volume of work that will be required, an SMSF lawyer has claimed.

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