(03) 9020 2905PORTFOLIO POINT: A super opportunity could be closing. If you were thinking it’s for you, you’ll need to get started very, very soon.
Like sands through the hourglass … a two-year egg timer started flowing in the last few months of calendar 2010. The last grains are due to fall through later this year.
It could be a case of “nothing happens”. It might be like the end of the world that wasn’t, when 1999 clicked over to 2000.
But, governments can swiftly. So, if the opportunity appeals to you, you should start preparing for it now. Not in a few months. Now. Or you simply might run out of time.
What am I talking about? Gearing inside SMSFs. But more specifically, property gearing.
The government announced in late 2010 that it would review ALL gearing in super after two years. For my column on that announcement, click here (22/12/2010).
Given the government’s statement at the time, it appeared the only thing that could cause super gearing to be banished would have been a great property crash. That would still appear to be the case.
Coincidentally, the “peak” of the Australian residential property market was at about the time of that announcement and property prices have largely weakened since. But there has been no crash.
Buying a normal investment property can take potentially months of searching and then months to settle, even if sourcing the loan is relatively straight forward.
But diving into the same gearing pool inside a SMSF includes the addition of two twists, a pike and a few turns.
What do you need to know?
The door could slam shut very abruptly later this year. There has been no word yet on the planned review of super gearing, but if buying geared property has been on your to do list, it’s not something you want to leave to the last minute in case the opportunity is lost forever.
Australian Governments have a history of making snap decisions and not giving a lot of time to adjust. Take the introduction of capital gains tax in Australia. Assets acquired prior to 11.45am on 20 September, 1985, inherited a tax free status. Pity those whose investment property settled at 3pm that day.
If geared property is something you’ve been considering as part of your SMSF’s investment portfolio – and you want to make sure you don’t get caught out – you need to understand that investment property, particularly inside SMSFs, can’t just be bought on a whim and organised in an afternoon.
While the super gearing legislation technically allows super funds to gear into any investment that they could normally invest in, the restrictions announced in changes made by the ATO in July 2010 mean that, for all but a handful of enormous SMSFs (probably $2m plus), the costs of gearing into assets other than property are unlikely to make sense. To understand why, read this column (2/6/10).
What’s involved in purchasing geared property in SMSFs?
It’s not like buying a geared investment property in your own name.
The laws relating to “limited recourse” borrowing inside SMSFs are complex. And if you don’t get the structure right, you risk having your fund being made non-compliant. (Where up to 46.5% of your entire fund could be lost in tax.)
So, today, I’ll just take you through some major points.
Warning: Anyone considering doing this should seek the advice of knowledgeable experts, potentially including SMSF professionals in financial planning, accounting and legal areas
Will your trust fund allow you to gear?
If your trust fund was drawn up during 2007 or earlier, there’s a good chance that the deed will not allow you to gear inside super. The super gearing legislation came into effect on 24 September, 2007, and was amended in July 2010.
Your SMSF’s trust deed is the governing document for your super fund (although it can’t override the SIS Act). If it doesn’t allow gearing, you will need to update the deed.
This, on its own, can be a complicated process, and is best handled by a SMSF lawyer, for a relatively small cost of perhaps $700 to $2000.
Bare trusts and corporate trustees
It’s important to note that when we talk about SMSFs entering into a limited recourse loan, we are actually talking about a second entity taking the loan on trust for the SMSF.
The loan needs to be held in a “bare trust” (also known as a debt instalment trust). The bare trust holds the asset for the super fund until such time as the last instalment on the debt is repaid. At that point, the bare trust releases the asset to the SMSF.
Some lenders insist on there being a corporate trustee for the bare trust. And some lenders will insist on their own corporate trustee, or some other arrangement.
If you’re going to use a major lender, then find out what their specifications are before you purchase your bare trust and corporate trustee.
Who is going to lend you the money?
Compared to a few years ago, banks now have (small) divisions that understand the gearing rules. On top of that, there are a growing number of mortgage broking professionals who know which banks do what.
And the good news is that interest rate pricing has fallen considerably also. They are no longer offering 2-3% above the cost of residential mortgage loans. It has come down considerably.
However, many SMSF trustees might wish to become the lender themselves. Correct. YOU can lend the money to your super fund. But it doesn’t mean that you just grab some cash and give it to the super fund. The loan has to be made on an arm’s length basis, including with a loan agreement and through a bare trust.
If you don’t like dealing with banks – and they can put up some nasty obstacles – then being your SMSF’s own lender can make sense. For more details on how that’s done, see this column (21/4/10).
That’s the big stuff
This is a highly abridged version of what needs to be done. But it covers the main points of what you need to consider before you start to go looking for the property.
All these things take time. But you’ll also need to run the numbers. Super funds only get tax deductions on gearing at 15%. However, this can be a very powerful strategy that can mean the super fund never pays tax. See this story (20/10/10).
What not to buy and do
The super gearing laws allow your SMSF to purchase any asset that it would normally be allowed to purchase.
So, you can’t use your SMSF’s money to buy, or part-buy, a new home to live in. You can’t buy a unit for the kids to live in while they’re at university. Your SMSF can’t buy residential property where you, as an individual, are the purchaser.
You can buy a beach house. You just can’t stay in it (breach of the sole purpose test).
Commercial property
A lot of trustees want to buy commercial property, often the premises out of which their personal business operates.
That is an asset that you can purchase from yourself (or your business, if it’s the owner). But you need to be aware of the “arm’s length” transaction rules. You’ll need to pay a fair price for the property and, if your business is operating from there, the business will need to pay rent on an arm’s length basis.
Hasten slowly
The point of today’s column is not to set you off in a panic. However, don’t think that you can just walk into a property you like, sign up to buy and write a cheque, as you can if you were buying the property in your personal name.
It’s not that simple. If you are considering buying geared property inside your super fund and you were thinking about doing that this year, start getting prepared and doing the research sooner rather than later.
And don’t have blind faith that these rules will still exist next year. A clock is ticking. We just don’t know if the alarm has been set.
*****
The information contained in this column should be treated as general advice only. It has not taken anyone’s specific circumstances into account. If you are considering a strategy such as those mentioned here, you are advised to consult your financial adviser.
Bruce Brammall is director of Castellan Financial Consulting and the author of Debt Man Walking.