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Tag: ATO

ATO upgrades its DIY super weaponry

PORTFOLIO POINT: New, and broader, penalties for naughty SMSF trustees arrive on July 1. Why is this a good thing Who’s been a naughty boy then? The arsenal available to the Tax Office to punish wayward self-managed super fund trustees is to be expanded. And the broader weaponry makes more sense. Dare I say it, […]

Drilling down into DIY super

PORTFOLIO POINT: How do you compare? The latest stats show some surprising trends in the SMSF sector. For years we moaned about the quality of up-to-date statistics on self-managed super funds. The data was years old by the time it came out. That is changing. We’ll never get up-to-the-minute figures like we do with share […]

A super change to avoid death and taxes

PORTFOLIO POINT: A death-tax removed! A major tax win for super pensions was a pleasant surprise in the recent mini-budget. How often would a government tell the Tax Office to back off on legitimate revenue raising? In terms of animal species, it would certainly be classed as “rare”. It would probably be considered “endangered” if […]

Is this the ultimate super loan?

PORTFOLIO POINT: What!? A no-interest loan to your SMSF? Maybe, but don’t rush in just yet. For now, just watch this space. Sometimes regulators work in mysterious ways. Very mysterious ways. There is a bit of a buzz in the upper echelons of the world of SMSF professionals in regards to some recent utterings from […]

Superannuation statements will soon start arriving in letterboxes. What things should you look for in them?

As inscribed on the cover of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, “DON’T PANIC!” I know superannuation seems a bit scary, perhaps pointless. But it’s compulsory and you’ll notice it’s a not insignificant amount now, so stay calm. Here’s what Gen Xers need to check when your super statement comes in. First up, don’t stuff […]

What are the key mistakes people should avoid when sorting out their tax return?

What’s not to love about tax time? The ATO wants to hand back some of the money it took from you! Billions of dollars raining from the sky. Okay, your first mistake is dreading tax time. Flip the way you think about it. It’s like finding money on the ground. As an employee, I looked […]

Time can add up when you do things efficiently

There are two opposing views on how to get things done efficiently – the Walter Chrysler way and the Lucille Ball way. Ball: “If you want something done, ask a busy person to do it.” Chrysler: “Whenever there is a hard job to be done, I assign it to a lazy man; he is sure […]

Clear skies for geared property

PORTFOLIO POINT: SMSF property borrowing gets more appealing, thanks to the ATO’s response to trustee’s queries. It would appear there have been more questions than at a post-grand final press conference on the subject of SMSF property borrowing. But amid all the confusion, the good news is … your side won! Congratulations. Particularly those who […]

Managing contributions

PORTFOLIO POINT: Here’s another major benefit of SMSFs – managing contributions over two years. The power of super as a retirement vehicle has plenty of boundaries. There are plenty of brakes stopping you getting money in, for a start. But there are a few boundaries that are allowed to be pushed a little further to […]

Super’s safe house

PORTFOLIO POINT: Should you sell your properties to get money into your SMSF? There’s plenty to weigh up. Here are the main points (Part I) A recent survey suggested that 2011 is going to be the year of property in SMSFs. The suggestion was that – with the GFC slowly fading into history – that […]