Saving money for retirement life is the sole objective of setting-up a super. With this kind of fund, men and women are able to put aside part of their income for post-work years and make use of the tax benefits granted by the Australian government for Superannuation funds. These funds are in addition, invested for the exclusive target of increasing the fund for the members’ retirement years. Super Funds are therefore essential to one’s financial security. You can also obtain your life and permanent disability insurance through the Superannuation fund.
A special kind of Superannuation fund is the Self-Managed Superannuation Fund (SMSF), also known as the Do-It-Yourself Super Fund. An executive government regulatory agency, called the Australian Taxation Office is in-charge of supervising and enforcing the conformity of the Self Managed Super Funds to the laws. The right to make their own selections with regards to how to run their very own retirement fund is one of the chief reasons why this sort of retirement fund is gaining popularity. With a DIY Super Fund; people undertake a substantial responsibility of administering and buying and selling investments to grow their own retirement funds, and making sure that their actions comply with the law. For this reason, it is crucial for any individual or group of people who would like to set-up a DIY Super Fund to thoroughly learn the Superannuation laws and regulations first.
To get started, people should read a simple manual on DIY Super Funds. By studying the responsibilities and ins and outs of organizing and running a Self Managed fund first, the person would be able to come up with a much more realistic determination on whether or not he or she can manage it successfully. Or at least, it can help him or her get a much clearer picture of the magnitude of the responsibilities involved in running a Self Managed Super Fund.
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– The important special attribute of Self-Managed Super Annuation Fund from other forms of superannuation fund is that the designated trustees of the fund are also the fund’s members. Several requirements must be met in order for a fund to become qualified as a Self-Managed Super Annuation Fund and these requirements vary with respect to the fund’s trustees- single member, corporate trustee, or individual trustees.
– According to the ATO, a single member fund is a DIY Superannuation if the member is also the sole director of the trustee company. The DIY Superannuation can still be considered a single member if the corporate trustee is one of the two directors of the company and the other director isn’t employed by the other.
Legal Responsibilities of Trustees of Self Managed Super Fund
– As explained earlier, an SMSF trustee is completely responsible for controlling the fund. Therefore, there are many duties and state provisions to which a trustee need to strictly comply. Among these requirements is that the trustee must know three essential matters:
– In case there is conflict between the trust deed and law, the law will take precedent over the trust deed.
– Using the DIY Supers for purposes other than for investing for retirement will result in civil and/or criminal charges imposed on the violators. Not complying or disregarding Self-Managed Super Annuation Fund laws can result in prosecution, the imposing of heavy penalty charges, and even incarceration.