SMSF Administration
Specialist support for your self-managed super fund.
Running your own super fund puts you in control of the decisions — and squarely responsible for the paperwork, deadlines and compliance that come with them. We run a dedicated department for the administration of self-managed super funds, so the annual obligations are handled properly and you can concentrate on the fund itself.
- A dedicated SMSF department within the practice
- A licensed ASIC representative for super advice
- An SMSF Specialist Advisor with the SMSF Association on staff
Your fund, administered properly, year after year.
A self-managed super fund is a superannuation fund you run yourself as trustee, for your own retirement benefit. Instead of a large fund making the decisions on your behalf, you and the other members decide how the fund is invested and how it is managed — within the rules that apply to superannuation.
That control comes attached to a set of annual obligations. The fund needs proper accounting records, financial statements, an income tax return, an independent audit by an approved SMSF auditor, and documentation to support the decisions the trustees have made. Missing any of it can put the fund's compliance status at risk.
Our SMSF department handles that administration for trustees across Ipswich and the surrounding region. We keep the fund's records in order through the year, prepare the annual accounts and return, work with the fund's independent auditor, and tell you plainly what needs your attention as trustee and by when.
An SMSF is not the right choice for everyone. Whether it suits you depends on your own circumstances, the balance involved and how much responsibility you are prepared to carry. It is worth talking it through before making a decision.
An SMSF gives you greater control — and greater responsibility.
As trustee, you are legally responsible for the fund, even where the day-to-day administration is handled by someone else. The decisions are yours, the records need to support them, and the obligations sit with you rather than with your accountant.
That is not a reason to avoid an SMSF. It is a reason to go in with a clear picture of what is involved, and to have the administration handled by people who do it regularly.
- Acting in line with the fund's trust deed and superannuation law
- Keeping the fund's assets separate from personal and business assets
- Maintaining an investment strategy and reviewing it as circumstances change
- Keeping proper accounting records and supporting documentation
- Meeting the fund's annual reporting, audit and lodgement obligations
What we can help you with
The administration work that keeps a self-managed super fund running and reporting properly.
- 01
Annual fund administration
Maintaining the fund's accounting records for the year, reconciling investments and transactions, and keeping the member accounts up to date.
- 02
SMSF financial statements
Preparing the fund's annual financial statements, including member balances and the movements within the fund over the year.
- 03
SMSF income tax returns
Preparing and lodging the fund's annual return, which reports the fund's income, its regulatory information and the member details together.
- 04
Compliance administration
Keeping track of the fund's annual obligations and the documentation that supports them, and flagging anything that needs a trustee decision.
- 05
Record keeping
Organising contributions, pension payments, investment records and trustee documentation so the fund's paperwork holds together year to year.
- 06
Coordination of the annual audit
Every SMSF must be audited each year by an independent approved SMSF auditor. We prepare the fund's records for that audit and work with the auditor through the process.
The independent audit of a self-managed super fund is carried out by an approved SMSF auditor separate from the fund's administrator.
Superannuation is a specialty, not a sideline.
Tracey Ashton is our go-to person for anything to do with superannuation, and leads the administration of our clients' self-managed super funds. She is an SMSF Specialist Advisor with the SMSF Association, registered with the Tax Practitioners Board, and has extensive experience with self-managed superannuation funds.
She is supported by Rebecka Davey, who works alongside her administering funds day to day. Having a dedicated department means SMSF work is not squeezed in around tax season — it is handled by people who do it all year.
How we administer your fund
A steady annual cycle, so nothing depends on a last-minute scramble in May.
- 01
Understand the fund
We look at the trust deed, the members, the investments and how the fund has been run to date, so we know what we are working with.
- 02
Collect and reconcile the records
Investment statements, bank transactions, contributions and pension payments are gathered and reconciled for the financial year.
- 03
Prepare the accounts and return
We prepare the fund's financial statements and annual return, and identify anything that needs a trustee decision or additional documentation.
- 04
Work with the independent auditor
The fund's records are provided to an approved SMSF auditor, and we respond to the queries raised during the audit.
- 05
Report back and lodge
We take you through the year's results and the fund's position, lodge the return, and set out what is coming up in the year ahead.
The trustees remain responsible for the fund and its compliance at all times, including where administration is handled by our office.
Who this service is for
We work with trustees at every stage of a fund's life, not only at the start of one.
Existing SMSF trustees
Trustees who want the fund's annual administration handled properly and on a predictable timetable.
Couples and families
Funds with more than one member, where contributions, balances and pensions all need to be tracked separately.
People considering an SMSF
Anyone weighing up whether running their own fund suits their circumstances, before committing to it.
Trustees changing administrator
Funds moving across from another accountant or administrator, including funds with some catching up to do.
Funds paying a pension
Trustees drawing a retirement income from the fund, where the payment and reporting requirements need close attention.
Trustees with business interests
Clients whose super fund sits alongside a business we already work with, where both need to be considered together.
A self-managed super fund is not suitable for everyone. Whether one is appropriate depends on your individual circumstances, and should be considered with appropriate professional advice.
Important considerations
An SMSF is not right for everyone
Suitability depends on your circumstances, including the balance involved, your investment intentions and how much responsibility you are willing to take on as trustee.
Responsibility stays with the trustees
Engaging an administrator does not transfer the legal obligations. The trustees remain accountable for the fund and the decisions made within it.
An independent audit is required each year
Every SMSF must be audited annually by an approved SMSF auditor who is independent of the fund's administration.
Superannuation rules change
Contribution caps, pension requirements and reporting obligations are revised from time to time. What applied to the fund a few years ago may no longer apply.
Information on this page is general in nature and does not take your objectives, financial situation or needs into account. It is not a recommendation to establish, retain or wind up a self-managed super fund. Requirements can depend on your circumstances and current legislation — speak with our team for advice relevant to your situation.
Useful ATO and ASIC resources
Background material published by Australian government agencies. Useful for general reading, and no substitute for advice about your own fund.
These are external government resources, published and maintained by their respective agencies rather than by Bachmann Robinson. Links do not imply a recommendation of their content. For anything specific to your circumstances, speak with our team.
You may also be interested in
Common questions about SMSFs
What does SMSF administration actually cover?
Do you audit the fund as well?
Is an SMSF right for me?
Can you take over the administration of an existing fund?
What happens if the fund falls behind on its lodgements?
Can you advise me on what the fund should invest in?
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Level 1, 265 Brisbane St, Ipswich QLD · Mon–Fri, 9am–5pm