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Self-managed superannuation funds

Last updated 12 February 2019

Superannuation funds that are self-managed superannuation funds (SMSFs) under the Superannuation Industry (Supervision) Act 1993 (SISA) as at 30 June 2010 must use the Self-managed superannuation fund 2010 annual return to lodge information relating to income tax, regulatory and member contribution details.

Generally a superannuation fund with more than one member is an SMSF if:

  • it has four or fewer members
  • no member of the fund is an employee of another member of the fund unless they are related
  • each member of the fund is a trustee and each trustee is a member of the fund, and
  • no trustee of the fund receives any remuneration for their services as a trustee.

Alternatively, an SMSF with more than one member can have a company as a trustee (known as a corporate trustee) if:

  • the fund has four or fewer members
  • each member of the fund is a director of the company and each director of the company is a member of the fund
  • no member of the fund is an employee of another member of the fund unless they are related
  • the company does not receive any remuneration for its services as a trustee, and
  • no director of the company receives any remuneration for their services as a director in relation to the fund.

A superannuation fund with only one member is an SMSF if:

  • the member of the fund is a trustee and there is second trustee who is either a relative of the member, or is not the member's employer; or
  • a company is the trustee of the fund and the member is the sole director of the company or there is a second director of the company and that other director is a relative of the member, or is not the member's employer, and
  • no remuneration is received by a trustee or director for services in relation to the fund.

QC22855