The ATO has issued a warning that there are various courses of action available to them when trustees of self-managed super funds (‘SMSFs’) have not complied with the super laws, including applying administrative penalties. To learn about administrative penalties that could be imposed. A number of factors determine the amount of the administrative penalty, including:
- the type of contravention;
- when it occurred; and
- the number of penalty units that apply.
For example, if an SMSF contravenes a provision in relation to borrowings during the 2021/22 financial year, the ATO may apply a penalty of 60 penalty units and, at $222 per unit for that year, this would result in the SMSF trustee having to pay $13,320. This could be even more if there are multiple contraventions.
Editor: Note that the Government recently introduced a Bill to increase the value of a penalty unit for Commonwealth offences committed on or after 1 January 2023 from $222 to $275.
The ATO imposed total administrative penalties of around $3.4 million on SMSF trustees last year for contraventions such as trustees illegally accessing super benefits, loans, or financial assistance given to members.
Also, just because a trustee receives an administrative penalty doesn’t mean the ATO won’t undertake any other compliance action, such as issuing a notice of non-compliance or disqualifying the relevant entity as a trustee.
Robinson Voss Partners can provide further information and support regarding SMSF compliance, and we welcome you to contact us to find out more. Phone our team on 03 9708 8801 or email info@rvpartners.com.au..
Please Note: Many of the comments in this publication are general in nature and anyone intending to apply the information to practical circumstances should seek professional advice to independently verify their interpretation and the information’s applicability to their particular circumstances.
The information contained within this document is of a general nature only and neither represents nor is intended to be personal advice on any particular matter. Robinson Voss Partners (RV Partners) strongly suggests that no person should act specifically on the basis of the information in this document, but should obtain appropriate professional advice based on their own personal circumstances.
