SMSF Foundations
Become a registered Self-Managed Super Fund practitioner with training in superannuation laws, regulatory requirements, and general responsibilities.
Course Information
Strengthen your understanding of self-managed super funds with a solid instructional foundation for both professional and personal success.
- Become a successful Self-Managed Super Fund (SMSF) practitioner
- Deepen your understanding of superannuation laws and regulatory requirements
- Excel as an SMSF practitioner
- Hone your skill set across various industries
Become a successful Self-Managed Super Fund (SMSF) practitioner by supercharging your skills and fundamental knowledge of the operation and management of self-managed super funds in this course developed in partnership with Smarter SMSF.
*Additionally, completing the SMSF Foundations course accrues 21 continuing professional development (CPD) hours.
Who should enrol?
- Those working with SMSF clients and needing to update their knowledge and skills
- Those looking to pursue a career in accountancy or finance
Course Information
Strengthen your understanding of self-managed super funds with a solid instructional foundation for both professional and personal success.
- Become a successful Self-Managed Super Fund (SMSF) practitioner
- Deepen your understanding of superannuation laws and regulatory requirements
- Excel as an SMSF practitioner
- Hone your skill set across various industries
Become a successful Self-Managed Super Fund (SMSF) practitioner by supercharging your skills and fundamental knowledge of the operation and management of self-managed super funds in this course developed in partnership with Smarter SMSF.
*Additionally, completing the SMSF Foundations course accrues 21 continuing professional development (CPD) hours.
Who should enrol?
- Those working with SMSF clients and needing to update their knowledge and skills
- Those looking to pursue a career in accountancy or finance
Details
Price: $660 or $29.00/week over 26 weeks
Course Duration
Up to 15 hours to complete, inclusive of the assessment at the end of each module. Students who complete the course will receive a certificate of completion. Students have 12 weeks (3 months) to complete the learning and assessment requirements from the date of initiation.
Access Time
24 months from enrolment.
We’re ready when you are
Start any time with flexible learning hours and fully remote modules.
Ab² students enjoy:
- Deep industry connections to future-proof your career
- Course development and teaching by real-world industry leaders, not academics
- Unrivalled student support by specialists who only serve the accounting industry
- Free student membership with accounting and bookkeeping industry bodies
- 100% flexible – Study online, anytime, anywhere, on any device
Course Modules
Our course has been custom-built by industry experts with decades of real-world, practical experience and knowledge. This will give you top-notch skills and understanding, making you job-ready the moment you graduate.
- The regulation of Australia’s superannuation system
- The three pillars of superannuation in Australia
- The different types of super funds that exist in Australia
- The key features and regulation of self-managed super funds
- The definition of a self-managed super fund
- How an SMSF operates through the requirements of its trust deed and the key superannuation laws, including the sole purpose test and residency rule
- What is an investment strategy?
- The requirements of an SMSF investment strategy
- How an SMSF can invest and acquire assets
- What investment restrictions exist within the super laws
- Some exceptions that exist to allow certain investments within an SMSF
- The arm’s length basis dealings requirements
- What is a contribution, the eligibility requirements, and how can contributions be made into super?
- The types of contributions that can be made
- How a member’s total superannuation balance impacts them making contributions
- Meeting the work test and work test exemption requirements for a member to make a contribution
- The timing of contributions made into super
- The contribution caps, the operation of the bring-forward rule and the ability to split contributions with a spouse
- Dealing with excess contributions
- Other types of contributions that can be made into super
- The preservation rules, preservation age and conditions of release
- How benefits can be paid, including lump sums and super income streams
- The types of pensions that can be paid within an SMSF
- Account-based pension requirements, including commutation rules
- Transition to Retirement Income Stream rules
- Understanding the legacy pensions that continue to be paid from SMSFs
- Understanding how a pension can cease
- Other types of contributions that can be made into super
- What type of contributions are assessable, and the tax treatment of concessional contributions
- Dealing with excess contributions, understanding how contributions are assessable and how Division 293 tax applies for high-income earners
- The capital gains tax (CGT) rules that apply to super funds, including CGT transitional relief and trading stock exemption
- The types of income the fund might generate that are assessable
- Tax deductions, including when a fund can claim and the deductibility of expenses
- How the non-arm’s length income (NALI) provisions apply to a fund’s income and expenditure
- How tax exemption applies to income supporting pensions in the retirement phase, including the methods in calculating ECPI
- How Goods and Services Tax (GST) rules apply within SMSFs
- How the tax laws apply to member benefits paid as a lump sum, income stream or in the event of a member’s death
- The financial reporting requirements for SMSFs
- The appointment and role of the SMSF auditor and lodgement of the SMSF annual return, inclusive of the supervisory levy
- The various record-keeping requirements and reporting obligations for SMSFs
- The obligations of Transfer Balance Cap Reporting of member events within an SMSF
- The responsibilities of reporting for activity statements, along with PAYG instalments and withholding
- How the SuperStream rules apply with SMSFs
- How the Regulator deals with non-compliance
- How to wind up an SMSF
- Super does not form part of an estate
- Compulsory cashing rules on death
- Who can be paid a super death benefit?
- Who is a dependant?
- Death Benefit Nominations
- What happens if a Binding Death Benefit Nomination is invalid?
- How can a death benefit be paid?
- Governing rules – death benefit payments
- What happens when a member dies who is receiving an income stream?
- Death benefit rollovers
- Appointing a new trustee
Have questions?
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