Our Solutions
We can assist with technical and strategic mattersSMSF Alliance provides advisers and accountants with full SMSF administration, technical support and expertise so you can better support your clients from as low as $82.50 per month. We are not licensed to provide product advice but will assist you, the licensed adviser, to provide your services in a more timely and comprehensive manner. Our strategic administration overlay ensures that your strategies do not fail due to administrative shortcomings.
Why strategic administration? …because every client is unique.
To most, SMSFs are seen as simply a tax efficient means of accumulating, and utilising, wealth. Undoubtedly this is their primary purpose but for an adviser to ignore their many other features is both sub-optimal and dangerous. The modern trend to “industrialise” SMSF administration is based on the incorrect belief that all SMSFs are the same. This approach both diminishes the potential benefits of SMSFs and increases the potential for future problems, both to your clients and, reputationally, to your business.
We provide strategic administration meaning that we meld the SMSF strategies you have devised, potentially with our assistance, with the technical, processing and reporting requirements necessary for your goals to be achieved. We understand the consequences of our work and the differences that small variations in approach can make. We encourage you to discuss strategies with us prior to implementation as we may be able to suggest different approaches to enhance your objectives. This might include;
- The initial set up of the fund which has a direct consequence on the penalty regime and estate planning issues.
- Reserves which, if incorrectly applied, can result in ATO action.
- Legally altering a member’s total super balance to maximise non-concessional contribution eligibility.
- The ongoing processing of insurance premiums to minimise the creation of an untaxed element and/or to maximise the significance of a future service deduction
- Alternative gearing structures to limited recourse borrowing providing a more manageable exit strategy.
- The use of 13.22C entities as an alternative to direct SMSF investing.
- The use of trusts (which we can also administer) as complimentary structures to SMSFs
Strategic administration is only possible if experienced SMSF accountants have involved access to high level technical expertise. For this to be provided in a cost-effective manner an administrator must have sufficient scale so why isn’t this service being provided by much larger organisations with significant technical teams? In the rush to reduce costs, administration firms have become increasingly reliant on electronic wizardry and data processing pools that operate remotely from their technical resource. This is due to one, or a combination of, the following reasons;
- procedural, due to an increasing reliance on less experienced, (read cheaper), data entry teams
- organisational, due to the inevitable bureaucracy that clogs the system resulting in a disconnect between objectives and deliverables and
- distance, due to the trend to offshore. Even the most efficient offshore operators face challenges dealing with technical nuances. These differences are only exacerbated by cultural and language issues.
We are a specialist, boutique firm and will stay that way to ensure that our service standards do not diminish. Our team members are all on shore, well trained and dedicated towards enhancing your business. The irony is that we can still provide strategic administration from only $82.50 per month.
Our comprehensive SMSF administration solution is completely independent. Our seminar services, subject to eligibility, can be customised to the needs of your practice. We are here so you can add efficiency and value to even your most sophisticated SMSF client.
We also offer non-super portfolio administration for individuals, partnerships, companies and trusts including 13.22C, family, testamentary and charitable trusts. The full range of accounting services to support these, and accounting and taxation matters generally, are also available. We are not licensed, and will never be, so we could never be in competition with you. We do not deal with your clients directly without your express permission. Any direct enquiry is channelled back to our alliance partners.
Becoming an SMSF Alliance partner will ensure that you have the full support of our highly experience team and be able to receive our expert help to grow your business.
Expert Technical Experience
As well as 24/7 online administration and compliance, SMSF Alliance provides an exceptional level of technical expertise to our alliance partners, at no additional cost, when part of our ongoing service. The benefit of this service is to both prevent and overcome compliance breaches. We believe strongly in prevention over rectification.
Our Solutions.
SMSF Alliance provides a wide range of services to SMSF businesses around Australia. Our solutions include a complete SMSF administration and compliance solution, with the right business tools designed to help you service your clients more accurately, efficiently, timely and cost-effectively.
On a daily basis, we analyse each member’s data, as well as that for each fund generally, and produce a number of qualified potential opportunities for advisers to consider. Also provided is the relevant supporting evidence, white papers and calculators where necessary. This is provided by our unique SMSF Toolbox.
On a daily basis, we analyse each member’s data, as well as that for each fund generally, and produce a number of warnings and alerts for advisers to consider. These are designed to protect you from errors of omission and to reduce your compliance risk. This is provided by our unique SMSF Toolbox.
News.
FAQ.
Should I wait until my returns have been lodged before I transfer my fund from my current provider to SMSF Alliance?
Though that seems the most convenient time to transfer it is often not. The exception is if the work is almost complete. It is difficult to judge this though. A common mistake is to assume that, because your current administrator has had several months to do this work, that it has been started. We would generally prefer to add your fund now and perform the work your current administrator will need to do to complete your previous year’s return. You will not be financially disadvantaged as we will not charge you for work that you have already paid non-refundable fees to your current administrator for – even if we have to do it all again.
Do you provide advice to trustees?
No. We are not licenced to provide personal financial advice. We do provide substantial assistance to licenced advisers though, but you maintain the responsibility to provide your own version of this advice to each of your unique client scenarios.
Do you correspond directly with the trustee clients of advisers or accountants?
We respect the relationship that our alliance partners have with their clients so we do not enter into any direct contact with trustees unless specifically authorised by their adviser. In any case we have found that, where the adviser and ourselves are both in contact with the trustees, confusion is often the result.
How do you collect your fees?
We offer three options.
- Monthly direct debit against each fund account
- Yearly billing to each Fund – additional fee of $200 per annum
- Monthly billing for all funds to the adviser/accountant
Do you guarantee to lodge all returns on time?
We do if we are in receipt of all necessary information, including documents required for audit, in sufficient time. Our ATO on time lodgement score is over 98%. It would be 100% if not for the inclusion of some funds which, for reasons outside our control, are impossible to lodge on time.
What is the silver service option?
Some of our information downloads are so efficient that we enjoy significant cost advantages that we can pass onto you. Our E-Process fee for our full administration service is only $82.50 per month. Conditions apply. Please contact us.
What SMSF services do you provide if we want to handle our own administration?
A number of our services are standalone. These include fund establishment (including for QROPs funds), limited recourse borrowing structures and trustee changes (including corporate trustees). Why not give us a ring to discuss on 1300809933. Ask for Debbie.
Do you only provide administration for SMSFs?
No. We can administer any investment portfolio, not just those held in an SMSF.
Do you only provide tax lodgement services for SMSFs?
No. We can lodge any type of tax return. SMSF trustees will often use our tax services for their fund’s 13.22C trusts and their personal tax returns but we can also handle any other type of investment entity including family and testamentary trusts. Our senior tax adviser must deal directly with the client where business activities or more complex matters are included.
Can you download the consolidated investment information in the SMSF and non-super porfolios you administer to planners' modelling software?
Yes. We can down load to X-Plan. This service removes double processing so the planner does not need to maintain a separate data base and can utilise staff resources for more productive endeavours.
Accurate, efficient, timely & cost-effective services for your SMSF clients. On-time, on-line and onshore.