SMSF — Compliance
SMSF Annual Return
The recurring annual SMSF engagement — financial statements, member statements, the SMSF annual return, independent audit coordination and ATO lodgement, with contribution and pension reporting handled correctly each year. Compliance-led, written for trustees who want the yearly cycle taken care of.
- Annual return (SAR)
- Financial statements
- Audit coordination
- Member statements
- ATO lodgement
Self Managed Super Funds are not for everyone. SMSF rules are complex and trustees are personally responsible for compliance with superannuation, tax and investment laws. Establishing and running an SMSF involves trustee duties, ongoing administration, audit and reporting costs. Information on this page is general only — seek personal advice based on your circumstances before establishing or changing an SMSF strategy.
Scope of work
What the annual SMSF engagement actually delivers.
The end output each year is a complete set of fund accounts, an independent audit, and a lodged SMSF annual return — with member balances and reporting that reconcile to the cent.
Financial statements
Operating statement · statement of financial position
A full set of fund financial statements each year — operating statement, statement of financial position, and notes — prepared from your bank, broker and investment records and reconciled to supporting documentation before anything is signed off.
Member statements
Opening balance · movements · closing balance
Member statements tracking each member opening balance, contributions received, earnings allocated, pension payments and the closing balance — split between accumulation and pension phase and between taxable and tax-free components where relevant.
SMSF annual return
Income tax · regulatory reporting · supervisory levy
Preparation of the SMSF annual return (SAR), bringing together the fund income tax position, the SIS Act regulatory and member reporting, and the supervisory levy into the single ATO form, with the audit details entered before lodgement.
Independent audit coordination
ASIC-approved SMSF auditor
We assemble the audit working papers and engage an independent, ASIC-approved SMSF auditor on your behalf, manage the queries, and obtain the completed audit report — a mandatory step before the annual return can be lodged.
Contribution & pension reporting
Caps monitored · pension minimums checked
Contributions classified as concessional or non-concessional and checked against the caps, pension minimum payment requirements confirmed for any member in pension phase, and TBAR events reported where required — so the fund reporting stays clean year to year.
ATO lodgement
Lodged after audit · levy and tax settled
Electronic lodgement of the annual return once the audit is complete, with the fund income tax and supervisory levy confirmed, and the fund kept current on Super Fund Lookup. We then carry forward the closing position into the next year file.
What we need from you
Trustee records and the issues we watch for
A clean annual return starts with complete records from the trustees. Trustees remain personally responsible for the fund compliance under the SIS Act; the points below are general considerations only and not personal financial product advice.
Complete records, early
Full-year bank statements, contribution and rollover records, dividend and distribution statements, broker reports and any property records. The earlier these arrive, the more time there is for the audit before the lodgement deadline.
Pension and benefit documentation
If a member started, commuted or was drawing a pension, we need the supporting minutes and benefit payment records. Missing pension minimums or undocumented commutations are a frequent cause of audit queries and reporting errors.
Related-party and in-house assets
Any rent, loans or asset dealings involving members or relatives need market-value evidence and documentation. In-house asset limits and related-party rules are closely tested in the compliance audit and are a common breach area.
Contribution caps and timing
Contributions that approach or exceed the concessional or non-concessional caps create excess-contributions consequences for the member. We monitor and flag this, but the underlying contribution decision is one to make with a licensed financial adviser.
Process
From records to lodged return — a repeatable annual cycle.
A document-driven sequence where the audit sits between the accounts and the lodgement, because the return cannot be filed until the audit is done.
Records & checklist
We issue the annual checklist and gather full-year bank, contribution, investment and pension records. Opening balances are confirmed against last year closing position before any work begins.
Accounts & statements
Financial statements and member statements are prepared and reconciled — every investment, contribution, earning and pension payment traced to supporting evidence and allocated to the correct member.
Audit coordination
Working papers go to an independent, ASIC-approved SMSF auditor. We manage queries and rectify any minor matters with the trustees. The auditor forms their own opinion and issues the audit report.
Trustee review & sign-off
Statements and the draft annual return are presented to the trustees for review. Trustees check the figures, confirm member balances, and sign the accounts and trustee declarations.
Lodgement
Once the audit is complete and the accounts are signed, the SMSF annual return is lodged electronically with the ATO, the income tax and supervisory levy are settled, and the fund stays current on Super Fund Lookup.
Carry forward & plan ahead
The closing position rolls into next year file, the investment register is updated, and we note any items — pension minimums, caps, documentation — to address early in the new financial year.
Frequently asked questions
SMSF annual return — common questions.
The SMSF annual return (SAR) is a single ATO lodgement that combines three things in one form: the income tax return for the fund, the regulatory and member contribution reporting required under the SIS Act, and the SMSF supervisory levy. Unlike a company tax return, the SAR cannot be lodged until the independent audit is complete, because the auditor number and audit completion date must be entered on the form. It also reports member-level information such as contributions received, pension payments and closing member balances, which a company return does not.
Related
Where this fits in the bigger picture
The annual return is one part of an ongoing SMSF commitment. The connected pieces are establishment, audit coordination, broader compliance and the trustee individual returns prepared alongside the fund.
- SMSF
SMSF services overview
The full SMSF services scope — annual return, audit coordination, compliance and investment strategy review.
- SMSF
SMSF setup
Establishing a fund correctly — trustee structure, deed, ATO registration and the ongoing compliance plan that this annual cycle continues.
- SMSF
SMSF audit coordination
How we engage an independent, ASIC-approved auditor and manage the audit that must be completed before lodgement.
- SMSF
SMSF compliance
The ongoing SIS Act obligations — investment strategy, sole-purpose test, in-house assets and related-party rules.
- Tax & Accounting
Accounting & tax services
Trustee individual returns and related business returns — prepared alongside the SMSF annual return for cleaner reconciliation.
- Local
Get in touch
Book the annual compliance call. We confirm the records needed and the timing before the lodgement deadline.