The ATO’s SMSF Statistical Report for June 2015 indicated that total Australian and overseas assets dropped from $600.3 billion at the end of the March quarter this year to $589.9 billion at the end of the June quarter.
This, however, was an increase from the June 2014 quarter when total Australian and overseas SMSF assets were $556 billion.
According to ATO data, SMSFs have not experienced a decrease in total assets since the September 2011 quarter, when they dropped from $403 billion to $386.7 billion.
The report also showed total net Australian and overseas assets decreased, falling from $582.3 billion to $571.8 billion.
Overseas managed investments were one of the asset classes to see a decline, falling six per cent from $567 million at the end of the March quarter to $533 million at the end of the June quarter.
Listed shares fell by $12.2 billion from $199.3 billion to $187.1 billion.
The ATO also upwardly revised its June 2014 quarter estimates for assets held by SMSFs under limited recourse borrowing arrangements (LRBAs), from $9.3 billion to $15.1 billion, as reported by SMSF Adviser yesterday.
The ATO estimates there are $15.6 billion in SMSF assets held under LRBAs as of June 2015.
While ATO statistics are the most accurate population and asset allocation data available on SMSFs, there is often a lag in updating the figures as new information, such as from SMSF annual tax returns, is processed.
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Surprise – all of this drop was in listed equities (and more). Net reduction $10.4b, equities average decrease of $12.2b, therefore other assets increased by $1.8b. This looks representative across the board from the funds we have completed so far.