SMSF practitioners told to reassure clients in 30 June lead up
With the focus predominantly on super members with above $1.6 million, it may be worth practitioners informing clients unaffected by the reforms that no action is required, says a technical expert.
SMSF Association head of technical Peter Hogan said in the past few months there has been a significant focus on what clients need to do in relation to the various changes to super including the transfer balance cap, the total superannuation balance and transition to retirement income streams.
However, there are a large number of clients, he said, who are unaffected by the changes but are uncertain about whether they actually need to do anything to prepare for 30 June.
“The majority of your client base is probably not really impacted by these changes because they don’t have more than $1.6 million in super, let alone $1.6 million in pension phase,” he said.
“So it might be a good idea to give them a call and say, ‘Guess what, you just carry on as normal. There’s nothing that’s really necessary for you to do other than to report the value of your income stream when you’re required to report that but in terms of having to do anything with your pension, there’s nothing for you to do. You just continue on as per normal’.”
Mr Hogan said it’s probably a message that hasn’t been as well communicated to clients.
“There are a lot of people that are reading everything that’s going on and scratching their heads and saying, ‘Well, is anything changing for me?’ And the answer is not really, not at all,” he said.
“I know everyone’s been focused on talking to those clients who are impacted and you understand exactly why that’s the case, but maybe it wouldn’t hurt to contact those clients who aren’t affected and just tell them, if practitioners have the time – obviously everyone is busy at this time of year. But to the extent at which practitioners can do that, it might be a good idea.”
Miranda Brownlee
Miranda Brownlee is the deputy editor of SMSF Adviser, which is the leading source of news, strategy and educational content for professionals working in the SMSF sector.
Since joining the team in 2014, Miranda has been responsible for breaking some of the biggest superannuation stories in Australia, and has reported extensively on technical strategy and legislative updates.
Miranda also has broad business and financial services reporting experience, having written for titles including Investor Daily, ifa and Accountants Daily.
