SMSF accountants in Brisbane, alongside your wealth advice.
End-to-end SMSF accounting, tax, and audit coordination, with wealth advice from an authorised representative of Count Financial in the same Capalaba office. One team for your super, your tax, and your wealth plan.
Most SMSFs are accounted for in isolation, and pay for it at tax time.
Your SMSF accountant prepares the return but never speaks to your tax accountant or financial adviser.
Contribution caps, pension rules, and in-house asset limits get spotted in the annual return, when the damage is already done.
Audit time arrives with last-minute requests for documents nobody has had time to organise.
An SMSF works best when accounting, tax planning, and wealth strategy are coordinated across the year. With our team that coordination happens in the same office, by the same people.
What is included
End-to-end SMSF service, with wealth advice on tap.
We act as the accountant and tax agent for your SMSF, and our authorised representative provides personal financial advice for the fund where you want it. Audit is coordinated with an independent ASIC-registered SMSF auditor.
SMSF establishment
Trust deed, trustee structure (individual or corporate), member application, ABN, TFN, and rollover from existing super funds.
Annual accounting and tax
Financial statements, member statements, and the SMSF annual return prepared and lodged with the ATO each year.
Audit coordination
We prepare the working papers and liaise with an independent ASIC-approved SMSF auditor to complete the annual audit.
Contribution strategy
Concessional and non-concessional cap planning, bring-forward rules, downsizer contributions, and spouse contribution splitting.
Pension setup and management
Account-based pensions, transition-to-retirement, minimum draw-downs, and segregation of pension assets where eligible.
Investment compliance
In-house asset limits, related-party transactions, sole purpose test, and arm's length compliance reviewed throughout the year.
Limited recourse borrowing arrangements
Advice and accounting for LRBAs to purchase property or shares inside the SMSF, with structures that satisfy ATO requirements.
Wealth advice for the fund
Personal financial advice from our authorised representative of Count Financial (AFSL 227232) on the fund's investment strategy.
How we work
From rollover to first annual return, without surprises.
01
Discovery
A call to understand your super balance, retirement goals, and whether an SMSF makes sense for your situation.
02
Establishment or transition
Either we establish a new fund and roll over your existing super, or we take over an established fund from your previous accountant.
03
Investment strategy
We document the fund's investment strategy, including liquidity, insurance, and any binding nominations, and connect wealth advice where you want it.
04
Annual cycle
Quarterly reconciliation, year-end accounts and return, annual audit coordination, and proactive contribution and pension planning.
SMSF guide
What an SMSF accountant in Brisbane looks after, year round.
Running your own super fund gives you control, and it also makes you legally responsible for it. Here is what that involves, and where an SMSF accountant fits in.
Who an SMSF suits
An SMSF suits people who want a direct say in how their retirement savings are invested, and who are prepared to take on the trustee role that comes with it. Common reasons include holding business premises in super, choosing specific shares or term deposits, or pooling balances across a family. A fund can have up to six members.
It is less likely to suit you if your balance is modest, you have little time for paperwork, or you would rather someone else made the investment calls. In those cases an industry or retail fund is often cheaper and simpler, and we will say so.
Your obligations as a trustee
Every member is a trustee, or a director of the fund's corporate trustee. That role carries obligations under super law, and administrative penalties for breaches fall on trustees personally. They cannot be paid from the fund.
Sign the ATO trustee declaration within 21 days of becoming a trustee.
Keep a written investment strategy that considers risk, diversification, liquidity, the fund's ability to pay benefits, and insurance for members, and review it regularly.
Keep fund money and assets separate from your personal and business assets.
Run the fund for the sole purpose of providing retirement benefits, with all dealings at arm's length.
Keep accounting records for at least five years, and trustee minutes and changes for at least ten.
The annual cycle, step by step
After 30 June we reconcile the fund's bank and investment accounts, value every asset at market value, and prepare the financial statements and member statements. Property needs a value based on objective, supportable data each year, though not always a formal valuation.
The accounts then go to an independent ASIC-registered SMSF auditor. Only once the audit is finished do we lodge the SMSF annual return, which reports the fund's income tax, member contributions and the ATO supervisory levy. Pension events, such as starting or commuting a pension, are also reported to the ATO each quarter through transfer balance account reporting.
How tax works inside an SMSF
In accumulation phase, fund income is generally taxed at 15 per cent. Capital gains on assets held for more than 12 months receive a one-third discount, which brings the effective rate to 10 per cent.
Income on assets supporting a retirement-phase pension can be tax-free, within the limits of each member's transfer balance cap. Income that is not at arm's length, for example from a related-party deal on non-commercial terms, is taxed at the highest rate. Contribution caps are indexed, so we check the current figures with you before each financial year.
Property in an SMSF
An SMSF can hold residential or commercial property, but the rules differ. Residential property cannot be lived in or rented by members or their relatives. Business real property, such as the premises your business operates from, can be bought from a related party at market value and leased back to your business on commercial terms.
Borrowing to buy property uses a limited recourse borrowing arrangement, with its own trust and lending rules. We work through the numbers, including cash flow inside the fund after loan repayments, before you commit.
Moving your SMSF to us
Changing accountants does not mean restarting your fund. We ask your previous accountant for the records through a standard professional clearance, and take over from the next lodgement.
Trust deed and any amendments
The last two years of financial statements and audit reports
The current investment strategy and trustee minutes
Member details, pension documents and any binding death benefit nominations
Why EEA Advisory
SMSF expertise plus AFSL wealth advice, in one office.
CA ANZ Chartered Accountants
SMSF accounting handled by senior team members with CA ANZ qualifications and direct SMSF experience.
Registered tax agents
Tax Practitioners Board registration 26081500. We can communicate with the ATO directly on behalf of your fund.
Wealth advice in the same office
Our authorised representative of Count Financial (AFSL 227232) provides regulated investment advice for the fund where you want it.
Independent SMSF audit
We use independent ASIC-registered SMSF auditors so the audit is genuinely independent. We never audit funds we account for.
Coordinated tax and wealth
Contribution planning, pension transitions, and personal tax are coordinated annually, not handled by three different firms.
Capalaba based, secure cloud workflows
Trustees can meet us at The Hub at Capalaba or work entirely via secure cloud document portals.
FAQ
Questions we hear most often.
Have a question that is not here? Call 07 3399 2300 or book a consultation and we will answer it directly.
Should I even have an SMSF?
SMSFs work best when you have a meaningful balance to manage, the time and interest to make investment decisions (or a financial adviser you trust), and a strategy that genuinely benefits from the control an SMSF offers. As a rough rule of thumb, balances under $250,000 often cost more to run than they save versus a retail or industry fund. We will tell you honestly during the discovery call whether an SMSF will actually serve you.
Can I borrow inside my SMSF to buy property?
Yes, under a Limited Recourse Borrowing Arrangement (LRBA). The fund borrows to purchase a single asset held in a bare trust, with the lender's recourse limited to that asset. There are strict rules about ownership, refinancing, and improvements. We advise on whether an LRBA suits your fund and handle the structure and ongoing accounting.
Who audits the fund?
SMSFs must be audited annually by an independent ASIC-approved SMSF auditor. We never audit funds we account for; we coordinate with independent SMSF audit specialists to maintain genuine independence. The audit fee is separate from our accounting fee.
What happens when I start drawing a pension?
Starting a pension does not automatically make your fund's income tax-exempt or require assets to be segregated. Income supporting an eligible retirement-phase pension may qualify for exempt current pension income, subject to pension standards and the fund's circumstances. The exemption is calculated using the applicable segregated or proportionate method. We help with pension documentation, minimum payment calculations, and arranging an actuarial certificate where required.
How is your SMSF service priced?
We quote fixed-fee after the discovery call. The fee depends on the number of members, investment complexity (e.g. whether there is property, an LRBA, or unlisted assets), and whether wealth advice is bundled in. Audit is a separate, independent fee.
How many members can an SMSF have?
An SMSF can have up to six members. Every member must be a trustee, or a director of the fund's corporate trustee. Larger family funds often use a corporate trustee, because adding or removing members is simpler and the fund's assets stay clearly separate.
Can I move my existing SMSF to EEA Advisory?
Yes. You keep the same fund, and we request the deed, past accounts, audit reports and investment strategy from your current accountant. Switching before the end of the financial year works best, so we can prepare the next annual return from the start.
Can I keep my current SMSF auditor or financial adviser?
Yes. We are happy to work alongside an existing SMSF auditor or financial adviser if you have established relationships you want to keep. We can also introduce you to ours where it makes sense.
Ready to bring your SMSF, tax, and wealth advice together?
Book a consultation. We will assess whether an SMSF suits your situation, and if you already have one, where the coordination with tax and wealth could be tightened.
