In a bid to tackle non-payment of employee superannuation, the Minister for Revenue and Financial Services announced the beginning of a 12-month Superannuation Guarantee Amnesty (the Amnesty) on 24 May 2018.
The Amnesty provides employers with a one-off chance to self-correct past super guarantee (SG) non-compliance without incurring a penalty and is available until 23 May 2019 (subject to the passage of legislation).
Employers who take advantage of the Amnesty will avoid:
penalties and charges that may apply to late payments;
and are entitled to deductions for catch-up payments made during the Amnesty period to the employee’s regulated super fund or to the ATO (should employers require a payment plan).
To make use of the Amnesty, employers must:
voluntarily admit the amounts of prior SG shortfalls including nominal interest during the Amnesty period;
and not be the subject of an audit for SG for the relevant periods.
The ATO is encouraging employers to pay their SG shortfall amounts in full, including the nominal interest straight into the employee’s super fund.
Failure to either remain current with SG payment duties or declare SG shortfalls in this period could result in higher penalties later on.
SMSFs provide the trustee autonomy and an increased opportunity to maximise your retirement savings. However, an investment strategy must be accompanied by a risk management plan should some of your investments come up short.
Consider the following risk management strategies:
Diversification Diversification reduces risk by investing in many different assets including property, annuities and equities. By spreading your earnings across several investments you minimise the risks to your retirement nest egg that can occur if one investment suffers a loss or a disappointing return. Organise your target returns according to your asset class and establish the accepted variation range from this target. This allows you to track your investment portfolio and whether it is setting you on the right financial path.
Liquidity If you tie up your money in assets like property, then you may run short on cash. It is important that you have cash to cover the costs of running your SMSF and in the case of a member’s total and permanent disablement. If you’re also forced to sell an asset to get this cash the market conditions may not be ideal, and you could receive a disappointing return because you need cash in a rush.
