PBA Super

Pensions

PBA Super can provide an actuarial certificate for a SMSF providing a prescribed pension (account-based pension, allocated pension and/or market-linked pension). The cost of the certificate varies according the whether the streamlined or standard request form is used (see below). To proceed you just need to download the form for the relevant financial year, complete and email to paul@pbasuper.com.au

From 1 July 2011 a new streamlined request form has been introduced that requires slightly more input but has the advantage of substantial cost savings, strong validations on the data and will calculate the tax exempt percentage on the spot in most cases. Also some fields have a drop down menu where a code can be chosen or entered directly. If you are using Excel 2007 or later it is desirable to save the form in xlsx format.

Older forms and formats are available by emailing mail@pbasuper.com.au

++ from 1 July 2021 it is possible to have up to 6 members in an SMSF. If you have a fund with more than 4 members you can obtain a suitably expanded form by emailing mail@pbasuper.com.au

++ 1 July 2021 onwards
From this date the tax exempt percentage can be calculated over the entire year or using the method that applied for the period 1 July 2017 to 30 June 2021 (see below). It will be assumed that trustee(s) will make the choice to use the method applying for the entire year unless advised otherwise. This should simplify the calculation of tax exempt income.

* 1 July 2017 to 30 June 2021
The ATO has confirmed its interpretation of what constitutes a segregated current pension asset for the purposes of calculating exempt current pension income. The ATO's view is that during a period where a fund's only superannuation liabilities relate to retirement phase pensions its assets are deemed to be segregated current pension assets. From 1 July 2017 the ATO requires the tax exempt percentage to be determined only in respect of periods where the fund has liabilities not entirely in retirement phase, see heading SMSF Assets are segregated for part of an income year The ATO recognises this differs with current practice (where if a fund was unsegregated for part of year the tax exempt percentage could be calculated in such a way that it applied for the entire financial year) and expects funds to comply with its interpretation for the 2017-18 year onwards.

To reduce the workload in relation to these changes some funds may well maintain an Accumulation Account or TTR balance during the year so that the tax exempt percentage applies to all investment income over the period ie effectively similar to the regime that has applied during the past. Funds might then be fully converted to segregated assets when they are not affected by the transfer balance cap, all members have met a condition of release, all members are in pension mode and there are unlikely to be any further contributions or rollovers received. This approach could substantially reduce the administrative burden and in general would have minimal effect on the tax payable on investment income.

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When do you need a certificate?

An actuary is required to prepare an actuarial certificate for any year in a respect of a SMSF:

(a) if the fund provides a retirement phase pension during a year at the same time as having members in non-pension mode; and

(b) the assets between these 2 classes of members are not segregated.

Definitions

The attached document gives a more detailed description of:

Useful Descriptions

With introduction of Simplified Super there have been significant changes to the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 effective 1 July 2007. The attached below details the main areas of the act dealing with segregation and the formula relating exempt income.

ITAA Extract