SMSF Establishment and Structuring
Set your self-managed super fund up correctly from day one. We handle every step of the establishment process, from trustee structure advice and trust deed preparation through to ATO registration, so your fund is compliant, properly structured, and ready to start working for you.
Getting Your SMSF Set Up Right From the Start
The decisions you make when establishing your SMSF have a lasting impact on how your fund operates, what strategies are available to you, and how protected your assets are. A fund that is set up incorrectly or without proper advice can create compliance problems, limit your investment options, and cost significantly more to fix down the track.
At New Wave SMSF, we take a thorough, advice-led approach to every new fund establishment. We do not just process paperwork. We take the time to understand your circumstances, your goals, and your plans for the fund before recommending a structure. That way, your SMSF is built on a foundation that supports where you want to go, not just where you are today.
Our establishment service is delivered by New Wave Accountants and Business Advisory, working alongside our financial planning and legal teams within the same firm. From the moment your fund is established, every part of the New Wave team is across your structure and ready to support your next step.
WHAT WE COVER
What Our SMSF Establishment Service Includes
We manage every aspect of your SMSF establishment from start to finish.
Our service covers:
Trustee Structure Advice
We advise on the most appropriate trustee structure for your circumstances, individual trustees or a corporate trustee, taking into account your goals, asset protection needs, succession planning, and long-term fund management.
Corporate Trustee Company Establishment
Where a corporate trustee is recommended, we establish the trustee company through ASIC, including all director appointments and company registrations, ensuring the structure is correctly set up from day one.
SMSF Trust Deed Preparation
We prepare a comprehensive, legally compliant SMSF trust deed tailored to your fund’s structure and goals, ensuring it supports current superannuation legislation and the strategies you want to implement.
ATO Registration and ABN Application
We register your fund with the Australian Taxation Office, apply for your fund’s ABN, and elect for complying fund status, ensuring your fund is correctly recognised and eligible for concessional tax rates.
Bank Account and Investment Account Setup Guidance
We guide you through opening your fund’s bank account and investment accounts in the correct trustee name, ensuring your fund’s assets are properly separated from your personal finances from day one.
Investment Strategy Preparation
Every SMSF is required to have a written investment strategy. We prepare an initial investment strategy for your fund that meets ATO requirements and reflects your retirement objectives and intended asset classes.
Rollover Coordination
If you are rolling over existing superannuation balances into your new fund, we coordinate the rollover process with your previous fund, ensuring contributions and transfers are correctly processed and reported to the ATO.
Trustee Education and Obligations Briefing
As a new SMSF trustee, you take on significant legal responsibilities. We walk you through your obligations clearly and in plain English, so you understand exactly what is required of you and how we support you in meeting those requirements.
Why Getting Your SMSF Structure Right Matters
The structure you choose at establishment affects almost every aspect of how your fund operates. The difference between an individual trustee structure and a corporate trustee structure has implications for asset protection, administration, succession planning, and the cost and complexity of making changes in the future.
A corporate trustee makes it significantly easier to add or remove members, provides stronger asset protection, and simplifies the process of transferring assets when a member passes away or exits the fund. For business owners in particular, a corporate trustee structure is almost always the better long-term choice.
Getting this decision right at the start, with proper advice, saves considerable time, cost, and complexity later.
Beyond trustee structure, the trust deed is the governing document of your fund. It determines what your fund can and cannot do. A generic or outdated deed can prevent you from implementing certain strategies, accepting certain types of contributions, or making valid Binding Death Benefit Nominations. A properly drafted deed, tailored to your circumstances, gives your fund the flexibility it needs to evolve as your life and goals change.
Setting up an SMSF correctly from day one helps ensure:
- Your fund is structured to support your long-term goals
- Your assets are appropriately protected
- Your trust deed supports current legislation and future strategies
- Your ATO registrations and elections are correctly completed
- Your trustee obligations are clearly understood from the start
- Your rollover is processed correctly and reported accurately
Who This Service Is For
Our SMSF establishment service is designed for people who are ready to set up a self-managed super fund and want to do it properly, with expert advice at every step. This service is the right fit if you are:
A Business Owner Ready to Take Control of Your Super
You have built a business and you want your superannuation working as hard as the rest of your wealth plan. An SMSF gives you the control and flexibility to invest in assets that align with your broader strategy, including business real property, direct shares, and more.
Someone Rolling Over an Existing Super Balance
You have accumulated super in a retail or industry fund and you are ready to move it into a structure that gives you more control, more investment choice, and more strategic flexibility. We manage the entire rollover and establishment process.
A Professional Looking for Greater Investment Control
You want to make your own investment decisions, hold direct assets, or implement strategies that are not available through a standard super fund. An SMSF gives you that control, and we make sure it is set up correctly to support it.
Someone Who Has Been Advised to Set Up an SMSF
Your accountant or financial planner has recommended an SMSF as the right structure for your circumstances. You want a specialist team to handle the establishment correctly and ensure it is set up in a way that supports the strategy you have been advised on.
The New Wave SMSF Difference
Setting up an SMSF with New Wave is not a form-filling exercise. It is the start of a long-term advisory relationship built around your fund, your goals, and your financial future.
- Advice Before Administration
Before we touch a single document, we take the time to understand your circumstances and recommend the right structure for your goals. The establishment process follows the advice, not the other way around.
- Fully Integrated from Day One
From the moment your fund is established, your accountant, financial planner, and legal adviser within the New Wave team are all across your structure. Your fund starts its life fully connected to a coordinated, expert advisory team.
- Built for What Comes Next
We establish your fund with your future in mind. Whether you plan to purchase property, borrow inside super, bring in a business partner as a member, or transition to retirement in the next decade, we structure your fund to support those goals from the very beginning.
Ready to Set Up Your SMSF the Right Way?
If you are thinking about establishing a self-managed super fund, the best first step is a conversation with one of our specialists. We will help you understand whether an SMSF is right for your circumstances, what structure makes sense, and what the process looks like from start to finish.
What Our Clients Say
We are proud to support SMSF trustees and individuals with professional accounting and financial services.
Have a Question About SMSF Accounting?
If you need assistance with SMSF tax returns, financial reporting, or compliance obligations, our team is here to help.
Disclaimer
This information is general in nature and does not constitute financial or legal advice. SMSF establishment and structuring services are delivered by New Wave Accountants and Business Advisory, working in conjunction with New Wave Law. New Wave Financial Planning Pty Ltd is an Authorised Representative of NWG Financial Services, AFS Licence No. 538619. For advice specific to your circumstances, please speak with a qualified adviser before acting on any information contained on this page.