Survey for SMSFs using LRBAs

The ATO has announced that it will be contacting some SMSF trustees in November 2016 to participate in a survey about the use of ‘limited recourse borrowing arrangements’ (‘LRBAs’) to acquire assets for their SMSF.

The ATO will email a sample of SMSFs that reported LRBA assets on their 2015 SMSF annual return to invite them to participate in the survey.

Participation is voluntary, and they assure trustees that responses will remain anonymous and the information gathered from the survey will not be used for compliance purposes.

The ATO encourages any trustees contacted to participate (the survey should only take five to seven minutes), as their feedback will help it to gain a better understanding about the SMSF community’s use of LRBAs.

The ATO has also issued a new Practical Compliance Guideline and a new Taxation Determination regarding SMSFs that enter into non-commercial LRBAs with related parties (e.g., where a member lends money to their SMSF but does not charge interest).