If you run your own Self Managed Super Fund without a financial adviser, you already know what is at stake. Your retirement savings sit inside a structure that carries real regulatory obligations: annual reporting, compliance rules, contribution limits, pension requirements and an evolving tax framework that includes Division 296 from 1 July 2025.
Getting the detail wrong does not just mean a messy set of accounts. It can mean ATO penalties, disqualification as a trustee, or a tax outcome that costs far more than it should.
SMSFcentral exists for one purpose: to manage the accounting, administration and compliance responsibilities of your SMSF accurately and consistently. We are an SMSF specialist, not an accounting firm that does SMSFs on the side. Every system, every review and every person in our team is focused entirely on SMSF tax, compliance and administration.
You make the decisions about your super. We make sure the structure, reporting and regulatory framework around those decisions is accurate, current and compliant.
What an SMSF accountant actually does for you
The term “SMSF accountant” covers a lot of ground. Not all providers do the same work, and not all providers do it to the same standard. Here is what it means when you engage SMSFcentral.
Annual compliance: the work that must happen every year
Every SMSF must lodge an annual return with the ATO, supported by audited financial statements. This is not optional and it is not something you can leave until the last minute. The annual compliance cycle includes:
- Financial statements. A full set of financial statements for your fund, showing the fund’s financial position, income, expenses, member balances and investment holdings.
- SMSF Annual Return. Prepared and lodged with the ATO. This is the document that tells the ATO your fund is compliant and calculates any tax payable.
- Audit coordination. Your fund must be audited every year by an independent, ASIC-registered approved SMSF auditor. We coordinate this process, provide the auditor with everything they need, and manage any queries that arise.
- Compliance review. We check that contributions are within caps, pensions meet minimum payment requirements, the investment strategy is documented and consistent, and all regulatory obligations have been met.
- Member statements. Confirmation of each member’s balance and relevant reporting obligations.
Ongoing daily administration (Standard and Full Service tiers)
If you choose a daily administration engagement, we do not wait until the end of the financial year to look at your fund. Throughout the year we:
- Process and allocate transactions. Every contribution, pension payment, investment income receipt, expense and transfer is recorded and allocated correctly in the fund’s accounts.
- Maintain accounting records. Your fund’s books are kept up to date, not reconstructed in a rush at year-end.
- Monitor compliance obligations. Contribution caps, pension minimums, transfer balance cap reporting and other regulatory requirements are tracked throughout the year, not just at audit time.
- Handle document management. On our Full Service tier, we manage fund correspondence, pay SMSF expenses and taxes on behalf of the fund, and maintain a document vault for your records.
What is happening behind the scenes each quarter
Many trustees engage an SMSF provider and only hear from them once a year when the tax return is due. That is not how we work. Here is what a senior SMSF specialist is actually doing for your fund across the year:
- Quarter 1 (July–September): Prior year finalisation. Financial statements prepared, auditor engagement confirmed, SMSF Annual Return lodged. Division 296 calculations documented for affected members. Any pension commencements or cessations from the prior year are reconciled.
- Quarter 2 (October–December): Mid-year compliance check. Contribution tracking against caps. Pension minimum payments on track. Transfer balance cap events logged. Investment strategy reviewed for consistency with fund activities. Any trustee changes or structural events documented.
- Quarter 3 (January–March): Pre-year-end planning window. Contribution cap utilisation reviewed. Pension payment shortfalls identified early. TBAR events reconciled. Any emerging compliance issues flagged and addressed before 30 June.
- Quarter 4 (April–June): Year-end preparation. Final contribution and pension payment checks. Valuation requirements identified and initiated. All documentation prepared for a clean audit. Regulatory change briefing for any rules taking effect 1 July.
This is the work that justifies engaging a senior SMSF specialist rather than the cheapest provider you can find. It is the difference between a fund that is compliant by design and one that scrambles to fix problems after the auditor finds them.
Why Non-Advised SMSFs need enhanced compliance oversight
When an SMSF operates with a financial adviser, the adviser provides a layer of strategic oversight. They monitor contributions against advice, review the investment strategy, and flag issues before they become compliance problems. When you run your fund without an adviser, that layer does not exist.
SMSFcentral applies enhanced compliance monitoring for Non-Advised SMSFs to fill that gap. Not with financial advice (we do not provide that), but with more intensive compliance checking throughout the year. This includes:
- Proactive review of contribution caps and pension requirements at more frequent intervals.
- Monitoring of regulatory obligations as they arise, not just at year-end.
- Flagging potential compliance risks early. For example, a contribution that would breach a cap, or a pension payment shortfall that could trigger a commutation.
- Explaining what each compliance obligation means and why it matters, so you understand the regulatory context around your fund.
This enhanced oversight is reflected in the pricing difference between our Advised and Non-Advised tiers. It is not a surcharge. It is additional work, performed by a senior specialist, that protects your fund.
Transparent pricing
We believe you should know what SMSF administration costs before you need to ask. These are our from-prices for Non-Advised SMSFs, published because transparency matters.
| Service tier | From price (+GST/year) | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Annual Tax Return & Financial Statements | $1,500 | Financial statements, SMSF Annual Return, audit coordination, enhanced compliance checks, contribution cap and pension review, regulatory monitoring. |
| Daily Admin + Annual Tax Return | $2,000 | Everything above, plus ongoing transaction processing, administration support throughout the year, enhanced compliance monitoring. Excludes mailhouse and payment of SMSF fees/taxes. |
| Full Service Daily Admin | $2,500 | The highest level of administrative and compliance support. Full daily processing, mailhouse, payment of SMSF expenses and taxes, enhanced compliance oversight, annual compliance cycle. |
All fees are exclusive of GST and reviewed annually in line with CPI. Additional services (SMSF establishment, trust deed review, trustee changes, bare trusts) are priced separately. See the full pricing page.
A named specialist you can call
When you engage SMSFcentral, you do not get a ticket number. You get a named senior SMSF specialist who knows your fund, understands your structure and can pick up the phone. Our team is led by Millinda Cobban, Associate Director, who has over 15 years of experience in SMSF compliance and administration. Meet the full team.
This is not how most SMSF providers work. Many route you through a call centre, assign you to whichever staff member is available, or process your fund offshore. We keep our team small and senior so every fund in our care receives direct, personal attention from someone qualified to handle it.
Complex SMSFs
Some SMSFs are straightforward: a couple of industry fund rollovers, a balanced portfolio, standard contributions. Others are not. If your fund involves any of the following, you need an administrator with the technical depth to handle them correctly:
- Property held inside the SMSF, including limited recourse borrowing arrangements (LRBA).
- Pension phase, including legacy pensions, defined benefit pensions, or transfer balance cap issues.
- Business real property.
- Division 296 exposure (total superannuation balance above $3 million from 1 July 2025).
- Death benefit payments and estate planning documentation.
- Multiple members with different pension and accumulation components.
- Wind-up of the fund.
These are not edge cases. They are the reality of running an SMSF for many Australian trustees. We handle all of them in-house, led by senior staff.
What we do and what we deliberately do not do
This matters, and we want you to be clear about it from the start.
✅ We provide
SMSF tax, compliance and administration services. We prepare your financial statements, lodge your annual return, process your transactions, coordinate your audit and monitor your compliance obligations. We provide general factual information about how superannuation rules apply.
⛔ We do not provide
Financial advice of any kind. We do not hold an Australian Financial Services Licence (AFSL). We will not recommend whether you should establish, contribute to, restructure or wind up your SMSF. We will not recommend specific investments, platforms, insurance products or pension structures.
This is a deliberate choice. Keeping our scope to tax, compliance and administration keeps the work clean, keeps audit independence clean, and means every dollar of our investment goes into the specialist technical work your fund needs. For full details, see our credentials and compliance boundary.
Trustee FAQs
What is an SMSF accountant?
An SMSF accountant is a specialist who handles the tax, compliance and administration of Self Managed Super Funds. This includes preparing annual financial statements, lodging the SMSF Annual Return with the ATO, processing transactions, coordinating the annual audit and monitoring regulatory obligations. At SMSFcentral, SMSF work is our only focus. We do not offer general accounting or tax services.
What is the difference between an SMSF accountant and a financial adviser?
A financial adviser (someone who holds an AFSL or is an authorised representative) provides advice about financial products: which investments to hold, how much to contribute, when to start a pension, whether an SMSF is right for you. An SMSF accountant handles the tax, compliance and administration work that sits behind those decisions. We are accountants, not advisers.
Why are Non-Advised SMSF fees higher than Advised SMSF fees?
When a financial adviser is involved, they provide a layer of strategic oversight that helps prevent compliance issues before they arise. Without that layer, we apply enhanced compliance monitoring: more frequent checks, proactive cap tracking, and detailed regulatory review throughout the year. The higher fee reflects this additional work, not a surcharge. See our transparent pricing table above for a detailed comparison of each tier.
Can you help me decide whether to start an SMSF?
No. That is a financial advice question and we are not licensed to provide financial advice. If you are considering establishing an SMSF, we recommend speaking with a licensed financial adviser who can assess whether it is appropriate for your personal circumstances. If you decide to proceed, we can handle the establishment, ongoing administration and compliance.
What happens if I breach a contribution cap or miss a pension payment?
Breaching a contribution cap can result in excess contributions tax and a requirement to withdraw the excess amount. Missing a minimum pension payment can mean the pension is treated as having ceased, which has tax consequences for the fund. Our compliance monitoring catches these risks early, ideally before they happen, so corrective action can be taken in time.
How is my fund’s audit handled?
Every SMSF must be audited annually by an independent, ASIC-registered approved SMSF auditor. We coordinate this process. We provide the auditor with all financial statements, records and supporting documentation, manage any queries, and make sure the audit is completed efficiently. The auditor is independent of SMSFcentral, as required by law.
What software do you use?
We use industry-standard SMSF administration software (BGL and Class) to process transactions, maintain accounting records, generate financial statements and lodge returns. These platforms support data feeds from major banks and investment platforms, which reduces manual processing and improves accuracy.
Do you handle property and LRBA documentation?
Yes. If your SMSF holds property, including under a limited recourse borrowing arrangement (LRBA), we handle the compliance documentation, bare trust structures, ongoing accounting and reporting associated with the property. This is one of the more complex areas of SMSF administration and is handled by our senior staff.
What is Division 296 and does it affect me?
Division 296 is a new tax that applies from 1 July 2025 to SMSF members with a total superannuation balance above $3 million. It imposes an additional 15% tax on earnings (including unrealised gains) attributable to the portion of the balance above $3 million. We handle the calculation, documentation and reporting as part of the annual compliance cycle. For a detailed explanation, see our Division 296 guide.
How do I switch from my current provider?
Switching is straightforward. We handle the transition process: data migration, outgoing provider correspondence, and setup in our systems. The typical timeline is four to six weeks from signed authority. Your fund continues to operate normally throughout. Call 02 8412 0086 to discuss.
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If you are looking for an SMSF specialist who will know your fund, publish what they charge, and deliver the compliance work to a senior standard, we would like to hear from you.