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Superannuation Australia

With the increasing emphasis on superannuation and personal retirement planning and volumes of superannuation laws and changes, we saw the need for a service specifically for people running 'self-managed' funds, otherwise known as 'Do It Yourself' funds.

Superannuation Australia, an initiative of, and wholly owned by Taxpayers Australia Inc. was launched late in June 2000.

Superannuation Australia had been in the pipeline since we started our very successful DIY Superannuation service in 1998. This service has proved invaluable for trustees and their advisers to keep up-to-date with superannuation and running a fund successfully.

Superannuation Australia represents the interests of self-managed superannuation funds and their members at all levels of government and to the Tax Office to get a fairer go for those who want to be self sufficient in retirement.

And who better to do this than Superannuation Australia, under the umbrella of Taxpayers Australia, which has been representing all taxpayers for over 80 years? We publish a DIY Superannuation Manual, a Quarterly Manual Update and the Superannuation Quarterly.  We are also represented on three high-level liaison groups with the Tax Office and have given evidence to Senate hearings on issues affecting small superannuation funds.

Self-managed superannuation funds need a strong and powerful voice. It was therefore a natural progression to establish Superannuation Australia to exclusively look after the interests of people who are involved in self-managing small superannuation funds.

Our mission statement

To educate and be the independent voice of all Australians on tax and self-managed superannuation matters.

What is Superannuation Australia?

Superannuation Australia is a wholly owned subsidiary of Taxpayers Australia and provides a dedicated and co-ordinated Do It Yourself superannuation service. The service is designed to walk you through the many aspects of setting up and running your own Self-Managed Superannuation Fund (SMSF).
We represent the interests of over 300,000 SMSFs and their approximately 530,000 members. 

Why join Superannuation Australia?

You will learn how to set up and run a self-managed superannuation fund, maximise your superannuation payout, pay your own superannuation pension, and be kept up-to-date with changes and tax saving strategies. This service is a must for all advisers and superannuation providers who need to keep up-to-date with the latest strategies and compliance issues. It is also essential for those taxpayers who are managing their own superannuation funds.

DIY Superannuation Manual with quarterly updates

Over 700 pages of plain English to assist you in setting up and running a self-managed superannuation fund. We also provide a quarterly update service so that you are always on top of any changes and your DIY Superannuation Manual is right up to date.

Superannuation Quarterly

Our quarterly journal is designed to keep you abreast of any changes and topical issues.
Included in the journal is an analysis of many of the important superannuation developments facing trustees and members of funds, such as investment, retirement income streams, GST and superannuation, marriage breakdown, estate planning and much more.

Other services

Superannuation Australia a phone and email hotline, economy and deluxe Trust Deeds, plus of course representation of your concerns to the Tax Office, Government and Treasury.

Free monthly superannuation e-newsletter

Even if you are not a member of Superannuation Australia, why not register for the ‘super e-news’ . It will keep you informed and alert to important superannuation issues. Register here

Is the cost of membership tax deductible?

Yes. The cost of membership is tax deductible.

Super victory!

Superannuation Australia's first initiative was to vigorously oppose the initial, and the modified alternatives of the great superannuation rip off which was part of the New Business Tax System (Miscellaneous) Bill (No 2) 2000 which sought to tax older Australians moving from the accumulation to pension stage after 30 June 2000 on ALL unrealised capital gains in a superannuation fund.

We strongly opposed the Government's blatant tax grab from the unrealised capital gains on assets held in superannuation funds.

The only concession subsequently made by the Government was to quarantine only those unrealised capital gains that have accrued before 1 July 2000 for people who retired before 1 July 2005. The effect of that quarantining did not alter the retrospective attempt to tax unrealised capital gains ­ those gains were not previously taxed. The Government was changing the rules retrospectively.

The proposed rules were the worst kind of retrospective taxation because they attacked the very people who are self funding their own retirement without being a burden on taxpayers. The rules ran counter to the changes that allow small businesses to roll over their business premises into a superannuation fund, that were passed last November.

They also ran counter to the CGT concessions that provided CGT-exempt concessions to small business where they dispose of active assets held for at least 15 years and the CGT retirement exemption applies.

The effect was to make superannuation a non-preferred savings vehicle because capital gains would have been taxed at a higher rate when derived through superannuation funds than they are when owned by individuals.

The result? The changes were removed from the Bill. This was a victory for all self-managed superannuation funds.