I would appreciate your help and advice to resolve questions regarding the following arrangement:
The Accountant is a Sole Director of the XYZ Pty Ltd [unlisted];
The XYZ Pty Ltd is pooling funds from other investors, including other SMSFs;
The XYZ Pty Ltd lends money to the another company and there is an Agreement between the XYZ Pty Ltd [lender] and the Borrower(s), specifying the rate of receivable Interest as Bank Cash rate [variable] plus Margin [fixed];
There are no Income agreements in place between the SMSFs and the XYZ Pty Ltd;
I was presented so far with the accounts of two SMSFs: ABC SMSF & DEF SMSF.
ABC SMSF
ABC SMSF financials indicate an investment of 50 Class G shares $2,000 each totalling to $100,000 in the XYZ Pty Ltd;
The ABC SMSF Income received from XYZ Pty Ltd is classified as an Interest, not the Dividend and is a fixed percentage of the Interest income received by the company from the Borrower:
$5,693.88 Interest total paid for the 2021 year in 12 monthly payments; i.e. at app. 5.67% on $100,000 value of shares invested;
Interest paid to the ABC SMSF is recorded in the XYZ Pty Ltd in the Management fees Income account;
the balance of this account represents a Net amount:
i. of the company’s Interest income earned on Loan(s)
after
ii. deducting payments to the investors [like ABC SMSF];
Quarterly statements issued by the XYZ Pty Ltd to ABC SMSF advising of the payments.
ABC SMSF
Has also shares in the same XYZ Pty Ltd - but the 50 H Class shares at $2,000 each totalling also to $100,000;
No income has been paid to the DEF SMSF in the same 2021 year on these shares.
And the same issue - Income received at 8% on the value of the Units from the Unrelated Unit Trust recorded as an Interest income.
In this case - the trust is recorded as the Listed Unit Trust; however this should be confirmed.
Are there issues how the income has been been derived and recorded? Not as dividends on shares adn Distribution on units, but as an Interest at a certain percentage based on shares and units values?
Any breach of SISA?
Thank you.
Hi Zoya
I am not sure I fully understand the issues / questions so will respond generally as to what you normally need to consider from an audit perspective.
If other members can assist in responding that would be appreciated.
If the Trust is an unlisted trust I agree it cannot be disclosed as a listed trust. I agree distributions from a trust should be disclosed in the operating statement as distributions, dividends from a company should be disclosed in the operating statement as dividends and if interest is received (based on the agreement) it should be disclosed in the operating statement as interest.
In-house asset rules (S 82-85) - if the investment or loans to the company are to an unrelated company then there should be no breach of the IHA rules. An IHA is where the entity is majority owned or controlled by the SMSF / its related entities.
Sole purpose test (S 62) - the investment loans must be made on the basis of providing retirement benefits to members.
Financial assistance to a member (S 65) - the investments / loans cannot provide financial assistance to a member / relative.
Arm's length / commercial basis (S 109) - the investments / loans must be made on an arm's length / commercial basis.
You would also need to consider the NALI (non arm's length income) rules.
Thanks
SMSF AAA