At the end of August 2019, the ATO says it will contact about 17,700 self-managed super fund (SMSF) trustees and their auditors where ATO records indicate the SMSF may be holding 90% or more of its funds in one asset or a single asset class. The ATO is concerned some trustees haven’t given due consideration to diversifying their fund’s investments; this can put the fund’s assets at risk.
Lack of diversification or concentration risk can expose the SMSF and its members to unnecessary risk if a significant investment fails.
The ATO will ask trustees to review their investment strategy to ensure it complies with regulation 4.09 of the SIS Regs. The ATO will also ask trustees to have their documentation ready for their SMSF’s approved auditor for their next audit to help the auditor form an opinion on the fund’s compliance with these requirements.