What are your SMSF Annual Compliance Requirements?
Your SMSF must attend to certain annual reporting requirements each and every year. These include:
- Preparation of an annual Balance Sheet
- Preparation of an annual Profit & Loss Statement
- Preparation of annual Member Statements
- Preparation of annual Trustee Resolutions & Minutes
- Preparation of an annual Income Tax Return
- Preparation of an annual Audit
- Lodgement of the annual Income Tax Return
The above annual compliance requirements are the compliance requirements that an SMSF must attend to annually. Importantly, ESUPERFUND attends to the above annual compliance requirements for your SMSF. You do not need to arrange for another accountant to prepare the above annual documentation as they are completed by ESUPERFUND. Similarly, the above documentation is covered by our annual fee. The process for preparing the annual compliance documentation for your SMSF is detailed as follows:
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2026 Annual Compliance Process:
Step 1: Annual Checklist released in your Client Portal
In order for us to attend to the above reporting requirements for the 2026 Financial Year for your SMSF, you will be required to complete the 2026 Annual Checklist. The Checklist details information we hold for your SMSF and requests additional information we require from you.
Step 2: Complete Part 1 - Data Collection
The Annual Checklist is split into 2 parts. The first part is "Data Collection" and the "Data Collection" Tab asks you a series of questions about the Investments made by your SMSF during the Financial Year. Based on your answers, the system will determine what additional data is required by ESUPERFUND.
If we receive the data electronically for the SMSF Bank and Broker accounts, no information is required from you.
If your SMSF holds other Bank and Broker accounts where we do not receive data automatically, additional data is required from you. The system will prompt you to provide the data and once provided, the data will need to be reviewed by ESUPERFUND (see Step 3 below).
Step 3: ESUPERFUND reviews the Data Collection
If your SMSF holds other Bank and Broker accounts where we do not receive data automatically, the data provided by you via the Data Collection will need to be reviewed by our office before you can proceed to the next part of the Checklist.
If you have authorised ESUPERFUND to receive Trading Data for other broker accounts, we will begin the data review once the relevant brokers have processed your linkage authority and provided the data to us. Once all required data is available, the Data Review generally takes approximately 12 to 14 days. The timeframe may vary depending on when the Data Collection part is submitted and the number of transactions and trades we need to verify.
- If your Superfund only holds a few bank/broker accounts with a low volume of data, we will endeavour to complete the review within 14 days.
- If the Data Collection part is submitted during our peak season or if your Superfund holds multiple bank/broker accounts with a high volume of data, the review time may exceed 14 days.
Once we have completed the Data Review Process, we will contact you via the Client Portal Inbox, and you will then be required to proceed to Part 2 of the Checklist.
Step 4: Complete Part 2 - Remaining Checklist
In Part 2 of the Checklist, you are required to code the SMSF's transactions and provide supporting documentation for audit purposes. Other documents such as contribution- related documentation, investment minutes and annual minutes are also collected in Part 2 of the Checklist.
Step 5: ESUPERFUND prepares the Annual Compliance Documentation
ESUPERFUND prepares the Annual Compliance Documentation in the order in which the Annual Checklists are submitted by clients. Accordingly, we encourage you to submit the Annual Checklist at your earliest convenience to ensure the timely completion of the Annual Compliance Documentation.
Step 6: ESUPERFUND may request further information from you
If we require further information to finalise the Annual Compliance Documentation, we will contact you via the Client Portal Inbox. The required information will be detailed on the "Action Required" tab of the Checklist.
Step 7: ESUPERFUND finalises the Annual Compliance Documentation
After we have finalised the Annual Compliance Documentation for your SMSF, you will be notified via the Client Portal to review it. Once you are satisfied that the documentation is correct, please sign the lodgement declaration so we can lodge your SMSF's Income Tax Return with the ATO.
Step 8: Tax Liability Paid by you (or Tax Refund Issued)
The Annual Compliance Documentation will indicate the tax liability/refundable amount.
If your SMSF has a tax liability, ESUPERFUND will provide you with the amount payable, the due date and the relevant BPAY details. You will need to pay the tax liability from your SMSF Bank Account before the specified due date. Please note that as ESUPERFUND does not have transaction access to your SMSF Bank Account, we are unable to make the payment on your behalf.
If your SMSF is entitled to a tax refund, the ATO will generally deposit the refund amount into your SMSF Bank Account within 28 business days after the Tax Return is lodged,
The Annual Compliance Process will then be complete.
What's New in the 2026 Annual Checklist?
We have introduced a range of new features and improvements to make the 2026 Annual Checklist simpler, clearer and more efficient to complete. These enhancements provide better on-page guidance, make it easier to locate and review information, and streamline the way you complete common tasks. Explore some of the key new features available in this year's Checklist below.
1. New Page Tips Highlighting Checklist Functions
We have introduced Page Tips on selected pages of the Annual Checklist. The guide highlights useful features and provides brief on-screen instructions explaining how they work. This allows you to quickly become familiar with the available functions without leaving the Checklist. You can view the guide again at any time by selecting Show Page Tips.
2. Easier Transaction Code Changes
If an incorrect transaction code has been selected, you can now change it quickly and easily within the coding pop-up. Simply click on 'Change code' at the bottom of the pop-up to choose a different code, without returning to the main transaction list.
3. Relevant FAQs at Your Fingertips
FAQs relevant to the page you are completing are now displayed on the right-hand side of the Checklist. This makes it easier to find helpful guidance and answers to common questions without leaving the page. Please note that this feature is available when using a laptop or tablet with a larger screen and will not be displayed on mobile devices or tablets with smaller screens.
4. Easier Submission of Trade Data for International Shares and Cryptocurrency Investments
For international share and cryptocurrency accounts where data is not received automatically, you can now upload your trade data in Excel format instead of manually adding each trade. After you submit Part 1: Data Collection, our team will import the trade data for you, making the Data Collection process much easier for accounts with a large number of transactions. If we are unable to import the data provided or require further information, we will contact you via the Client Portal Inbox.