In this guide
For self-managed super fund (SMSF) trustees, an annual audit is not only mandatory but must be conducted by an auditor who is registered with the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC).
This auditor must be independent, that is, not have any financial interest in the SMSF, nor have any personal or business relationships with fund members or trustees.
An SMSF auditor is responsible for analysing a fund’s financial statements and assessing its compliance with superannuation law. They must report any non-compliance issues to all fund trustees and the Australian Taxation Office (ATO).
How often does your SMSF need to be audited?
All SMSFs must be audited annually, and their trustees must appoint an approved auditor at least 45 days before their fund’s annual return to the ATO is due.
An audit is required even if no contributions have been made to the fund and no benefits have been paid in a financial year.
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What are the average fees for an SMSF audit?
The table below shows the average and median fees for an SMSF audit in 2021–22 (the most recent figures available). These figures have been calculated by the ATO based on audit fees and expenses reported on SMSF annual returns.
Remarkably, the median audit fee has remained at or near $550 for almost a decade. What’s more, the average fee has fallen from $760 in 2015 to $628.
| SMSF auditor fees | 2021-22 | 2020–21 | 2019–20 | 2018–19 | 2017–18 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average auditor fees | $628 | $661 | $674 | $687 | $685 |
| Median auditor fees | $549 | $550 | $550 | $550 | $550 |
Source: Australian Taxation Office
The following table shows the proportion of SMSFs that fall within a variety of auditing fee ranges. As you can see, over 90% of funds have annual audit fees of less than $1,000.
| Audit fee range | 2021–22 | 2020–21 | 2019–20 | 2018–19 | 2017–18 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| >$0 to $499 | 42.6% | 40.2% | 38.3% | 37.9% | 38.4% |
| $500 to $999 | 48.2% | 48.5% | 49.9% | 49.5% | 49.5% |
| $1,000 to $1,999 | 8.0% | 9.7% | 9.9% | 10.5% | 9.9% |
| $2,000 and above | 1.2% | 1.7% | 1.9% | 2.2% | 2.2% |
| Total | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% |
Source: Australian Taxation Office
What factors affect the cost of an SMSF audit?
There are many factors than can affect the cost of an SMSF audit, including:
- The complexity of the fund’s operations. For example, whether key events have occurred during an audit year.
- The number of members of the fund. As of 1 July 2021, SMSFs can have a maximum of six members, up from four previously.
- The number and frequency of the fund’s investment transactions.
- Whether any fund members are in the retirement phase.
- The effectiveness of fund trustee record-keeping systems and processes.
- How long the fund has been operating. For example, there may be more auditing work in the fund’s first year of operation to ensure that it has been set up correctly.
How to find an SMSF auditor
You can search for an SMSF auditor online via ASIC’s register. These auditors have a valid SMSF auditor number (SAN) that they are required to supply on any SMSF returns that they submit to the ATO.
According to the ATO, the number of SMSF auditors has decreased from 6,285 in 2015 to 3,444 in 2022. This is despite the number of SMSFs increasing during that period and reflects the fact that the SMSF audit industry is consolidating and concentrating in the hands of a select few. Over 70% of SMSF audits were conducted by just 9.3% of auditors who each performed 250 audits or more.
What happens in an SMSF audit?
SMSF auditors conduct both a financial and compliance audit of an SMSF’s operations as part of their auditing process. The financial audit analyses all the fund’s financial statements (balance sheet, income statement and member statement) based on Australian Auditing Standards. The compliance audit analyses the fund’s compliance with all super legislation.
When these financial and compliance audits are finalised, an SMSF auditor must complete an independent auditor’s report document supplied by the ATO. This report must be provided to the trustees of the SMSF within 28 days of the auditor receiving all relevant documentation. SMSF trustees should work with their auditor to rectify any breaches as soon as possible. It is one of the legal responsibilities of fund trustees to then submit their fund’s audited annual return to the ATO and to ensure any associated tax obligations are paid in full.
If there have been any breaches (contraventions) of super legislation revealed in the compliance audit, auditors must report them to the ATO within 28 days using an ATO-provided contravention report document. If any breaches remain unresolved, trustees should take advantage of the ATO’s early engagement and voluntary disclosure service for SMSFs.
SMSF trustees who voluntarily disclose any breaches before the ATO commences their own investigation will have this disclosure taken into consideration when the ATO subsequently considers the potential range of penalties it may impose.
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In 2022–23, SMSF auditors lodged 41,500 contraventions for 15,200 SMSFs – a tiny proportion of the 600,000-plus SMSFs. What’s more, just under half of all contraventions were reported as rectified.
What documents will I need to provide for an SMSF audit?
SMSF trustees (or any professional advisers that they may have hired such as an accountant) must provide their auditor with all relevant documentation for their fund’s accounts and financial transactions for the financial year being audited. For example, all financial and bank statements for that period.
If the SMSF auditor requests any further information or documentation, trustees must provide this material within 14 days.
The bottom line
SMSF trustees are legally obliged to have their fund audited by an independent SMSF auditor to ensure their ongoing compliance with Australian super legislation. The ATO can impose a range of penalties for non-compliance, depending on the seriousness of the breach.
The information contained in this article is general in nature.
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