SMSF setup
SMSF setup in Australia: fixed fee, fully online, ready in days
Setting up an SMSF means establishing a regulated trust, registering it with the ATO and (if you're using a corporate trustee) ASIC, drafting an investment strategy, opening a fund bank account, and getting an Electronic Service Address so contributions can flow in via SuperStream. easySMSF handles every step for a single fixed fee — most funds are ready to receive contributions within days.
What setting up an SMSF actually involves
An SMSF is a trust, so the first piece is the trust deed — a current, SMSF Association-reviewed deed that complies with the SIS Act and the SIS Regulations. Then comes the trustee structure decision: a single special-purpose Pty Ltd as corporate trustee, or up to six members acting as individual trustees. For most funds we recommend corporate trustee because it makes adding or removing members much cleaner over time.
Next is the regulatory layer: registering the fund with the ATO (TFN and ABN, election to be a regulated super fund), and — if you've chosen corporate trustee — registering the Pty Ltd with ASIC as a special-purpose super company. easySMSF handles both, including the trustee declarations every member legally has to sign within 21 days of becoming a trustee.
The final piece is the operational layer: opening a fund bank account (we work with Macquarie, ANZ, NAB, CBA, Westpac and others — typically same-day with Macquarie), setting up an Electronic Service Address so your employer can SuperStream contributions in, and drafting an Investment Strategy that satisfies regulation 4.09 of the SIS Regulations. Once those are in place the fund is operational and ready to receive rollovers and contributions.
- Current SMSF Association-reviewed trust deed
- ATO registration — TFN, ABN, regulated super fund election
- ASIC corporate trustee registration (special-purpose super company)
- Trustee declarations and member applications
- Investment Strategy template compliant with reg 4.09
- Fund bank account — Macquarie, big four, and most second-tier lenders
- Electronic Service Address (ESA) for SuperStream contributions
- Rollover paperwork for each member's existing super