Who needs to complete an SMSF annual return
Your super fund must lodge a Self-managed superannuation fund annual return 2021 if it was:
- a self-managed superannuation fund on 30 June 2021, or
- a self-managed superannuation fund that was wound up during 2020–21.
Only self-managed superannuation funds (SMSFs) can use the Self-managed superannuation fund annual return 2021. Super funds that are not SMSFs at the end of 2020–21 must use the Fund income tax return 2021 and, where required, report contributions and member account balances separately.
Your SMSF must lodge an SMSF annual return even if it does not have a tax liability.
Information you report in your annual return does not affect your member’s transfer balance account. You must report transfer balance cap events such as your member starting or commuting a retirement phase income stream separately; see Event-based reporting for SMSFs.
Get the form
You can download the Self-managed superannuation fund annual return 2021 (NAT 71226).
This instruction guide is not available in print or as a downloadable PDF document.
These instructions will help you complete the Self-managed superannuation fund annual return 2021 (SMSF annual return). However, they are not a guide to income tax or superannuation law. Seek help from us or a recognised tax adviser if these instructions do not fully cover your circumstances.
How to use these SMSF annual return instructions
Work through these SMSF annual return instructions from the start (section A) to the finish (section K).
- You must answer all mandatory questions.
- You must answer all questions which apply to your SMSF.
Leave the answer box blank for all other questions. If you leave the answer box blank, you will have specified a zero amount or that the question is not applicable to you.
Read the instructions for each question to find out:
- whether you need to complete the question
- the information you must provide.
If a question does not apply to your SMSF, move on to the next question.
Privacy
The ATO is authorised to ask for information on the Self-managed superannuation funds annual return 2021 by the Taxation Administration Act 1953, the Superannuation Industry (Supervision) Act 1993, the Income Tax Assessment Act 1936 (ITAA 1936) and the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 (ITAA 1997). We use this information to help us administer the superannuation and taxation laws and for statistical purposes. If you do not provide this information, there may be a delay in processing your annual return.
Where authorised by law to do so, we may give the information in the annual return to other government agencies, including assistance agencies such as Services Australia, regulatory bodies such as the Australian Securities & Investments Commission and the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority, law enforcement agencies and the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
We are able to request tax file numbers (TFNs). We use TFNs to identify the SMSF and members in our records. It is not an offence not to provide a TFN. However, if you do not provide a TFN, there may be a delay in processing your annual return.
If you are the person authorised to sign the annual return, we collect some personal information about you on the annual return such as your name and contact details. That information allows us to contact you if we require more information on what you have provided on this annual return.
We also provide taxpayer information to treaty partners overseas under international tax agreements with many other countries.
Our privacy policy is at Your privacy. The policy contains important information about your privacy, including information about how you can access and seek correction of information we hold about you, how you may complain about a breach of the Australian Privacy Principles and how we will deal with any privacy complaint.
You can contact us, if you have any questions, at Enquire or complain about a suspected breach of the Australian Privacy Principles or 13 28 61 or GPO Box 9990 in the capital city of your state or territory.
The Australian Business Register's privacy policy
The Australian Business Register (ABR) is authorised by the A New Tax System (Australian Business Number) Act 1999 and other taxation laws to collect certain information relating to your SMSF. Business details supplied on your annual return may be used to update the information held in the ABR in relation to your SMSF. This may include cancelling the ABN if your SMSF is no longer entitled to be registered in the ABR.
Where authorised by law, selected information in the ABR may be made publicly available and some may be passed on to other Commonwealth, state, territory and local government agencies. These agencies may use ABR information for purposes authorised by their legislation or for carrying out other functions of their agency. Examples of possible uses include registration, reporting, compliance, validation and updating of databases.
You can find details of agencies that regularly receive information from the ABRExternal Link or you can phone us on 13 92 26 between 8.00am and 6.00pm Monday to Friday to have a list of the agencies sent to you.
For more information about privacy, the information we collect and how it may be used, see the ABR Privacy statementExternal Link.
Sections of the SMSF annual return
The SMSF annual return is more than an income tax return. It has 11 sections, each described below.
You must complete at least six sections (A, C, D, (F and/or G), H and K). Complete the other sections only if they apply to your SMSF.
A: SMSF information: Complete this section for the SMSF; provide general and identifying information about the SMSF and its auditor.
B: Income: Complete this section if the SMSF has assessable income to report.
C: Deductions and non-deductible expenses: Complete this section for the SMSF; report all the SMSF's expenses, both deductible and non-deductible.
D: Income tax calculation statement: Complete this section for the SMSF to calculate the amount due or refundable to the SMSF.
E: Losses: Complete this section if the SMSF has tax or capital losses to carry forward to later income years.
Sections F and G: Member information and Supplementary member information: Complete either section F or section G (or both) for the SMSF. Report contributions and account balances for each of the SMSF's members:
- in section F, for those who had an account on 30 June 2021
- in section G, for those who left the SMSF during 2020–21.
H: Assets and liabilities: Complete this section for the SMSF. Report all of the SMSF's assets and liabilities at 30 June 2021.
I: Taxation of financial arrangements Complete this section if the taxation of financial arrangements provisions apply to the SMSF.
J: Other information Complete this section if the SMSF has made or is making a family trust election or an interposed entity election.
K: Declarations: Complete this section for the SMSF. Declare that you have met your obligations in relation to the SMSF annual return.