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Making Money in Commercial Property Through a Self-Managed Super Fund

Some of the most important decisions a business owner will make are about their premises: whether to rent or buy, where to base the business and even the style of the property are important to get right. For those with a Self-Managed Super Fund (SMSF), there is one more option to consider: landing business premises and an investment property at the same time. This is a topic that all business owners should take some advice on.

Figuring out whether  buying your commercial premises through your SMSF is an option that’s suitable for you is imperative to the success of your investment. There can be many gains through purchasing commercial property through your SMSF, including creating a certain level of freedom by smart use of resources. It frees up capital for the business owner and they are unlocking super to do more for them.

Further to this, the property is protected against insolvency. Depending on the type of business, this can be particularly appealing. There’s a tremendous level of protection of assets within super, so it ticks the asset protection box for a lot of SMEs that may be subject to litigation due to the nature of what they do.

Then there are the tax benefits. While it is in accumulation phase, income tax is only $0.15 in the dollar. In retirement, as the law stands, its zero. This means that the money accumulated in an SMSF through the investment does not get taxed.

On the flip side of the shiny self-management coin, Astute St Leonards offers a word of warning regarding the obligations. There is an absolute element of responsibility on compliance matters. You are the trustee of an SMSF and you need to understand what those responsibilities entail and we recommend taking specialist advice from your financial planner.

You must pay commercial rates for rent through a prearranged lease agreement and, although having a protected asset is great for some businesses, it also means that equity is locked within the fund. You can’t take earnings elsewhere. 

Having an SMSF means you can’t give all of this work to someone else to do for you, but you can seek advice. Astute St Leonards has access to a very successful financial planner that forms an integral part of our team. Call us today to get the advice that will help your business grow.