How expenses are treated when an SMSF has ECPI
Your self-managed superannuation fund (SMSF) investment strategy
January 14, 2025Get it right – winding up your SMSF
March 10, 2025Generally, expenses which a SMSF incurs can’t be claimed on the SMSF annual return.
Expenses
This means these expenses must not be included as part of the deductions claimed in the SMSF annual return.
Expenses incurred in gaining or producing exempt or non-assessable non-exempt income or expenses of a capital, private or domestic nature aren’t allowable deductions.
Generally, if an expense is incurred which relates to both ECPI and assessable income, the expense must be apportioned so that only the proportion of the expense for the production of assessable income is claimed.
If the fund is 100% in retirement phase, generally expenses shouldn’t be deducted as they will be incurred in gaining ECPI.
Certain deductions can be claimed in full, whether they provide exempt or assessable income. For example, tax-related expenses such as the supervisory levy and death and disability premiums.
Don’t include management and administration expenses in the amount claimed at the ECPI label or investment expenses label.
Example: SMSF expenses
AXY SMSF earned $60,000 in interest and paid $500 in bank fees. 80% of the fund’s assets were held to provide for current pension liabilities.
This would be shown on the SMSF annual return as follows:
| Section B, Item 11 Income – Example 6 | |
| Field | Value |
| Gross interest (label C) | $60,000 |
| Assessable contributions (label R) | $0 |
| Exempt current pension income (label Y) | $48,000 (80% of $60,000) |
| Total assessable income (label V) | $12,000 |
| Section C, Item 12 Deductions and non-deductible expenses – Example 6 | |
| Field | Value |
| Interest expenses within Australia (label A1) (see Note 6) | $100 (20% of $500) |
| Total deductions (label N) | $100 |
| Taxable income or loss (label O) | $11,900 |
| Total non-deductible expenses (label Y) | $400 |
| Total SMSF expenses (label Z) | $500 |
You should also include ECPI in Section A label 10A of the SMSF annual return.
Note 6: The remaining bank fees of $400 (80% of $500) can’t be claimed as a deduction, because they were incurred in earning the ECPI.
If you have any questions, feel free to ask them in the comment section. We will be happy to answer all your queries.
