Navigating the future: key changes in South Australia’s Succession Act 2023
Does your Will need an update following the changes to the Succession Act 2023 (South Australia) commenced operation in South Australia on 1 January 2025?
Are there ever ‘good’ reasons to hide assets?
Why would someone want to hide their assets? If you are an oligarch, the answer is obvious – you don’t want a hostile foreign government freezing your bank account or seizing your super yacht or villa on Lake Como. If you are an ordinary person, you may merely want privacy and protection against third party […]
Trust Distribution Resources
We know that getting your trust distribution minutes right can be a headache.
To help, we have compiled a series of useful articles and links below that will help you optimise your trust distribution minutes and assist you in getting them right the first time, every time.
My trust is expiring – can I get an extension?
Australians love their trusts. In fact, the number of active trusts in Australia is coming up to 1 million (if not there already). We use so many trusts because they are so versatile. But one problem most trusts have is that they don’t last forever, they have an ‘expiry date’. If you have a trust you should be aware of its ‘expiry date’, and if that date is fast approaching, you must plan for the end! Sometimes we find that a trust has already expired years ago, without anyone having noticed…
What is an unpaid present entitlement or ‘UPE’?
If you have a discretionary family trust, then chances are your accountant has mentioned ‘unpaid present entitlements’ or ‘UPEs’. No doubt you have just nodded wisely, but deep down, do you really know what this means?
Why do all doctors have a trust?
Doctors earn their money by ‘doing things’. Performing surgery, diagnosing an illness. This is great from a ‘personal fulfilment’ perspective, but not so great from a ‘personal tax’ perspective.
‘UPEs’ and ‘FMDs’, and your estate planning
What is, and what is not, in your personal estate? This may sound like a academic question not worthy of a lot of thought. However, if you are in estate planning mode, it is critical that you answer this question correctly.
I’m a ‘start-up’. How should I set up my new business?
So you’ve just come up with a great business concept, given it a test-drive among your family and friends, and now want to go to the next stage. What do you do? You need to put together the ‘playing field’ for your venture. In other words, you need a ‘business structure’.