User Guide - SMSF Tax Planning - Online Checklist

A complete guide to using the online checklist tool — from entering client data through to generating a completed report for client delivery.

Current as at May 2026  |  For use with the 2025–26 income year checklist

Overview

The SMSF Tax Planning Checklist is an interactive, browser-based tool designed to be completed before 30 June each year. It guides you through a structured review of a client's SMSF and member positions across 12 planning areas, automatically surfacing relevant warnings, opportunities, and N/A flags based on the data you enter.

The checklist is a four-step wizard:

Step 1 — Client details & member data

Connect to SMSF software (optional)

The top card provides direct connections to Class, BGL Simple Fund 360, and SuperMate. Connecting automatically populates fund details, member names, account balances, pension payment data, and contributions YTD — saving manual data entry and reducing the risk of errors.

Client details

Complete the following fields:

• Fund name — the full legal name of the SMSF (e.g. Smith Family Superannuation Fund)
• Review date — the date this checklist is being completed
• Preparer — select the team member completing this checklist from the dropdown. The dropdown is populated from your firm's subscription user list.
• Reviewer — select the team member who will review and approve the completed checklist. This person will receive an email notification when the checklist is submitted for review.

Fund-level flags

Fund-level flags indicate the presence of specific structures or circumstances within the fund. Setting these correctly ensures that relevant checklist sections and questions are automatically flagged or suppressed in Step 3.

Member data & superannuation interests

Add each member of the fund using the + Add member button. For each member, complete:

• Member name
• Age — used to calculate preservation age, assess conditions of release, and trigger age-based warnings (e.g. work test at 67+, contributions at 75+)
• Taxable income — used to assess Division 293 and other income thresholds
• Prior year carry-forward balance — used for carry-forward unused concessional contributions calculations

Adding superannuation interests

Within each member, click + Add interest to record each superannuation interest. For each interest, select the account type:

• Accumulation — balance only; contribute fields for concessional and non-concessional contributions
• Account Based Pension (ABP) — balance, pension payment amount, transfer balance cap usage
• Transition to Retirement Income Stream (TRIS) — balance, payment amount, minimum and maximum pension limits

External super flag

If a member holds superannuation in a fund other than this SMSF (e.g. a retail or industry fund, or a second SMSF), tick the External super checkbox on that interest. This flags the interest with an amber border and adds it to the member's total TSB for Division 296 threshold calculations, while clearly distinguishing it from SMSF-held interests.

TSB threshold alerts

As you enter account balances, the checklist automatically calculates the member's total TSB and displays an inline alert if the balance is at or above a Division 296 threshold:

• Amber alert — TSB approaching or above $3,000,000. Division 296 tax will apply from 1 July 2026. Points to Section 13 — Division 296.
• Red alert — TSB above $10,000,000. The very large balance surcharge (additional 25%) applies. CGT cost base reset election is critical.

Death benefit nominations & documents

Record the nomination type (non-binding, binding, lapsing binding, reversionary), BDBN expiry date if applicable, and the status of any Enduring Power of Attorney. This data flows through to Section 11 questions on estate planning and BDBN validity.

Step 2 — Select checklist sections

Step 2 presents the 12 planning sections. Each section is toggled on by default. Review each section and deselect any that are not applicable to this client.

When you deselect a section, a text field appears to record the exclusion reason. This reason is captured in the exported report and the review log. Common reasons include "No LRBA in place", "No pension in payment", or "Not applicable — member under preservation age."

Click Continue to checklist → once your section selection is complete.

Step 3 — Checklist

Navigation

Each selected section appears as a tab in the horizontal tab bar at the top of the checklist. Click any tab to jump directly to that section. At the bottom of each section, Previous and Next navigation buttons step you through sections in order. The last section shows a Review answers → button to proceed to Step 4.

Answering questions

Each question has three answer buttons:

Yes No N/A   Select the answer that reflects the position for this client.

• Yes — the matter has been addressed or confirmed
• No — the matter has not been addressed and action may be required
• N/A — not applicable to this fund or member. Where the intelligence engine has auto-flagged a question as N/A based on member data, it will be pre-selected and greyed out — you can still override this.

Intelligence flags

Many questions display an intelligence panel beneath the question text showing automatically generated flags based on the member data entered in Step 1. These appear as:

• 🔴 Warning — a potential compliance issue or tax risk that requires action
• ⭐ Opportunity — a planning strategy or concession that may be available
• Auto N/A — the question has been automatically assessed as not applicable based on member data

Intelligence flags are member-specific — if the fund has multiple members, separate flags will appear for each relevant member.

Reference drawers

Every question has an expandable reference drawer. Click the ? icon or the question label to open it. Each drawer has three tabs:

• Summary — a plain-English explanation of the rule or concept
• Key rules — the specific legislative requirements and practical considerations
• Legislative references — links to the relevant legislation, ATO guidance, and Smarter SMSF resources

Adding notes

Each question has a + button that expands a notes field. Use this to record client-specific observations, action items, or follow-up reminders. Notes are included in the exported Word document and the Excel checklist sheet.

Step 4 — Review & export

Step 4 brings together the completed checklist for final review before report generation. It has four cards:

Fund & preparer summary

Displays fund name, review date, preparer name, and reviewer name — confirming the details entered in Step 1.

Response summary

A count of responses across the checklist — Yes, No, N/A, and sections skipped. This provides a quick snapshot of the completion state before submission or export.

Review log

A timestamped record of all activity on this checklist. See Review log below for full details.

Review workflow

The workflow card manages the preparer-to-reviewer approval process. See Review workflow below.

Export completed report

Generate the final deliverable in your preferred format. See Exporting reports below.

SMSF software integrations

The checklist connects directly to Class, BGL Simple Fund 360, and SuperMate to populate client data automatically. This eliminates manual re-keying and ensures balances, pension payments, and contribution data are drawn directly from the fund's accounting records.

Class Super

1. In Step 1, click Connect to Class on the Class card.
2. You will be redirected to your Class login (or prompted to authorise access if not already logged in).
3. Select the fund from your Class client list.
4. Class will return fund name, member names, account balances, income stream details, and contributions year-to-date.
5. Review the populated data and make any adjustments before proceeding.

BGL Simple Fund 360

1. In Step 1, click Connect to BGL.
2. Authorise via your BGL Simple Fund 360 credentials. BGL uses an OAuth connection — your password is never shared with the checklist.
3. Select the fund. BGL will return member data, pension payment amounts, and contribution totals.
4. CAS 360 (BGL's compliance product) is also supported — click Connect CAS 360 if applicable.

SuperMate

1. In Step 1, click Connect to SuperMate.
2. Authorise access. SuperMate returns fund and member details, account balances, and income stream data.

Manual entry

If you are not using one of the supported platforms, or prefer to enter data manually, all fields in Step 1 can be completed without a software connection. Simply skip the connection cards and enter data directly.

Review workflow

The review workflow manages the handoff between the preparer who completes the checklist and the reviewer who approves it before a final report is generated. It uses a status-based system with email notifications at each stage.

Status flow

Preparer: submitting for review

1. Complete Steps 1–3. Ensure Preparer and Reviewer have been selected in Step 1.
2. In Step 4, go to the Review workflow card.
3. Click Submit for review. The checklist state is saved and a unique review link is generated.
4. The link is displayed in the workflow card and can be copied to clipboard. The reviewer will also receive an automatic email notification containing the link.
5. The status updates to Awaiting review.

Saving progress

If you need to save your work without submitting for review, click Save progress in the workflow card. This saves the current state and generates a draft entry ID that can be used to reload the checklist later. The status remains Draft.

Reviewer: reviewing and approving

1. Open the review link from the email notification (or copied from the preparer). The checklist will load with all the preparer's answers and data pre-populated.
2. A teal reviewer banner appears at the top of the page confirming the fund name and preparer.
3. Review all answers. The reviewer has full edit access — any answer can be changed, any note can be updated, and new questions can be answered. All edits are tracked in the review log.
4. Optionally add overall review notes in the Reviewer notes field in the workflow card.
5. To approve: click Approve & finalise. The status updates to Approved and the preparer is notified.
6. To return with changes required: add reviewer notes (required), then click Return to preparer. The status updates to Returned and the preparer is notified with the notes.

Preparer: resubmitting after return

1. Open the checklist from the link in the return notification email.
2. Review the reviewer's comments in the Review log card.
3. Make the required changes across Steps 1–3.
4. Return to Step 4 and click Submit for review again. A new review cycle begins.

Review log

The review log is a running record of all activity on the checklist. It is visible to both the preparer and reviewer in Step 4, and is included in both the Excel and Word exports.

What is recorded automatically

• Checklist submitted for review (with timestamp and preparer name)
• Checklist approved (with timestamp and reviewer name)
• Checklist returned to preparer (with timestamp, reviewer name, and notes)
• Answers updated after initial submission

Adding comments

Both the preparer and reviewer can add free-text comments to the log at any time. In Step 4, scroll to the Review log card, type in the comment field, and click Add comment. The comment is attributed to the currently selected Preparer or Reviewer and timestamped automatically.

Use comments to record:

• Questions for the reviewer ("Please confirm whether the BDBN was renewed in January")
• Action items agreed during the review ("Adviser to prepare Div 296 memo for client")
• Client instructions or context relevant to specific answers
• Notes for file that support the reasoning behind N/A selections

Review log in exports

• Excel (.xlsx) — the log appears on a dedicated Review Log tab (Sheet 5) with columns for Date/Time, Person, Role, Event, and Comment/Note.
• Word (.docx) — the log appears at the end of the document, after the disclaimer, as a formatted table. It is only included if there are log entries.

Exporting reports

Completed reports can be exported from Step 4 in two formats. Both are generated entirely in the browser — no server upload required.

Excel (.xlsx)

Click Download .xlsx in the Export card. The workbook contains five sheets:

Word (.docx)

Click Download .docx. The document is generated in landscape A4 format and includes:

• Cover table — fund name, review date, preparer, and reviewer
• All answered questions in a 7-column table (section, question, answer, notes)
• Excluded sections with reasons
• Disclaimer
• Review log (appended at end, only if log entries exist)

Reference guide PDF

Click Reference guide PDF to open a print-ready HTML window containing the full reference content for all included sections — legislative references, key rules, and live hyperlinks to source material. Use your browser's Print → Save as PDF to save the guide.

Smarter SMSF  ·  SMSF Tax Planning Checklist User Guide  ·  Current as at May 2026
For support, visit support.smartersmsf.com.au