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Disability trust accountants
Set up and manage a bespoke disability trust with our specialists
Liston Newton Advisory
Liston Newton Advisory is rated from 32 reviews
Guidance you can trust
Holistic advice
We help guide you through the legal and financial process of setting up a trust, ensuring that it meets the needs of your immediate family members and offers ongoing support for your family’s financial situation.
A wealth of experience
Liston Newton Advisory has over 40 years of experience helping clients with complex trust arrangements that address both current and future care needs. Leverage our experience to ensure that every aspect of your estate plan is thoughtfully considered.
Access trusted networks
We connect you with our trusted network of lawyers, solicitors, and estate specialists to ensure every decision aligns with your principal beneficiary's best interests and long-term financial security.
Long-term client partnership
A well-crafted trust can make a lifetime of difference, so we partner with you for the long term to ensure your family members' wealth is secure and their needs are continuously met.
Secure your loved one’s future with a disability trust
Creating a trust is a crucial step in securing the future care and financial well-being of your loved ones with severe disabilities. At Liston Newton, we bring years of expertise to crafting tailored trusts that not only meet legal requirements but also provide lasting peace of mind. We’re here to guide you confidently through the process, ensuring that every detail is handled with the care it deserves.
Our approach goes beyond the basics, focusing on maximising benefits while safeguarding eligibility for the disability support pension and other government entitlements. We work to ensure that the trust provides reasonable care and accommodation that supports the quality of life for your loved one. With us by your side, you can be assured that your loved ones will be supported both now and in the future.
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We’ll tailor your disability trust to meet your evolving needs
Our trust services cover every aspect of trust management, from the initial setup to ongoing administration. Whether your loved one has a severe disability or specific care requirements, we ensure the trust is designed to meet their unique needs. We also include a private financial provision for discretionary spending, enhancing the quality of life for your loved ones.
Key services we offer include:
- Establishing the trust
- Trust management
- Tax planning
- Legal compliance
- Coordination with government benefits
- Ongoing reviews and adjustments
- Preparing annual financial statements
We’ll take your loved one’s financial well-being as seriously as you do
Talk to us today
We’ve earned their trust — now we’ll earn yours
We’ve attained accreditations, memberships and laurels from leading unions and financial institutions around Australia.
“I’m truly grateful”
Kieran Liston and the Liston Newton team have been assisting me with my accounting matters since 1976. For the past 47 years, Kieran and the Liston Newton team have provided reliable accounting assistance, which has allowed me to focus on my business in primary production.
Their exceptional service has consistently exceeded my expectations and made me feel that they truly care about my financial well-being.
Liston Newton has given me really helpful guidance over the years for both my business and my personal finances. When you have an accounting team that you trust to give the right advice, it gives you the confidence to focus on growing your business and doing the things you love.
Liston Newton helped us move our accounting over to Xero. Their Accountant managed the set up and training so we felt comfortable with the software. We now have all our processes streamlined which gives us improved visibility of our business performance. This has allowed us to open 2 more stores without a significant increase in administration effort.
Building wealth is not the only goal
We’ve designed these resources to be both insightful and practical, giving you the knowledge you need to make informed decisions about your financial future.
Our guides cover essential topics such as:
- Tax-effective business structures
- Tax minimisation
- Retirement planning
Download our guides now and start building a stronger financial foundation. We're here to support you every step of the way — just reach out if you have any questions.
Building wealth is not the only goal
At Liston Newton, we understand that financial decisions are deeply personal, often tied to your hopes for the future and the well-being of those you love. That’s why we’re committed to going beyond the numbers, taking the time to truly understand your unique circumstances and what matters most to you.
With over 40 years of experience, our team doesn’t just offer solutions—we offer a partnership rooted in trust, empathy, and a genuine commitment to helping you navigate the complexities of financial planning with confidence.
The benefits of our partnership
- 40 years of industry experience
- Award-winning financial services
- Guaranteed ATO compliance
- Xero Platinum partner
- Tailored business advisory services
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How we’ll get set things in motion
Creating a disability trust is a straightforward process with Liston Newton by your side. We’ll guide you through each step to ensure that your loved ones are financially protected and cared for.
Initial consultation
We’ll discuss your specific needs and goals, helping you understand how a trust can secure your loved one's future and address their care and accommodation needs.
Developing your plan
Our team will craft a tailored trust structure that aligns with your family’s unique situation, ensuring it meets the needs of the immediate family member while allowing for discretionary spending that enhances quality of life.
Implementing your strategy
We’ll handle the legal documentation and set the trust in motion. We can even ensure that more than one trustee is appointed to oversee its management and that an independent trustee is available to maintain impartial oversight.
Case studies
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Kat The Label
Since engaging Liston Newton’s services, Kate Nixon has seen a 12x increase in revenue and has effectively scaled her business in a tax-effective way.
Take a lookTrusted advice wherever you are
Wherever you are in Australia, Liston Newton is here to help you establish the right trust for your family's needs. We offer both in-person meetings at our offices and convenient virtual consultations, ensuring that expert advice is always within reach. However you prefer to conduct our work together, our team will provide peace of mind that your loved ones are financially secure.
South Melbourne
Level 3/67 Palmerston Crescent, South Melbourne, VIC 3205
Gold Coast
Level 10, 36 Marine Parade Commercial Tower, 36 Marine Parade, Southport QLD 4215
Essential reading
Frequently asked questions
What is a disability trust in Australia?
A disability trust is a special type of trust structure that allows parents, guardians, and immediate family members to plan for the future care of their loved ones with disability. By using such a trust, you can create a structure that ensures finances and assets are available to provide an income stream for your loved one. It can also build provisions into your Will to maintain the trust should you no longer be around.
A disability trust works similarly to a typical trust structure. Profits from the trust are distributed to the principal beneficiary and taxed at their marginal tax rates. These profits can then be used to pay for ongoing care, support, accommodation, and anything else the person with disability needs as part of their care.
What is the purpose of a disability trust?
A disability trust provides payment for ongoing care and support for people with disabilities. It enables parents to ensure they're always able to pay for care for their children with disabilities, whether they're still around or not.
It also works to augment the disability pension that the person will also receive, and provide them with more support and care when their primary carers aren’t there anymore.
What are disability trust benefits?
The key disability trust benefits are that under the Services Australia provisions, the assets within a disability trust do not impede the individual’s eligibility to access any disability pension. This means that any income generated from the disability trust is exempt from any assets test that may otherwise reduce their disability pension.
How do you set up a disability trust in Australia?
To set up a disability trust in Australia, you must first assess if the person for whom you are setting up the disability trust is eligible. If they meet specific Centrelink or Veteran’s Affairs criteria, then they are eligible to become the beneficiary of the disability trust.
You can then work with a specialist to create a disability trust structure for your loved one, and ensure that the disability trust is written into your Will so their future needs are taken care of. This must be undertaken by a specialist legal team. Liston Newton Advisory can put you in contact with our recommended legal team to help you through this.
How much does it cost to set up a disability trust in Australia?
You can expect to pay between $3,000 and $5,000 + GST to get the correct legal advice and paperwork to draft a disability trust in Australia.
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