Award-winning SMSF accountant

Define your future with specialist SMSF accounting services

Liston Newton Advisory
Liston Newton Advisory is rated 4.8 from 32 reviews
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Seasoned SMSF accountants with proven business experience

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A wealth of experience

We’ve been guiding our clients with prudent, data-backed and tailored fund advice for decades. We have the expertise you need to make critical investment decisions.

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Long-term client partnerships

Our SMSF accountants understand your priorities and needs at various stages over your lifetime. We can help you plan for the future.

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Leading industry innovation

We thoroughly vet new tech and test new processes to offer the most accurate and efficient solutions. Our efforts have netted us major SMSF accounting awards.

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Full range of services

Assessing self-managed super funds is only a fraction of what we do. Explore our wider range of business advisory and personal finance advisory services.

SMSF accounting demands absolute rigour. We’ve got you covered.

Between endless investment options, shifting returns and updating regulations, running a self-managed superannuation fund is a taxing task. Our team of SMSF accountants is dedicated to providing you with personalised, strategic advice tailored to your unique financial goals. 

From preparing financial statements and tax returns to offering insights on investment strategies, we’ll work closely with you to ensure your fund is operating efficiently and in accordance with the latest regulatory requirements, giving you the peace of mind to focus on growing your wealth.

We’re in it for the long haul

Self-managed super funds aren’t the kind of thing you simply walk away from. As you know, the hands-on effort is very much the point. 

We pride ourselves on delivering exceptional customer service and building lasting relationships with our clients. We understand that every SMSF is unique, which is why we take the time to understand your specific needs and objectives. Our proactive approach ensures that you are always informed about your fund’s performance and any legislative changes that may impact your strategy.

The industry awards are nice, but what we’re most proud of is that our always-on service has earned us decades-long partnerships with several clients. As your SMSF accountants, here’s what we bring to the table:

Partner with a leading self-managed super fund accountant today

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An award-winning Australian accounting firm

SMSF multi service firm of the year awardSMSF customer service firm of the year awardIfa innovator of the year awardIfa holistic adviser of the year award

Our bona fides

Our qualified and accredited team has a great deal of experience helping clients get the most out of their super investments.

“The Liston Newton team were exceptional”

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.

Brian Downes

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.

Kate Nixon
Founder, Kat The Label

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.

Peter Luskan
Pandora

Learn to seize every opportunity with our free financial guides

Gaining a complete understanding of, much less mastery over, every facet of your financial life is a herculean task. Our primers make it a little easier.

Our free downloadable guides offer actionable strategies and our unique insights on a range of financial topics, including:

We’ve been mastering super funds since their inception

Liston Newton’s chartered accountants have been in the financial services industry for a touch over 40 years now. We were a decade old before super contributions became mandatory, and we have quite literally watched our clients’ supers grow and develop since day one.

The benefits of a Liston Newton partnership

  • 40 years of industry experience
  • Award-winning financial management services
  • Guaranteed ATO compliance
  • Xero Platinum partner
  • Tailored business advisory offerings

Meet your team

Your next steps

How do we summarise what (we hope) will be a decades-long process? Well, let’s simplify it down into three steps:

Consult

Book your consultation with our SMSF accountants. We’ll assess your existing fund's performance and find and consolidate any lost accounts.

Optimise

We’ll implement short-term optimisation strategies to ensure your fund performs as well as possible in its current form.

Grow

Once your fund is secure, we’ll implement long-term strategies (fund restructuring, for example) to ensure you have the best SMSF for your needs.

Our locations

We have six offices across the east, from which we can provide accounting services for metropolitan and regional businesses alike. Rest assured that our services are available to you no matter what state or territory you’re based in, and we’ll gladly make the trip over for a handshake, coffee and a consultation.

Frequently asked questions

What is an SMSF?

A self-managed super fund (SMSF) is a trust structure run by the members of the SMSF. It is also known as a DIY fund. This is different from other super funds that are run by external trustees for thousands of members. 

An SMSF can have a maximum of four members, and its investments can be tailored to suit each individual member's preferences. There is no restriction on who can establish an SMSF.

People with high incomes, business owners or significant wealth are more likely to benefit from an SMSF.

When should I start an SMSF?

There is no simple answer to when you should start an SMSF. You need to consider the costs and potential benefits associated with an SMSF. The costs you need to consider are:

  • Set-up costs
  • Ongoing costs
  • Wind-up costs
  • Having a cost-effective super balance
  • Insurance costs

Can I borrow within an SMSF to purchase an asset?

Yes, an SMSF is allowed to borrow money to purchase an investment asset; however, strict guidelines must be followed when borrowing. The types of investment assets that can be purchased are:

  • Residential and commercial property
  • Shares
  • Managed funds

What can I invest in an SMSF?

An SMSF is a very flexible investment structure. You can use it to invest in almost anything you can invest in personally. However, the investments need to be ‘arm’s length’, meaning that it cannot be used by you personally or a close relation of you.

Once you have the compliance sorted, you can invest in a wide range of investments, including:

  • Shares, ETFs, hybrids, cash, term deposits, fixed-income securities or gold and silver bullion
  • Residential and commercial properties
  • Managed funds
  • Business and business property
  • Non-traditional assets such as coins, antiques or art

What’s the difference between an SMSF and other super funds?

An SMSF is often run by its members acting as trustees, whereas other super funds are run by trustees who manage thousands of members. An SMSF can have a maximum of four members.

An SMSF allows you much more control over what you invest in and when you buy and sell the fund's assets. Most other super funds limit you to choosing the asset mix and risk level of your super balance.

SMSFs are regulated by the ATO. Other super funds are regulated by APRA.

Take control of your investments

Our SMSF accountants can help you set up and maintain your super, giving you expert advice along the way.

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