A corporate trustee means a company, rather than an individual, acts as trustee for your self-managed super fund (SMSF). Each member of the fund must also be a director of that company.
Key rules to know
Members generally can't also be employees of another member, unless you're related.
Assets of the fund must be registered in the name of the trustee company, not any individual.
For a single-member fund, the member can be either the sole director of the corporate trustee, or one of two directors, provided the other director is either a relative or isn't the member's employer.
All directors of a corporate trustee must hold a Director ID before the fund is registered.
Why choose a corporate trustee?
You might opt for this structure if you:
Want to be the sole director and sole member of your fund
Are looking to reduce personal liability, since the company is a separate legal entity from you
Want the flexibility to add or remove members over time without changing legal ownership of the fund's assets
Getting started
Lawpath can help you register your corporate trustee. See our company registration packages to compare what's included.
For more detail on how corporate trustees work, see our blog: Everything You Need to Know About Corporate Trustee Structures
How to add a corporate trustee to your company application
On the Lawpath company application form, you'll be asked to choose 'Person' or 'Company' as the shareholder. For a corporate trustee structure, select 'Company' and enter the relevant company details in the form.
Ongoing support
Once your company is set up, our Advice Plan options give you unlimited lawyer and accountant consultations, Lawyer Live Chat, and access to Lawpath AI, so you can take a proactive approach to your legal and accounting setup.