The 6 SMSF Statuses Every Trustee and Accountant Should Kno

News | Mansi Sharma | Released: 03/09/2026 | Read: 5 Mins

 

Super Fund Lookup (SFLU) is a free, public register that provides information about: 

• Self-managed super funds (SMSFs) with an ABN 

• Super funds regulated by the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) 

SFLU provides important information about an SMSF’s current status. This status can affect whether the fund is eligible for concessional tax treatment and whether it can receive certain superannuation contributions or rollovers. SFLU can also be used to: 

• Check a fund’s contact details 

• Confirm whether a fund is still operating 

• Check whether rollovers can be made into an SMSF 

• Help employers confirm whether contributions to a fund can count towards their Super Guarantee (SG) obligations 

Most trustees have never looked at it. Most accountants only check it once something has already gone wrong. In this newsletter, we will discuss what SFLU shows, why it matters, and how trustees and accountants can stay ahead of potential issues. 

Understanding the Six SFLU Statuses

1. Election to be regulated is being processed

• A trustee must be appointed.  

• The trustee must be a company or an individual trustee, and the fund must be maintained solely for providing retirement benefits and other permitted benefits.  

• A written election must be made to the Commissioner within 60 days of the fund being established, stating that the fund is to be regulated under the SIS Act. 

That’s why a new SMSF may show “Election to be regulated is being processed” on SFLU while the ATO completes its checks. These checks can take between 2 and 56 days. This could delay the registration of your SMSF or prevent you from being added as a new trustee to a fund. While checks are being completed, a newly registered SMSF may show “Election to be regulated is being processed”. This means: 

• The ATO is completing checks before confirming the fund as regulated. 

• Rollovers from other super funds cannot be made. 

• Employers cannot make Super Guarantee contributions. 

2. Registered

• is eligible to receive rollovers and transfers 

• is regulated by the ATO 

• has not been issued with a Notice of Compliance or a Notice of Non-compliance. 

From March 2019, new SMSFs can move to “Complying” status on SFLU sooner. A newly registered fund first appears as “Registered”, followed by “Complying” once the Notice of Compliance is issued. Previously, the status changed only after the fund lodged its first annual return. The earlier update provides clarity on the fund’s status and its ability to accept employer Super Guarantee contributions and rollovers. This earlier status update provides greater clarity about the fund’s ability to accept rollovers and employer Super Guarantee contributions and access concessional tax treatment. 

 

3. Complying Status — Section 42A

 

• The trustees have not breached any regulatory requirements during the relevant year; or 

• If a breach occurred, the Regulator may still treat the fund as complying after considering the seriousness of the breach, the tax consequences, and other relevant circumstances. 

4. Non-Complying SMSF

5. Regulations Details Withheld

• APRA-regulated funds generally cannot make rollovers to the SMSF. 

• Employers should avoid making contributions until the fund’s compliance status is confirmed. 

6. Regulations Details Removed

Example

The situation- Mark and Sarah run an SMSF with a corporate trustee. Mark moves to Singapore, while Sarah remains in Australia. Although Sarah manages the day-to-day administration, Mark continues making the fund’s key strategic decisions from overseas. 

 

Later, the accountant identifies a potential central management and control issue. If the fund’s strategic decisions continue to be made overseas, it may risk failing the SMSF residency requirements as the person actually driving the strategic decisions is Mark, overseas. That means the "where it's run" test may no longer point to Australia — putting the fund at risk of failing its residency test. If that continues past the 5-year window, the fund could lose complying status and jump to a 45% tax rate.

 

The lesson: it's not about where members live on paper. It's about who is actually making the decisions, and from where. More examples includes:

• A newly set-up SMSF tries to receive a rollover a few days after it is established. The rollover is rejected because the fund is still showing as “Election being processed” on SFLU.

• An SMSF lodges its annual return two weeks late. The fund is then removed from SFLU at the beginning of the following month. Until the issue is resolved, rollovers and employer super payments may be affected.

Case Study

• The SMSF was not a resident superannuation fund because its central management and control was overseas. 

• As a result, the fund was non-complying, exposing it to significant tax consequences.  

 

Key Considerations for Trustees and Accountants

 

1. Check SFLU before you move money — before every rollover or contribution, not after it bounces. It only takes a few seconds. 

2. Don't cut it close on lodgment — details disappear just two weeks after a late return, with no warning letter first. Treat the due date as final. 

3. Talk about it before someone moves overseas — if a member or trustee is heading abroad for work, review the fund's situation before they leave, not after. 

4. Put decision-making in writing — clear minutes showing an Australian-based trustee is genuinely in charge are the best protection if questions ever come up. 

5. Keep an eye on the corporate trustee — if it gets deregistered by ASIC, the fund's SFLU details disappear automatically. A quick yearly ASIC check catches this early. 

6. Don't panic over "withheld" or "removed" — it's not a finding of wrongdoing. But don't ignore it either, since other funds and banks will treat it as a warning sign until it's cleared up. 

Final Thought

For trustees and advisers, regularly checking Super Fund Lookup should therefore be part of routine SMSF administration, rather than something considered only when an issue arises.

This bulletin is general information only and restates the ATO's published position and relevant SIS Act/ITAA provisions as at the date of publication. It is not personal financial, tax, or legal advice. Trustees and accountants should consider individual circumstances and seek professional advice before acting.

 

Visit www.trustdeed.com.au for more details or call us on(02) 9684 4199

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