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ASIC has told accountants they need to “get their skates on” or risk not being able to provide SMSF advice beyond June 2016.
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Accountants need to move on licensing now, says ASIC
20 February 2015
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With less than 18 months to go until the accountants’ exemption is phased out, ASIC deputy chair Peter Kell told accountants intending to apply for a limted AFSL to get prepared now, saying ASIC has already “returned” a number of limited licence applications on the grounds of insufficient information.
“The original estimate was that there might be as many as 10,000 applications. I don’t know whether that will turn about to be the case, but if it is, well we’ve received about one per cent,” Mr Kell said.
“The last figure that I’ve been provided with was 105 applications. We’ve approved 44, some are currently being assessed but quite a few have - I’ll use a euphemism - been ‘returned’ on the grounds that there’s more information [needed]."
He urged accountants to ensure their documentation clearly sets out that they have adequate professional indemnity insurance, that they understand how to handle their clients’ finances and that they have the relevant qualifications.
“The longer you leave it and especially with those sorts of things, the more challenging it’s going to be, so early and accurate,” he said.
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