SMSF Trustee Education: Proposed Mandatory Requirements and What Is Available Now

Aditi Sarkar

29 October 2026 09:03 PM AEDT

SMSF Trustee Education: Proposed Mandatory Requirements and What Is Available Now

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Highlights

Mandatory SMSF trustee education before registration has been proposed but is not yet enacted into law.
The SMSF Alliance offers a free SMSF Fundamentals course with five modules, taking approximately two hours and requiring an 80% pass mark.
The SMSF Association argues the proposed three-hour requirement is too long and wants multiple providers approved.
Under current law, new trustees must sign a trustee declaration within 21 days of their appointment.

The government has proposed mandatory education for new SMSF trustees before they can register a fund, but this change is not yet law. While the proposal is debated, a free trustee education course is already available and the existing trustee declaration requirement continues to apply to all new appointees.

The Government's Proposal

The government has proposed requiring prospective SMSF trustees to complete approximately three hours of education before they can register a new fund. The proposal was announced in August 2026 but has not been legislated. Until the law changes, no pre-registration education is required under the current framework.

Peter Burgess of the SMSF Association has publicly questioned whether three hours is the right benchmark, suggesting it may be excessive for some candidates. The Association has also argued that the government should approve multiple education providers rather than a single platform, to give prospective trustees access to quality options and competitive alternatives.

The SMSF Fundamentals Course

The SMSF Alliance has developed an SMSF Fundamentals course that is free to complete and takes approximately two hours. The course comprises five modules covering the essential obligations of SMSF trustees. Participants must achieve at least an 80% pass mark to complete the course. The ATO also offers three online educational modules on its own platform for trustees seeking to understand their obligations.

Current Legal Requirement: The Trustee Declaration

Under the current law, a person who becomes a new SMSF trustee or director of a corporate trustee must sign a trustee declaration within 21 days of their appointment. The declaration confirms they understand their obligations. The levy for continuing SMSFs is $259 per year, with a proposed increase to $295 under budget measures that had not yet been enacted as at October 2026.

FAQs

Q: Is mandatory trustee education before SMSF registration currently required?

A: No. The government has proposed it but the requirement has not been enacted into law. The current obligation is a trustee declaration within 21 days of appointment.

Q: How long does the SMSF Alliance SMSF Fundamentals course take?

A: Approximately two hours, across five modules, with an 80% pass mark required to complete the course.

Q: What does the ATO currently provide for trustee education?

A: The ATO offers three online modules on its own platform covering SMSF trustee obligations and responsibilities.

Q: What is the position of the SMSF Association on the proposed education requirement?

A: The SMSF Association argues that three hours may be too long and has called for multiple approved providers rather than restricting trustees to a single platform.

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