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ASIC cracks the whip as another SMSF auditor handles their own fund
A NSW man has been disqualified as an SMSF auditor after ASIC found he audited his own fund and that of an immediate family member.
The corporate regulator also found Keith Mar of NSW audited a fund where he was the trustee and an immediate family member was the trustee.
These actions are a clear breach of auditor independence requirements, as outlined in the APES 110 Code of Ethics.
The ATO raised the breach with ASIC, as per the allowances of the SIS Act.
Prior to his disqualification, Mr Mar was practising under Sunnyside Accountants in Sydney's north.
So far this year, ASIC has been active in publicising its auditor SMSF disqualifications, and independence breaches have been of particular interest.
For example, ASIC recently issued a public statement about banning two SMSF auditors on the basis of independence conflicts.
The ongoing public approach from ASIC is a clear warning shot to the SMSF auditor community, which has been higher on the regulator radar since auditor registration was introduced in 2013.
For example, earlier this year, the ATO said it will be visiting 300 SMSF audit firms in 2018, in a bid to seek assurance on key compliance requisites, including independence.
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