The ATO also stressed that SMSFs must ensure that payments to members are correctly characterised, so that auditors can ensure the minimum pension payment standards have been met, especially where pension payments have been made from an income stream that has also been commuted in full or part during the year.

It also advised SMSF trustees that the transfer balance account reporting for the commencement and commutation of the retirement phase income must align with the SMSF’s exempt current pension income (ECPI) claim for the year.

The Tax Office said it has also updated its TBAR instructions to make it clearer that SMSFs need to use a TBAR to report transfer balance cap events and their response to a commutation authority, including that they commuted the income stream set out in the commutation authority sent to the fund.

“Other super providers only need to use a TBAR to report their response to a commutation authority,” it explained.

The ATO has also explained how to use a TBAR form to report an SMSF’s response to a commutation authority and included additional information on how to correct reporting errors and cancel a TBAR.

The instructions have also been updated to clarify that the TBAR form should not be used to report a member’s accumulation phase value to the ATO after the 2017 income year.

“This information should be reported as part of the SMSF’s annual return,” the ATO said.

The instructions now also state that the TBAR form should not be used to report a member’s retirement phase value.

“This information should be reported to us as part of the SMSF's annual return,” it said.