A trust that works the way you want.

• We help you pick a family trust or a unit trust, and say why. The table below shows the difference.
• We arrange the trust deed and go through it with you. It says what the trustee can and cannot do, who can benefit, and how the trust can be changed or closed later. You get the signed deed, stamped if your state needs it, plus a plain summary of the main parts.
• A company is usually the better trustee. If the trust is sued, your own assets are less exposed. The trust also carries on if a person dies.
• If you need one, we register the trustee company as part of the same job. You get its ASIC registration (ASIC is the body that registers companies). You also get its constitution (the company's own rule book).
• The appointor is the person who can remove and replace the trustee. That makes it the most important role in the deed. We help you decide who holds it.
• We also help you name the beneficiaries (the people who can get money from the trust). We plan for what happens if someone dies or leaves.
• Some states charge stamp duty (a state tax) on a new trust deed. There is a deadline to pay it and get the deed stamped. We arrange this if your state needs it.
• We register the trust for an ABN (its business number). We also get its TFN (tax file number).
• We add GST (a tax on most sales) if needed. That is when the trust's sales will go over the GST limit, or earlier if you choose. You get confirmation of each registration.
• We record the first money or units put into the trust, so the books start clean. You get the trustee resolutions and minutes (the written decisions that start the trust). We enter the opening balances (the starting figures) in your accounting file.
• For a unit trust, you also get the unit register and unit certificates. These are the records of who holds units.
• For a family trust, the trustee must make a distribution resolution each year (a written decision on who gets the income). It is due by 30 June, or earlier if the deed says so. We lodge the first trust tax return with the ATO (the tax office).
• You also get a short written note on how the trust runs. It says who decides on the income and what must happen each year. It also says what to send us each year.

People also use a trust to hold an asset, rather than one person's name. It could be an investment property, shares or the premises your business trades from. Set the trust up before you buy, not after.

1. We ask what the trust will hold

   We ask who is involved, where the income goes and what you want to protect. If a trust is not the right structure, we tell you. Then we point you to the one that is.

2. You get a price for the whole job

   We write down the trust type and whether a trustee company is included. We list the registrations, the cost and the finish date. You agree to all of it before any work starts.

3. You sign the deed, we get it stamped

   We go through the deed with you first. If your state charges duty, we arrange stamping before the deadline. Then we register the ABN, the TFN and GST if needed.

4. One accountant stays on the trust

   The person who set it up keeps your file. For a family trust, they remind you before the yearly resolution is due. Call, text or WhatsApp them and you get a reply the same business day.

• The name you want for the trust, and what it will hold or do.
• Full names, dates of birth and addresses for the trustee, the directors and the appointor. Tax file numbers for the trustee (or for the directors of the trustee company).
• The people or entities to be named as beneficiaries. For a unit trust, the unit holders and how many units each will hold.
• ID for the trustee, the directors and the appointor. We use it to confirm who each person is. Each director also needs a director ID (a number every director must get from the ATO before they are appointed). If you do not have one, we point you to where to apply.
• Whether the trust will trade, employ staff or register for GST from the start.
• Any existing structure the trust will sit beside. That could be a trading company or a family business. This lets us line up ownership and who gets paid.