How much does SMSF Australia charge for annual SMSF accounting?

SMSF Australia offers three fixed-fee annual packages: Basic Fund at $1,300+GST (listed shares, managed funds, ETFs, term deposits), Complex Fund at $1,600+GST (adds direct property up to 2, cryptocurrency, precious metals), and Very Complex Fund from $2,000+GST (unlisted assets, private loans, derivatives, NFTs, 3+ properties). All packages include the independent SMSF audit at no additional cost.

Is the SMSF audit included in the annual fee?

Yes. The independent SMSF audit is included in all three annual fee packages — Basic, Complex, and Very Complex. It is not charged as a separate add-on.

Can SMSF Australia service my fund if I am not in the same state?

Yes. SMSF Australia operates nationally across all Australian states and territories. All client meetings and services are conducted via Zoom — there is no requirement to be near a physical office.

How much does it cost to set up an SMSF with SMSF Australia?

The SMSF setup fee is $2,000+GST, which covers corporate trustee establishment (ASIC fee $636), SMSF trust deed ($400), Class Super first-year licence ($250), ABN and TFN applications, investment strategy preparation, and rollover coordination.

Does SMSF Australia provide financial advice?

No. SMSF Australia does not provide financial planning or investment advice. Services are limited to SMSF accounting, tax, audit, compliance, and legal matters.

Last updated on June 9, 2026

Can my SMSF Invest in Crypto via UpTrade?

Can my SMSF Invest in Crypto via UpTrade

Yes, your SMSF can invest in cryptocurrency through UpTrade. UpTrade is an Australian crypto brokerage that can onboard SMSF’s that want exposure to Bitcoin, Ethereum, and other digital assets as part of their fund’s long-term strategy.

This blog outlines what an SMSF trustee actually goes through when investing in crypto via UpTrade, from the questions you should be asking before you start, through to what happens at audit time.

About UpTrade

UpTrade is an Australian-owned and operated crypto brokerage headquartered in Melbourne. It is registered with AUSTRAC as a Digital Currency Exchange (DCE) and complies with Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing (AML/CTF) laws.

A quick snapshot:

More than $1 billion in client assets under management
Over 10,000 investors across Australia and globally
Over 500 digital assets supported, including Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, XRP, and many others
Institutional-grade custody through Fireblocks, used by the world’s largest banks and crypto businesses
Rated 9 on Trustpilot and Google with over 100 reviews by clients

Unlike a typical retail exchange, UpTrade operates on a broker model. Every client is paired with a dedicated broker and receives ongoing support from them, as well as market analysis, insights and portfolio health checks backed by UpTrade’s in-house crypto analysts.

Before you start: Is crypto right for your SMSF?

Before opening any account, three things need to be in order.

Your trust deed has to allow it. Older deeds sometimes don’t mention cryptocurrency at all, which can create issues at audit. SMSF Australia can check yours and update it if needed.

Your investment strategy has to cover it. Every SMSF has a written investment strategy that explains how the fund invests and why. If you’re adding crypto, your strategy needs to reflect that, including how much of the fund you’re willing to allocate and why it suits your members’ goals and risk profile.

A long-term approach works best. SMSFs are long-term vehicles, and crypto is best treated the same way. The trustees who get the most out of it tend to hold quality assets, take a considered view, and lean on their broker for support along the way rather than trying to time every move themselves.

Asset Allocation and Management

This is the part most SMSF trustees underestimate. There are more than 10,000 cryptocurrencies in the world. Most of them are noise. The question isn’t really “should my SMSF buy crypto”, it’s “which crypto, in what proportions, and why”.

UpTrade is built around helping clients answer that question with confidence, rather than leaving them to figure it out on their own. Every SMSF client receives:

Research-backed insights. UpTrade’s analyst team dedicates over 200 hours per week to research, covering market movements, emerging opportunities, and the assets worth paying attention to.
Portfolio health checks. Your broker along with the analysts conducts ongoing reviews of your holdings, assessing concentration, balance, and alignment with your fund’s investment goals.
Experienced brokers. UpTrade’s brokers bring more than a decade of experience in digital assets, having navigated multiple market cycles.
Fully segregated holdings. Your SMSF’s cash and digital assets are held in your fund’s name and are never pooled with other clients’ assets or with UpTrade’s own.
Dedicated SMSF expertise. Your broker understands the compliance requirements that apply to SMSF investments, from substantiation through to audit, and structures their support accordingly.

This matters at audit time as well. When your auditor asks why your fund holds the assets it does, being able to point to documented analyst research and a broker-led review process is a far stronger position than relying on self-directed online research.

Getting set up

Once you’ve decided crypto belongs in your SMSF, the setup process with UpTrade looks like this:

Make sure your SMSF is in order. If you don’t have one yet, SMSF Australia can set up your SMSF online, including the trust deed, corporate trustee, and ATO registration.
Open a crypto-friendly SMSF bank account. Not every bank is happy to support SMSF crypto transactions. The bank account name has to match the name on your UpTrade account (for example, “Lynch Pty Ltd ATF Anna Lynch SFD”). If you’re not sure which bank to use, your SMSF accountant can point you in the right direction.
Book a free consultation with UpTrade. Head to UpTrade and book a complimentary consultation. You’ll be matched with a dedicated broker who will take the time to understand your investment goals, walk you through how UpTrade works, and guide you through the rest of the process, including:

Verifying the identity of each SMSF member
Collecting your trust deed and corporate trustee details
Walking you through how to fund the account and place your first trades

The process is seamless from start to finish. Your broker handles the heavy lifting, and most SMSF clients are set up and ready to trade within days.

How Your SMSF’s Crypto Is Held: Institutional Custody with Fireblocks

UpTrade secures SMSF crypto through Fireblocks, the custody platform used by the world’s largest banks and exchanges. For Australian SMSF trustees, your fund’s digital assets are held to institutional standards.

No single point of failure. Fireblocks splits your private key into “shards” across multiple secure locations using MPC technology. No single device or attacker can access your assets alone.
Rules-based approval. Every transfer clears pre-approved security rules before it executes, protecting against attacks and human error.
Multi Factor Authentication. Sending crypto to the wrong wallet is a common way to lose funds. UpTrade takes additional steps in verifying any wallet transfer, including 2FA, sending a small “test” amount of crypto initially, and verbal verification via phone call from a broker to the accountholder’s registered phone number.

At audit time: What your accountant needs

When the financial year ends and your SMSF heads into audit, UpTrade provides everything your accountant and auditor need. This includes:

Confirmation the account is in the SMSF’s name
Your fund’s crypto holdings as at 30 June
Market valuations as at 30 June
A full transaction history for the financial year
Records showing personal crypto is kept separate from SMSF crypto
Cash movement records between your SMSF bank account and the platform

Your auditor will also check that your trust deed allows crypto and that your holdings match your fund’s investment strategy. If your strategy is well-documented and your broker has helped you build a considered portfolio, this part is straightforward.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can any SMSF invest in crypto via UpTrade?

Yes, as long as your trust deed allows it and crypto fits within your fund’s investment strategy. SMSF Australia can review and update both if needed.

Which cryptocurrencies can my SMSF buy?

UpTrade supports over 500 digital assets, including Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), Solana (SOL), XRP (XRP), and a wide range of other large-cap and emerging tokens.

Do I have to trade myself or does the broker do it?

Both options work. You can place trades yourself through the platform, or your broker can execute on your behalf. Most SMSF clients use a mix depending on what they’re doing.

What happens if I want to move my crypto off UpTrade?

You can transfer your fund’s crypto to a separate wallet at any time. Just remember your SMSF auditor will need access to verify holdings at year end.

Is my SMSF’s crypto safe on UpTrade?

Your holdings sit in institutional-grade custody through Fireblocks, which is used by major banks and global crypto businesses. It’s a long way from holding crypto on a personal device.

Does UpTrade help with SMSF compliance reporting?

Yes. UpTrade provides end-of-financial-year reports and transaction histories to all clients that your accountant and auditor can use to complete your fund’s annual return and audit.

Is UpTrade regulated in Australia?

UpTrade is registered with AUSTRAC as a Digital Currency Exchange and complies with Australia’s Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing laws.

Other Exchanges

SMSF Australia does not endorse or suggest any particular cryptocurrency exchange platform or broker. Clients frequently ask about SMSFs investing in crypto, so we provide general guidelines on using crypto platforms for SMSF investment. Other crypto platforms our clients use include Digital Surge, Coinstash, Swyftx, and many more.