When does an SMSF audit need to be done? Key 2026 deadlines

Every SMSF must be audited every year by an approved SMSF auditor — there is no balance threshold or exemption. Section 35C of the SIS Act sets the timing rules, and missing them is one of the more common reasons trustees end up with administrative penalties.

When must the auditor be appointed?

Trustees must appoint an approved SMSF auditor at least 45 days before the SMSF Annual Return (SAR) is due to be lodged. In practice, most administrators engage the auditor much earlier — appointment is a formal step, not just a phone call.

When must the audit be completed?

The audit must be finalised — meaning the independent auditor's report is signed — before the SAR is lodged. The auditor's report number and date are required fields on the return; you literally cannot lodge without them.

How that links to the SAR due date

• Newly registered SMSFs (first year): SAR due 28 February following year end
• SMSFs lodging through a tax agent: typically due 15 May
• SMSFs that lodged late or have prior-year debts: due 31 October
• Self-preparing trustees: 31 October (rare for SMSFs)

What happens if you miss the audit deadline

Failing to appoint an auditor in time is a contravention of section 35C — the ATO can apply administrative penalties (currently 5 penalty units per trustee, or 5 per director of a corporate trustee). Late audits also feed into late SAR lodgement, which has its own consequences including loss of the fund's compliance status on Super Fund Lookup.

What the auditor reports to the ATO

If the auditor identifies a contravention that meets the reporting tests, they must lodge an Auditor Contravention Report (ACR) with the ATO within 28 days of forming the opinion. ACRs are how the ATO learns about most SMSF compliance issues.

Source: Australian Taxation Office — SMSF auditors and section 35C of the SIS Act (ato.gov.au). Confirm your fund's specific lodgement due date in ATO online services.