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Applying for SMSF auditor registration

Important notice

A new registration system for SMSF auditors is now available through ASIC's Regulatory Portal.

To register as an approved SMSF auditor you must apply online through the Regulatory Portal.

Registration process

To be registered as an approved SMSF auditor you must meet all the requirements for registration. These requirements include:

ASIC has published ASIC Regulatory Guide 243 Registration of self-managed superannuation fund auditors (RG 243). This guide explains how to apply for registration as an approved SMSF auditor and the requirements for registration. The guide also gives guidance on the continuing legal obligations of approved SMSF auditors.

To apply for registration, you need to:

  • obtain criminal history and bankruptcy checks covering all countries in which you have resided for the past 10 years, and in all names by which you have been known. It can take some time to obtain these checks, so you should apply for them early.
  • submit an application via ASIC's Regulatory Portal
  • attach your supporting documents as you progress through the online application
  • pay the application fee.

Questions asked in the SMSF auditor registration: Download sample application (PDF 301KB) 

The information provided with your application for registration, including the supporting documents, must be correct and complete. If your application does not meet our requirements we may not accept it for lodgement and you would then need to re-apply after you have rectified all deficiencies. Alternatively, even if we accept the lodgement of your application, it could be refused, or there could be substantial delays while we seek further information from you. It is therefore important that you ensure your application is complete and contains correct information.

When you apply, the online application will tell you the options and steps to take to pay the required fee. The fee is set out in Information Sheet 30 Fees for commonly lodged documents (INFO 30). It is important to note that an SMSF auditor application is not considered as lodged until we have received payment of the fee.

Once we have accepted lodgement of your application, we will commence our assessment. We will contact you within a week to confirm that we have started the assessment process. If further information is needed, we will contact you to request that it be provided.

If we are satisfied that you meet the eligibility requirements for registration, we will register you as an approved SMSF auditor. We will email you a letter and certificate of registration with a SMSF auditor number (SAN) within 14 days of registration.

Steps to register for an ASIC Regulatory Portal account and commence an application

1. Go to the ASIC Regulatory Portal

You can register for a portal account via ASIC's Regulatory Portal 

Select the 'register' button on the right-hand side of the portal home page and you will be taken to the registration page.

2. Create your portal account

To register you will need to select what you want to do first on the portal:

  • choose one of five tiles listed on the page,
  • select your licence or registration type from the drop-down list, and
  • enter your licence or registration number.

3. Enter your details

So we can identify you as the user of the account, please provide:

  • your name,
  • date of birth,
  • email address, and
  • mobile number

Your email address will serve as your username.

4. Validate your information

We will send you an email asking you to confirm your email address and directing you to set your password for ASIC's Regulatory Portal.

Once you have created and confirmed your password, we will direct you to the log in page. You can then enter your username (email) and password to access the portal. 

To apply for SMSF auditor registration:

  1. From the top navigation bar, select 'Transactions' and then select 'All transactions index' from the drop-down list. This will take you to a page listing all available transactions.
  2. Select ‘Apply for SMSF auditor registration’. This will take you to a landing page for the registration application. This page contains information about fees, relevant legislation, privacy, etc.
  3. At the bottom of the landing page, select the 'Launch transaction' button to start your application.

For more information, please visit our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs). 

Inviting someone to act on your behalf in the ASIC Regulatory Portal

You may authorise another person to act on your behalf through the portal.

Only a portal user with Senior administrator or Administrator Access level for an entity (this could be an organisation structure like a company, a business, a partnership or a trust, or an individual (or ‘natural person’)) can invite other users to connect to that entity.

To invite a user, make sure you are viewing the entity you want to invite the user to connect to. 

  1. Select 'Administration' in the top navigation bar.
  2. Select the 'Users' tab.
  3. Select the 'Invite new user to entity' button.
  4. enter the invitee's details – name, email address etc. You will also need to declare that you understand the access you are giving the invitee.
  5. Select 'Confirm'. This will send the invitee an email, including an invitation key that they can use to register or connect to the entity if they have an existing portal account.

For more information, please visit our FAQs. 

Related information

We are always looking to improve our information for SMSF auditors so we would like to know what's important to you. Please leave us some feedback.

What's new

ASIC Regulatory Portal - Start, resume or check the progress of an application for registration

Regulatory Guide 243: Registration of self-managed superannuation fund auditors (RG 243)

Checklist - application for registration as an approved SMSF auditor

Last updated: 20/10/2014 12:00