SMSF auditors - educational qualifications
When you apply for registration as an approved SMSF auditor, we will ask you you to provide information demonstrating you have the educational qualifications required. These qualifications must satisfy the requirements as set out in the relevant regulations and described in Regulatory Guide 243 Registration of self-managed superannuation fund auditors (RG 243).
The prescribed qualifications are a degree, diploma or certificate from a prescribed university or institution that represents a course of study in accounting of not less than 3 years, and either:
- that degree, diploma or certificate must include a course of study in auditing; or
- if the degree, diploma or certificate does not include a course of study in auditing, you must have satisfactorily completed:
- the SMSF specialist auditor program conducted by the Self Managed Super Fund Association (formerly the SMSF Professionals’ Association of Australia); or
- prescribed course in auditing.
Prescribed university and institutions for SMSF auditors
University |
Australian Catholic University |
Australian National University |
Bond University |
Central Queensland University |
Charles Darwin University |
Charles Sturt University |
Curtin University of Technology |
Deakin University |
Edith Cowan University |
Griffith University |
Flinders University of South Australia |
James Cook University |
La Trobe University |
Macquarie University |
Monash University |
Murdoch University |
Queensland University of Technology |
Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology University |
Southern Cross University |
Swinburne University of Technology |
University of Adelaide |
University of Ballarat |
University of Canberra |
University of Melbourne |
University of Newcastle |
University of New England |
University of New South Wales |
University of Notre Dame Australia |
University of Queensland |
University of South Australia |
University of Southern Queensland |
University of Sydney |
University of Tasmania |
University of Technology Sydney |
University of the Sunshine Coast |
University of Western Australia |
University of Western Sydney |
University of Wollongong |
Victoria University |
Institution |
Avondale College |
Prescribed auditing courses
Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (formerly The Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia): |
Audit and Assurance in the CA Program |
Financial Reporting and Assurance in the CA Program |
Accounting 2 in the Professional Year Program |
Audit and EDP Module in the Professional Year Program, or |
An audit module in the Professional Year Program conducted before 1986 that is equivalent to a course mentioned above. |
CPA Australia: |
Assurance Services and Auditing, or |
Advanced Audit and Assurance. |
Institute of Public Accountants: |
Issues in Auditing and Professional Practice in the Graduate Certificate in Professional Accounting, offered by the University of New England in conjunction with the Institute of Public Accountants, or |
Issues in Auditing and Professional Practice in the Degree of Master of Commerce (Professional Accounting), offered by the University of New England in conjunction with the Institute of Public Accountants. |
If you do not hold the prescribed qualifications, you will need to submit information to demonstrate that your qualification or combination of qualifications (obtained in Australia or overseas) is equivalent to the prescribed qualifications.
Evidence you must provide
You must provide evidence of your educational qualifications, including a copy of your academic transcript or record, to support your application.
If you don’t, we may not accept your application for lodgement and you would need to re-apply, or the assessment of your application might be delayed because we will need to contact you to request this information.
Over time, there have been changes to the legislative requirements for registration as a company auditor. In recent years, there has been a greater emphasis placed on providing evidence of educational qualifications. As a result, many registered company auditors have not in the past provided the required level of evidence needed to prove they meet the educational requirements for registration as an SMSF auditor, particularly if they were registered before 2005. If you are a registered company auditor and want to apply for registration as an SMSF auditor, regardless of when you were registered as a company auditor you will still need to provide evidence that you meet the educational requirements. |
Registered company auditors |
If you are unable to provide the required evidence or do not hold any of the prescribed academic qualifications, you will need to provide a detailed submission, accompanied by supporting documentation, to prove you meet the educational requirements. We will review the information you provide and assess whether it proves you have the relevant tertiary qualifications or equivalent. |
Required evidence not available |
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.