Building on the Shoulders of Those Who Came Before Us
By David Saul, CEO & Founder, Saul SMSF
As we approach 30 June 2026, I find myself reflecting on a simple question:
What will the SMSF profession look like ten years from now?
Technology is reshaping administration.
Artificial intelligence is reshaping information.
Regulation continues to reshape expectations.
Yet the fundamentals remain unchanged:
Trust.
Independence.
Judgement.
Protection of retirement savings.
These principles mattered when the first SMSFs were established.
They matter today.
And they will matter long after today’s technology has been replaced by something new.
Perhaps that is why 2025/26 feels like such an important year.
Not simply because of what happened at Saul SMSF.
But because of what is happening across the SMSF profession itself.
Increasingly, the greatest risk in many SMSFs is not the asset.
It is behaviour.
The decisions people make when nobody is watching.
Against this backdrop, our responsibility as professionals has never been greater.
This year began with an important milestone for our firm — successfully completing an ATO review of our SMSF audit methodologies and procedures without recommendation.
We relaunched our brand around a simple idea:
SMSF Audits Well Solved.
Not because SMSF audits are easy.
In fact, they are becoming more complex every year.
Rather, because our role is to help accounting firms, advisers and trustees navigate complexity with independence, professionalism and practical solutions.
During the year we launched three distinct service lines:
SMSF Essentials — efficient, technology-driven audits for straightforward funds.
SMSF Advanced — deeper technical support for more complex SMSF structures and transactions.
SMSF Forensics — Australia’s first dedicated SMSF forensic audit service, designed for difficult compliance matters, ATO scrutiny and high-risk situations.
We also continued to invest in the future of the profession.
Elevate SMSF, our strategic partnership with Carisma Solutions, combines SMSF administration, compliance and independent SMSF audit services within an APES 110 compliant framework, helping firms scale their SMSF offering without compromising quality or independence.
At the same time, we commenced planning for SMSF 2030 — an initiative focused on exploring how technology, AI, demographic change and evolving client expectations may shape the next decade of self-managed superannuation.
These initiatives were never simply about business growth.
They reflect a broader belief that the SMSF profession must continue to evolve if it is to remain one of Australia’s great financial success stories.
The SMSF sector that exists today did not emerge by accident.
It was built by practitioners, regulators, educators, legislators and industry leaders who invested their time, knowledge and energy over many decades.
Like many others, I have been fortunate to build a career within a profession that was already stronger because of those who came before us.
We stand on their shoulders.
In return, I believe we have an obligation to help those who will come after us.
Along the way, our profession was incredibly generous in recognising the work of our team.
 |
 |
In November 2025, Saul SMSF was honoured to receive the SMSF Auditor of the Year Award, while I was humbled to receive the Individual Excellence Award at the SMSF Adviser Awards (top left photograph above from the memorable night).
In February 2026, I was deeply honoured to receive the CEO Award from the SMSF Association (top right photograph above of award).
While I am grateful for these acknowledgements, awards are ultimately earned in the quiet moments:
The difficult technical discussion.
The extra review.
The second opinion.
The willingness to ask one more question when something does not feel right.
The real achievement belongs to the team.
Today, Saul SMSF audits more than $7 billion in SMSF assets annually on behalf of client referral firms — from sole practitioners and boutique specialists through to national firms and the Big Four across Australia.
Through a combination of great people, disciplined processes and continued investment in technology, we maintained average audit turnaround times of three to five business days throughout the year — even during peak lodgement periods.
For us, speed has never been about rushing audits.
It has been about removing friction, improving communication and delivering timely, independent audit outcomes when they matter most.
No prioritisation fees.
No hidden fees.
No mystery.
Just real people, doing real work, in Australia.
One lesson has become increasingly clear to me this year.
The future of SMSFs will not be won by technology alone.
Technology is an extraordinary tool.
But it is not a substitute for professional scepticism.
It is not a substitute for judgement.
It is not a substitute for independence.
And it is certainly not a substitute for integrity.
The firms that thrive over the next decade will be those that successfully combine technological capability with human wisdom.
That balance remains one of the defining challenges — and opportunities — for our profession.
Yet for all the professional highlights, this year also reminded us that life exists beyond the office.
Sadly, members of our extended Saul SMSF family experienced the loss of close family members during the year.
(photographed below: David’s late mother, Margaret Saul)
What I witnessed during those times made me prouder than any award ever could.
I watched colleagues support one another.
I watched people step forward without being asked.
I watched a team demonstrate compassion, resilience and character when it mattered most.
Good times reveal success.
Difficult times reveal culture.
This team showed both.
To every member of the Saul SMSF team — thank you.
To our clients, referral partners and friends of the firm — thank you for your trust.
We never take it for granted.
As we look toward 2026/27, our mission remains unchanged:
To protect retirement savings.
To strengthen confidence in the SMSF sector.
To support accounting firms and trustees through independent, high-quality SMSF audits.
And to continue solving problems that matter.
The SMSF sector remains one of Australia’s great financial success stories.
I remain enormously proud that my own professional journey has largely mirrored its evolution.
I am equally grateful to the many people who helped build the profession long before I arrived.
We stand on their shoulders.
Our responsibility is not simply to preserve what they built.
It is to improve it.
To strengthen confidence.
To embrace innovation without abandoning standards.
To leave the profession better than we found it.
Because success is not measured by what we inherit.
It is measured by what we leave behind.
The best years for the SMSF profession are still ahead of us.
On behalf of everyone at Saul SMSF, thank you for being part of our journey.
David Saul
CEO & Founder
SMSF Audit Pain Points We See Every Day
1. Lodgement Pressure & Slow Turnaround
The Problem: Delays from auditors place 15 May and 15 June lodgement deadlines at risk, creating stress for advisers and trustees.
What Firms Want: Certainty that audits will be completed on time.
How Saul SMSF Responds: Fast, predictable turnaround times, available capacity, and a commitment to progressing files rather than leaving them in a queue.
2. Complex Funds Nobody Wants to Touch
The Problem: Property, LRBAs, cryptocurrency, unlisted investments, foreign assets and related-party transactions are often delayed, rejected or escalated unnecessarily.
What Firms Want: An auditor who sees complexity as routine.
How Saul SMSF Responds: SMSF Audit Advanced and SMSF Forensic services specifically designed for difficult, high-risk and technically challenging funds.
3. Lack of Commercial Judgement
The Problem: Technical issues are sometimes treated as black-and-white compliance exercises, creating unnecessary friction and query fatigue.
What Firms Want: An experienced auditor who can apply professional judgement while maintaining independence.
How Saul SMSF Responds: Senior Australian-based SMSF specialists focused on practical solutions, not simply identifying problems.
4. Contravention & ATO Reporting Anxiety
The Problem: Firms worry that a compliance issue may escalate into an ACR, damage a client relationship or attract unnecessary ATO scrutiny.
What Firms Want: An auditor who understands both the technical requirements and the practical consequences.
How Saul SMSF Responds: Independent guidance focused on achieving the most appropriate outcome while maintaining full compliance with auditor obligations.
5. Hidden Fees & Pricing Surprises
The Problem: Priority fees, complexity surcharges and unexpected invoices create frustration and uncertainty.
What Firms Want: Transparent and predictable pricing.
How Saul SMSF Responds: Clearly defined service tiers and no “pay-to-jump-the-queue” pricing model.
6. No Access to the Auditor
The Problem: Offshore teams, ticketing systems and generic inboxes make it difficult to discuss real issues.
What Firms Want: A direct relationship with a knowledgeable auditor.
How Saul SMSF Responds: Named contacts, Australian-based auditors and genuine accessibility when difficult matters arise.
7. Independence & Quality Concerns
The Problem: Firms need confidence that their auditor is genuinely independent, appropriately qualified and professionally insured.
What Firms Want: A trusted specialist audit partner.
How Saul SMSF Responds: Independent SMSF audit specialists since 2007, auditing over $7 billion in SMSF assets annually across more than 80 accounting and advisory firms.
8. Capacity During Peak Season
The Problem: Audit bottlenecks emerge when firms need urgent assistance most.
What Firms Want: An audit partner with the capacity to absorb workflow spikes.
How Saul SMSF Responds: Dedicated resources, scalable capacity and service models designed for both volume and complexity.
9. Limited Visibility of Audit Progress
The Problem: Advisers often don’t know where a file sits or what is outstanding.
What Firms Want: Transparency and real-time visibility.
How Saul SMSF Responds: Dashboard reporting and portal technology supported by direct communication when required.
10. Offshore Processing & Data Security Risks
The Problem: Increasing concerns around confidentiality, quality control and offshore handling of sensitive financial information.
What Firms Want: Confidence that their clients’ information remains protected.
How Saul SMSF Responds: Australian-led audit teams, local accountability and a strong focus on confidentiality and professional standards.
11. Protecting the Firm’s Reputation
The Problem: Every audit reflects on the accounting firm’s brand.
What Firms Want: An auditor who enhances, rather than risks, client relationships.
How Saul SMSF Responds: Consistent audit quality, clear communication and a solution-focused approach that protects both trustees and referral firms.
The Reality
Referral firms are not buying an SMSF audit.
They are buying certainty.
Certainty that lodgement deadlines will be met.
Certainty that complex funds will be handled competently.
Certainty that difficult compliance matters will be managed professionally.
Certainty that, when something unusual arises, they can pick up the phone and speak to someone who understands both the legislation and the commercial reality.
That is ultimately what Saul SMSF has been delivering to the profession since 2007.
SMSF Audits Well Solved.
