Question
of the week
Question of the week

Curious. Interesting. Informative.

21 September 2018

Family ties

Companies, Trusts, Partnerships & Superannuation
Federal

Asked

Family trust election - Family control test

Is there any restriction on a family trust deed expressly allowing a person classified as 'friend' to be a beneficiary?

Answered

Thank you for the question.

To be eligible to make a family trust election the trust must satisfy the requirements of the family control test on the ATO website. The trust must specify a ‘primary’ or ‘test’ individual and demonstrate that it is controlled by and only makes distributions to the primary individual, the primary individual’s family group, the legal personal representative of the primary individual or a family group member.

The family of the individual specified in the relevant election consists of that person, the test individual, and any of the following people - if applicable:

  1. any parent, grandparent, brother or sister of the specified individual or the specified individual's spouse;
  2. any nephew, niece or child of the specified individual or the specified individual's spouse;
  3. any lineal descendant of a nephew, niece or child referred to in point 2;
  4. the spouse of the specified individual or of anyone who is a member of the specified individual's family because of points 1, 2 and 3.

No friends allowed.

Regards

Mentor