Trust / SMSF / Company Accounts - FAQs
Can I open a Trust / SMSF / Company account on Pearler?
What is the Trust / SMSF designation?
Account designations are relevant to Trust, SMSF and Company accounts and acts as a label or identifier that indicates the purpose of the trust and/or who the trust is for. The holdings for these types of accounts are registered under the name of the trustee(s) and the trust entity in the account designation. Your trust designation is shown in the <> field of your registered CHESS name.
For example, if your Trust name is "Jones Family Trust", the trust designation would be "Jones Family". It would be something similar to your Trust / SMSF name minus the word "trust" or "fund".
Please note that there is a character limit imposed on the account designation field and the word trust and fund is not allowed by CHESS rules.
Can I invest in US shares and ETFs with my trust/SMSF account?
US investing is not available for our Trust / SMSF / Company accounts.
What details will I need for my trust application?
Trust/SMSF (individual Trustee/s)
TFN or ABN
Other trustee/s details
Beneficiaries details
JP-certified trust deed
Trust/SMSF (with a corporate trustee)
TFN or ABN
Corporate trustee company details (either ABN/ACN/TFN + Company director details)
Other trustee/s details
Beneficiaries details
JP-certified trust deed
Company certificate of registration (please refer to the link for reference)
What parts of my trust deed would I need to be certified as a minimum?
The cover/front page that includes the name of the Trust/SMSF
The schedule page that includes the names of the trustees, the names of the beneficiaries and the date of registration.
The signed copy of the signature/execution/declaration page.
The certifier must also write or stamp on the copy:
their signature
their full name
their occupation
their phone number
the date
their address (optional)
More information on certified copies of original documents can be found via the Australian Government Website
Who can certify my trust deed?
A certified copy of a document is a copy of an original document that is certified as a true copy by an authorised person within the last 12 months.
What parts of my trust deed would I need to be certified as a minimum?
Please refer to the following list for approved certifiers:
Legal professions: Legal practitioner, patent attorney, trademarks attorney
Court positions: Justice of the Peace, Judge, Magistrate, Registrar, or Deputy Registrar, Clerk, Master of a court
Accountant (member of ICA, ASA, NIA or CPA, ATMA, NTAA)
Commissioner for Affidavits, or Commissioner for Declarations (dependent on jurisdictions)
Notary public
An officer with, or an authorised representative of, a holder of an Australian financial services licence, having two or more years of continuous service with one or more licensees
An officer with, or a credit representative of, a holder of an Australian credit licence, having two or more years of continuous service with one or more licensees.
Police officer
Australia Post employee
Pharmacist
For further information, you can refer to the Services Australia website.