How we work
I act as your CFO. Your accountant is a key part of the team.
I act as your CFO. I project manage the specialists around you, so you don’t have to:
- I talk to your accountant on your behalf
- I act as your mortgage broker
- I brief your buyer’s agent
- I work with your estate planning solicitor
- I run end of financial year tax planning with your accountant
On structures, your accountant prepares your tax return and sets up any new trust or company. I never set those up myself.
What I do is the structuring advice. Which investments go where, in whose name, and why. Then we agree it with your accountant, so your investment plan and your tax plan point the same way.
Too many people get those pieces of advice separately. That’s how good strategies end up in the wrong name. More about my Personal CFO service.
The structures I use most
Simple structures, used well
- Borrowed money goes in the high earner’s name. Interest is worth most where the tax rate is highest. If one partner earns $800K and the other $100K, the investment loan and the investments usually sit with the $800K earner, even when the home loan is joint. Every dollar of interest is then deducted at 47%.
- Spare cash can go in the lower earner’s name. Investments bought without debt produce income and growth. In a lower income partner’s name, they’re often taxed at a much lower rate.
- Super. Still the most tax effective structure most Australians will ever have. Earnings are generally taxed at 15%, and income can be tax free once you retire after 60.
- Investing in a child’s name rarely works under 18. Penalty tax rates apply to most of a minor’s investment income.
Family trusts
Is a family trust still worth it?
For years, a family trust was the default for high earners. It let you share investment income across the family each year.
The 2026 Budget changed that.
- Law from 1 July 2027: the 50% CGT discount is replaced by indexation and a 30% minimum tax on real gains. It applies to trusts too.
- Proposed from 1 July 2028: a 30% minimum tax on discretionary trust income. Paying income to lower earning family members would no longer bring the tax below 30%. It’s not law yet, and the details could change.
My honest view: for most of my clients, a new family trust is much harder to justify than it used to be. If you already have one, review it with your accountant before 2028.
What about an investment company?
Some families are looking at investment companies instead. Companies pay a flat 30% tax and never had the CGT discount, so the 2027 change affects them differently.
But there are trade offs. There’s more tax to pay when you take money out. It costs more to run. And the money in the company isn’t yours to spend freely.
Whether a company suits you depends on your income, your goals and how long you’ll invest. That’s a conversation for you, me and your accountant together.
Debt recycling
Why debt recycling stays in your personal name
Debt recycling only works if the interest is deductible against a high income. So we nearly always invest in the high earner’s personal name, not a trust or a company. Inside a trust, losses can get stuck instead of reducing the tax on your salary.
You can still borrow to invest in ETFs, and the interest is still 100% tax deductible. The 2026 Budget changes to negative gearing only apply to established residential property.
RSU proceeds
Where your RSU money goes
After a sell down, the standouts are usually the home loan and super. Paying down the mortgage cuts non deductible debt and frees up equity. Super takes the money into the lowest tax environment.
A trust is rarely the answer now, especially after the 2027 CGT change. Read about employee share scheme advice.
Example
Seeing this in practice
A couple with a joint home loan. One earns $800K, the other $100K. They set up a $1M investment loan to invest in ETFs.
- Interest at 6.5%: $65,000 a year
- In the $800K earner’s name, deducted at 47%: about $30,550 back at tax time
- In the $100K earner’s name, deducted at 32%: about $20,800 back
Same loan. Same investments. Around $9,750 a year more in their pocket, just from getting the name right.
Illustrative only. Rates include the Medicare levy. Your situation will differ.
Our role
What we do, and don’t do
We give tax and structuring advice as part of your financial plan. We don’t prepare tax returns, and we don’t set up trusts or companies. Your accountant does that, and we work with them on every decision.
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What clients say on LinkedIn.
Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a family trust still worth it in 2026?
For many people, less than it used to be. The 2027 CGT changes apply to trusts, and a 30% minimum tax on trust income is proposed from 2028. It depends on your family, your income and what the trust holds.
Should investments be in my name or my partner’s?
It depends on whether you’re borrowing. Borrowed investments usually suit the higher earner, for the deductions. Cash investments often suit the lower earner.
Is an investment company better than a family trust?
It can be for some families. Companies pay a flat 30% and weren’t affected by the CGT discount change in the same way. But there’s more tax when you take money out, and higher running costs. We work it through with your accountant.
Can I debt recycle through a family trust?
It’s possible, but we rarely recommend it. The deductions are usually worth far more in the high earner’s own name.
What is the proposed 30% minimum tax on trusts?
A 2026 Budget proposal for discretionary trust income from 1 July 2028. It isn’t law yet, so we’re watching it closely.
Do you work with my accountant?
Always. I act as your CFO, and I coordinate every structuring decision with your accountant.
Get the structure right first
Is your money in the right name?
15 minutes. No cost, no obligation.
