A Limited Recourse Borrowing Arrangement is one of the most powerful strategies available to Australian SMSF trustees — and one of the most technically complex. We arrange the specialist finance and coordinate the legal and tax compliance, so every element is structured correctly from the start.
60+
LRBAs arranged
residential & commercial
$450K
Avg. SMSF balance
at time of LRBA application
12–16
Weeks typical timeline
from brief to settlement
2
Teams coordinated
CPL Finance + TaxWin SMSF
Is This Right For Me?
Buying the property your business operates from inside your SMSF is one of Australia's most tax-effective strategies. We structure and finance the acquisition.
A minimum fund balance of approximately $300,000 is generally required to make an LRBA financially viable after fees, deposit, and ongoing compliance costs.
Family SMSFs with pooled balances often have the most efficient path to property via LRBA — larger deposit, better serviceability, and lower cost per member.
A business real property owned by your SMSF and leased back to your business at market rent is ATO-permitted and an exceptionally tax-efficient structure. We know how to set it up correctly.
Our Process
We review your fund's current balance, existing investments, and proposed property to determine whether an LRBA is viable and appropriate. This is conducted alongside our TaxWin SMSF team to ensure the investment strategy and trust deed permit the acquisition.
An LRBA requires a separate bare trust (holding trust) to hold the property until the loan is repaid. We coordinate with specialist SMSF solicitors to establish the bare trust, review the SMSF deed, and ensure the structure complies with ATO requirements.
Not all lenders offer SMSF loans. We work with specialist SMSF lenders who understand the structure — applying only to lenders whose current credit policy suits your fund's balance, property type, and LVR position.
What We Do
SMSF loans (LRBAs) are a specialist product — not all lenders offer them, and those that do have significantly different policies, LVR limits (typically 70–80% for residential, 65% for commercial), and fund balance requirements.
Every LRBA requires a separate bare trust to hold the property. We coordinate with specialist SMSF solicitors to establish the bare trust correctly — without this structure, the loan is non-compliant and the SMSF's tax concessions are at risk.
Your SMSF deed must explicitly permit borrowing and property investment. We work with our TaxWin SMSF team to review (and if necessary update) your trust deed before application, preventing compliance issues at settlement.
LRBAs work for both residential investment properties and commercial properties — including the property your business operates from. We have experience with both, and know the specific lender and compliance requirements for each.
Selling the property your business uses into your SMSF and leasing it back is ATO-permitted for business real property. We structure the LRBA, the lease agreement, and coordinate the sale/acquisition to ensure full ATO compliance.
The LRBA finance cannot be divorced from the SMSF compliance structure. Our TaxWin SMSF accountants manage the annual compliance, audit, and tax return for your fund — ensuring the investment strategy, financial statements, and ATO lodgments all align.
The Situation
A dental practice in Sydney's Inner West had been paying $8,500/month rent for 11 years. The practice's two owners had an SMSF with $780,000 in combined super. The property came up for sale at $1.35M.
What We Did
CPL Finance arranged a 70% LVR LRBA ($945,000) with a specialist SMSF lender. TaxWin established the bare trust, reviewed and updated the SMSF deed, coordinated the settlement, and updated the investment strategy documentation. The SMSF acquired the property as a commercial business real property leased back to the practice.
The Outcome
Monthly rent ($8,500) is now paid to the SMSF rather than a third-party landlord. At the 15% SMSF tax rate, rental income is taxed minimally. The practice still deducts the rent as a business expense. The combined tax efficiency — contributions tax + rental income tax — is substantially lower than personal property ownership.
$102K
annual rent now flowing into the SMSF rather than to a landlord
"All cases are anonymised. Results vary by individual circumstances."
An LRBA allows an SMSF to borrow money to purchase a single asset (typically property). The 'limited recourse' aspect means if the SMSF defaults, the lender can only claim against the property being purchased — not the other assets in the fund. The property is held in a separate bare trust until the loan is fully repaid.
Most specialist SMSF lenders require a minimum fund balance of $200,000–$300,000 and will lend up to 70–80% LVR for residential property (lower for commercial). After deposit, stamp duty, legal fees, and ongoing compliance costs, a fund balance of $350,000+ is typically needed to make the numbers work.
Yes — this is one of the most tax-efficient SMSF strategies available. Business real property (commercial premises used by a related party) is ATO-permitted in an SMSF. The SMSF buys the property and leases it back to your business at market rent. Your business deducts the rent; the SMSF receives it at the concessional 15% tax rate.
SMSF loans (LRBAs) are fundamentally different to personal investment loans — they require a separate bare trust structure, specific ATO-compliant documentation, specialist lenders, and ongoing compliance monitoring. A standard mortgage broker cannot arrange an LRBA; it requires specialist SMSF lending expertise.
CPL Finance arranges the specialist LRBA from our lender network. TaxWin SMSF team establishes the bare trust, reviews or updates the SMSF deed, coordinates the annual audit, and manages the SMSF tax return. Both teams communicate directly — avoiding the gaps that occur when clients use separate providers.
CPL Finance — SMSF Loans
Tell us a bit about what you need. One of our advisors will get back to you within one business day.
Sydney CBD Office
Phone Number
(02) 9261 0769Email Address
info@cplinternationalgroup.com.auSydney CBD Office
Level 2, Suite 203B, 309 Pitt Street, Sydney NSW 2000Hours
Mon–Fri, 9am–5pm
