[BUYING AND SELLING REAL ESTATE IN AUSTRALIA]
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ownership of land in Australia struggles to recognize the existence of a trust as only the trustee is registered on title. No particulars of any trust are recorded in the register which provides anonymity, and also some flexibility. There are three main types of trusts. Discretionary Trust A discretionary trust means that the trustee has the discretion to distribute the income and capital of the trust to a range of beneficiaries. Discretionary trusts (also known as a family trust) commonly have specified beneficiaries, as well as classes of general beneficiaries (which may include the family members of a named beneficiary and associated companies and trusts). Under a discretionary trust, the trustee can but is not obliged to make distributions, which consider the beneficiaries individual tax circumstances. A discretionary trust may also provide a reasonable level of asset protection as the beneficiaries of the trust are generally not entitled to income or capital until the trustee decides to make the distribution. Another benefit with using a trust is that a trust can take advantage of the 50% capital gains tax discount if the trust held the property for at least 12 months before it is sold, and the capital gain is distributed to an individual or another trust. Unit Trust Under a unit trust, the beneficiaries (which are referred to as unit holders) subscribe for units in the trust. Each unitholder has a fixed interest in the capital and income of the trust that corresponds with the proportion of units they hold. Units can be bought and sold. Unit trusts have the benefit of conferring a clearly defined entitlement and are considered to be more appropriate than a discretionary trust for non- family ventures.
Fixed Trust Unlike a discretionary trust, a fixed trust is a trust where beneficiaries have a fixed entitlement. The trust deed fixes the proportion of income and capital that each beneficiary is entitled to throughout the income year. With a fixed trust, the trust can take advantage of the 50% capital gains discount if there is a sale of the property where a capital gain has been derived and the property has been held for 12 months or more. Joint Venture (with or without nominee) A joint venture is another example of a structure, which may be considered when dealing with property. A joint venture is when two or more parties come together in order to undertake a specific project. For example, the acquisition and development of a property. The parties usually enter into a joint venture agreement which contains the rights and obligations of each joint venture party. Each party is treated individually or separately for tax purposes, so each party can use their own preferred tax structure. In this type of joint venture, a nominee is often used to hold the joint venture property as bare trustee. The nominee can provide a corporate identity for the joint venture and also act as the operator of the joint venture. Partnership (with or without nominee) Another alternative structure to consider when dealing with property is a partnership. Unlike a joint venture, a partnership is an arrangement between two or more entities to carry on a business together with a view to a profit. Except for certain professional partnerships, business partnerships cannot have more than 20 partners. A partnership is created by an agreement among the partners, which is usually documented in writing. The partnership is regulated by the terms of the partnership
ILN Real Estate Group – Buying and Selling Real Estate Series
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