06 June 2012 6:54am

Lenders are hoping the market for self-managed superannuation fund loans will gather some much needed momentum following the release of an Australian Taxation Office ruling that provides greater clarity about the tax treatment of the product.

The ruling explains key concepts, such as the meaning of a "single acquirable asset", the difference between repairs and improvements, and how the ATO looks at the question of when an asset has been changed to such an extent that it is a different asset.

These are all issues that have caused problems for SMSF trustees and their advisers,...