When both parties earn the same income and will do for the foreseeable future, can anyone think of a reason for not buying shares in joint names? The only one I can think of is that individual ownership might make it easier to transfer shares into our superannuation funds on retirement to take advantage of the hopefully still tax-free environment by then.
dallee
But there's always the chance that income levels change - sometimes very quickly when you least expect it. That's why we have set up a joint discretionary Family Trading Trust. Joint Trustees, and at the end of each Financial Year, any profits and franking credits are distributed "with discretion".
Ask your Accountant for advice, if you can't work it out on your own.
PS: Same with the Superfund. If you're married for a number of years (in my case: over 30 years), it doesn't really matter, whose name is written as "member" of the Superfund. In case of death, the non-member gets the total balance paid out in full, tax-free. If the non-member dies first, ownership remains with the surviving member. And in case of divorce, each gets half anyway. (Mine is an SMSF, already in draw-down phase, but still actively managed for growth.)
PPS: btw, who told you Superfunds are tax-free? Profits are taxed (inside the Fund) at 15% flat. Only distributions, even lump sumps, can be taken out without attracting personal income tax. As long as you're above preservation age, that is.