Division 7A - payments by private companies

About this fact sheet

This fact sheet provides information about payments made by private companies to shareholders and associates of shareholders, including information on the amendments which apply to certain payments made on or after 1 July 2009.

For an overview of the provisions of Division 7A and the meaning of 'associate', refer to the fact sheet Division 7A - overview.

Division 7A applies to payments made, loans made and debts forgiven by: a non-resident private company to an Australian resident shareholder (or their associate) closely-held corporate limited partnerships in the same way it applies to private companies, but only for payments made, loans made and debts forgiven on or after 1 July 2009. For more information, refer to Division 7A - closely held corporate limited partnerships.

A private company may be taken to pay a dividend to you at the end of the company's income year if it pays an amount to you during the year when you are a shareholder or an associate of a shareholder of the company.

If the payment is made after you cease to be a shareholder or their associate, it may still be a dividend if a reasonable person would conclude that the payment was made because you were a shareholder or their associate at some time.

The total of all dividends a private company is taken to pay under Division 7A is limited to its distributable surplus for that income year - for more information, refer to the fact sheet Division 7A - distributable surplus.

However, Division 7A does not apply to payments to a shareholder or associate of a shareholder in their capacity as an employee. Fringe benefits tax (FBT) may apply instead of Division 7A - for more information, refer to the fact sheet Division 7A and fringe benefits tax (FBT).

	In this fact sheet, references to a shareholder or their associate also refers to: an entity that has been a shareholder an entity that has been an associate of a shareholder.
	Division 7A also applies to certain payments made by trustees to a shareholder (or an associate of a shareholder) of a private company where the company is presently entitled to an amount from the net income of the trust estate and the whole of that amount has not been paid by a specified date. However, the rules in Subdivision EA do not apply in all cases where there is an unpaid present entitlement. For more information, refer to the fact sheet Division 7A - trust amounts treated as dividends - overview and Division 7A - trust amounts treated as dividends - payments.
	Division 7A also applies to certain payments and loans made by private companies to a shareholder or an associate of a shareholder through interposed entities. For more information, refer to the fact sheet Division 7A - payments and loans through interposed entities.