Guide to capital gains tax 2005-06

Chapter 3 - keeping records

You must keep records of everything that affects your capital gains and capital losses. There are penalties if you do not keep the records for at least five years after the relevant capital gains tax (CGT) event.

Keeping adequate records of all expenditure will help you correctly work out the amount of capital gain or capital loss you have made when a CGT event happens. It will also help to make sure you do not pay more CGT than is necessary. You should also keep records relevant to a net capital loss that you carry forward as part of unapplied net capital losses. You may be able to apply this net capital loss against a capital gain in a later year.

Keeping good records can help your beneficiaries reduce the impact of CGT after you die. If you leave an asset to another person, the asset may be subject to CGT when a CGT event happens to that asset in the future - for example, if your daughter (the beneficiary) sells the shares (the asset) you have left her in your will.

Sections within Chapter 3 - keeping records

• What records do you need to keep?
• Asset registers
• Exceptions
• It is never too late