Section B – Franking deficit tax and over-franking tax

Credits that arose in your franking account

If you are a corporate tax entity that received the R&D refundable tax offset during the period to which the franking account return relates (or you received the R&D refundable tax offset in an earlier period), you should only include franking credits arising from either payments of PAYG instalments or income tax after all deferred franking debits have been utilised.

Show at A Credits that arose in your franking account the total franking credits that arose in the franking account for the period to which this Franking account tax return relates. This amount is the total of all franking credits that arose in the franking account during the income year (or the 12-month period ending on 30 June, for certain late balancing corporate tax entities).

The total amount of franking credits that arose in the franking account in an income year:

• does not include the opening balance of the franking account for the income year, but
• does include a credit that arises at the beginning of the income year as a result of an FDT liability that is incurred at the end of the previous income year.

The amount at A should reflect a ‘tax paid’ basis.

Total franking credits for subsidiary members moving in and out of a consolidated group

When a corporate tax entity becomes a subsidiary member of a consolidated group, it must determine its franking account balance just before the time of entry (the ‘joining time’). If the subsidiary has a deficit balance in its franking account just before the joining time, it is liable to pay FDT. The period during the income year before the joining time or after exit from the consolidated group is a ‘non-membership period’. If there is a liability to pay FDT, the subsidiary must show at A the total franking credits that arose during the non-membership period ending immediately before the joining time.

During the period in which a corporate tax entity is a subsidiary member of a consolidated group (the 'membership period'), its franking account continues to exist but is inoperative. While the subsidiary member’s franking account is inoperative, any franking credits or debits that would have arisen in the subsidiary’s franking account if the subsidiary were not a member are instead attributed to the franking account of the head company. This includes entries relating to a non-membership period but which came about during the membership period.

Where a corporate tax entity has operated outside the group for more than one non-membership period during a particular income year, the amount of franking credits that arose for that year is worked out by calculating the amount of franking credits that arose for each non-membership period. The subsidiary member’s total franking credits received for the income year, shown at A, is the total of the credits that arose in each non-membership period.

The amount shown at A for the period in this Franking account tax return does not necessarily equal the amount shown at J Franking credits item 7 on the Company tax return 2022. Amounts at A relate to all the franking credits that arose in the franking account during the period to which this Franking account tax return relates. By contrast, J item 7 on the company tax return relates only to franking credits that arose because of franked distributions received during the income year.

Franking deficit tax

Under the simplified imputation system, a liability to pay FDT will arise where one of the following occurs:

• A corporate tax entity has a franking deficit in its franking account at the end of its income year, or at the time it ceases to be a franking entity, or, in the case of a New Zealand franking company, when its election to join the Australian imputation system is revoked or cancelled – for more information, see Trans-Tasman Imputation special rules.
• The subsidiary has a franking deficit in its franking account just before the entity becomes a subsidiary member of a consolidated group.
• A corporate tax entity receives certain refunds of income tax within three months after the end of the income year, or within three months after it ceases to be a franking entity, and a franking deficit (or an increase in a franking deficit) would have arisen if the refund had been received in the income year. For more information, see A refund of income tax affecting a FDT liability.

A franking entity is a corporate tax entity that is not a mutual life insurance company. Where the entity is a company that is a trustee of a trust, it will be a franking entity at a particular time if it is not acting in its capacity as trustee of the trust at that time.

A late balancing corporate tax entity that elects to have its FDT determined on a 30 June basis will be liable to pay FDT where a franking deficit exists at the end of 30 June or immediately before it ceases to be a franking entity or, in the case of a New Zealand franking company, when its election to join the Australian imputation system is revoked or cancelled. It will also be liable to pay FDT if it receives certain refunds of income tax within three months of the period ending on 30 June.

A franking deficit exists where the total amount of franking debits exceed the total amount of franking credits.

Show at B FDT the sum of the amounts of the franking deficit in the franking account:

• at the end of the income year (or the 12-month period ending on 30 June) or at the time the entity ceased to be a franking entity or, in the case of a New Zealand franking company, when its election to join the Australian imputation system is revoked or cancelled, taking into account any refunds taken to have been received in that period (see A refund of income tax affecting a FDT liability), and
• if applicable, just before the entity becomes a subsidiary member of a consolidated group.

This is the amount of FDT that is payable.

Where a corporate tax entity incurs an FDT liability, it is generally able to claim the whole or part of that amount as a tax offset against its future income tax liabilities. See Offsetable portion of current year FDT.

If you are required to complete F FDT attributable to refund (see A refund of income tax affecting a FDT liability) then you must include the amount shown at F (if any) in the amount at B FDT.

FDT liability for subsidiary members moving in and out of a consolidated group

Where a corporate tax entity becomes a subsidiary member of a consolidated group, it must determine its franking account balance just before the time of entry (the ‘joining time’). If the subsidiary has a franking deficit in its franking account just before the joining time, it is liable to pay FDT. Include at B the amount of franking deficit in the franking account just before the joining time.

The period during the income year before the joining time or after exit from the consolidated group is a ‘non-membership period’. There could be multiple exits and entries within one income year. Where a corporate tax entity has operated outside the group for more than one period during a particular income year, the amount of FDT liability that arose for that year is worked out by calculating the amount of franking deficit balance that was in the franking account just before each of the joining times. Include at B the total of the deficit balances that were in the subsidiary member’s franking account just before each of the joining times.

Where a corporate tax entity has more than one non-membership period during a particular income year, attach a letter to the Franking account tax return detailing the amount of credits that arose in your franking account and the franking tax liability for each non-membership period. Also provide the name of the head company of each consolidated group of which your company was or is a member. We need this information to process your Franking account tax return correctly.

A refund of income tax affecting a FDT liability

An entity is taken to have received an income tax refund for an income year immediately before the end of the income year or immediately before it ceased to be a franking entity if:

• the refund is paid within three months after the end of the income year or within three months after it ceased to be a franking entity (and it is attributable to a period in the year during which the entity was a franking entity), and
• the franking account would have been in deficit, or in deficit to a greater extent, at the end of that income year or immediately before it ceased to be a franking entity, had the refund been received during the income year or before the entity ceased to be a franking entity.

This rule ensures that an entity does not avoid FDT by deferring the time at which a franking debit occurs in its franking account.

Some late balancing corporate tax entities may elect to have their FDT liability determined on 30 June. If a late balancing corporate tax entity makes this election it will be taken to have received an income tax refund immediately before 30 June or immediately before it ceased to be a franking entity if:

• the refund is received either within three months after 30 June, or within three months immediately after it ceased to be a franking entity
• the refund is attributable to the 12-month period ending on 30 June, or is attributable to a period within that 12 months during which the entity was a franking entity, and
• the franking account would have been in deficit, or in deficit to a greater extent, at the end of 30 June or immediately before it ceased to be a franking entity, had the refund been received immediately before 30 June, or immediately before it ceased to be a franking entity.

If you receive a refund of the kind explained above and you are already obliged to lodge (and have not yet lodged) a Franking account tax return, then you can account for the refund and your other liabilities or obligations in a single tax return. If you do not account for the refund in that single tax return, then you need to account for it in a further tax return. If you do account for the refund in a further tax return:

• print X in the Yes box at section A, Is this a subsequent franking account tax return for the income year? and
• write the amount of the FDT attributable to the refund of income tax in section B, F FDT attributable to refund. Complete F only if this Franking account tax return is a further tax return. You must include the amount at F (if any) in the amount at B FDT.

Amount of FDT

If, before receipt of the refund, there was a franking deficit at the end of the income year (or the 12-month period ending on 30 June) or immediately before the entity ceased to be a franking entity, then the franking deficit that should be written at B is that deficit plus the amount of the refund.

If, before receipt of the refund, there was no franking deficit at the end of the income year (or the 12-month period ending on 30 June) or immediately before the entity ceased to be a franking entity, then the franking deficit that should be written at B is the amount of the refund reduced by the franking surplus (if any) existing at that time.

If you have completed F, include the amount at F in the amount at B. Any FDT that you have already paid will be taken into account.

Lodgment and payment date

The time for lodgment of a Franking account tax return that accounts for a refund of income tax will depend on whether a Franking account tax return is outstanding at the time the refund is received.

A Franking account tax return is an outstanding return at the time a refund of income tax is received if all the following apply:

• the entity is required to lodge a Franking account tax return (for example, because the entity’s franking account was in deficit at the end of its income year or immediately before it ceased to be a franking entity)
• the time for lodging the entity’s Franking account tax return has not yet passed, and
• the Franking account tax return has not yet been lodged.

For certain late balancing corporate tax entities that elect to have their FDT liability determined on a 30 June basis, a Franking account tax return is outstanding if:

• the entity is required to lodge a Franking account tax return (for example, because the entity’s franking account was in deficit at the end of 30 June or immediately before it ceased to be a franking entity)
• the time for lodging the entity's Franking account tax return has not yet passed, and
• the Franking account tax return has not yet been lodged.

Is there an outstanding Franking account tax return when you receive a refund?

No Lodge the Franking account tax return that accounts for the refund. Pay any FDT liability within 14 days after you receive the refund.

Yes Lodge the outstanding Franking account tax return when you receive the refund. Pay any FDT or OFT by the last day of the month following the end of the income year (or the 12-months period ending on 30 June). Account for the refund either:

• in the outstanding Franking account tax return, or
• in an additional Franking account tax return. Lodge this additional Franking account tax return (and pay the additional FDT) within 14 days after you received the refund.

Offsetable portion of current year FDT

Where a corporate tax entity incurs an FDT liability in a year for which it is a resident entity for imputation purposes, it is able to claim the whole or part of that amount as a tax offset against its income tax liability for that year or a subsequent year for which it is a resident entity for imputation purposes.

The maximum amount of the offset is the amount of the FDT liability. However, this is reduced where an entity has, directly or indirectly, made a franked distribution, and the deficit is, at least in part, attributable to franking debits that arose in the franking account under items 1, 2, 3, 5 and 6 of the table in section 205-30 of the ITAA 1997 (but not item 2 alone) and that part is greater than 10% of the total credits that arose in the franking account for 2021–22. This is called the ‘FDT offset reduction rule’.

For certain late balancing entities, the year is the 12-month period ending on 30 June. Special provisions apply to these entities, which may affect the calculation of the offset.

Where the FDT offset reduction rule applies, the tax offset is reduced by an amount equal to 30% of the portion of the deficit attributable to items 1, 2, 3, 5 and 6 franking debits (see Table 4).

The amount of FDT liability able to be offset will not be reduced where:

• the entity is a private company with no previous income tax liability that satisfies certain criteria
• the Commissioner’s discretion is exercised to allow the full offset because the deficit was due to events beyond the entity’s control, or
• the entity did not have any item 1, 3, 5 or 6 debits in the franking account for the year the deficit arose.

If you show the letter P or F at the code box in section A of this tax return, the offset will not be reduced, and the amount you show at C Offsetable portion of current year FDT is equal to the FDT liability you show at B.

If you show the letter C at the code box in section A of this tax return, show the reduced offset amount at C Offsetable portion of current year FDT. However, the full amount of the offset will be allowed to a corporate tax entity that satisfies the residency requirement for imputation purposes if the Commissioner exercises the discretion to allow it.

For more information about the situations where the offset reduction rule does not apply, see You may be entitled to the full amount of your current year FDT offset.

How to calculate the reduced offset amount to include at C Offsetable portion of current year FDT

The full amount of the FDT liability recorded by a corporate tax entity at B can be used to calculate its FDT offset because of the current year's deficit if the:

• entity is a resident entity for imputation purposes for the relevant year, and
• the FDT liability attributable to items 1, 2, 3, 5 and 6 (of the table below) is less than or equal to 10% of the total franking credits that arose in the franking account for the income year.

This same amount should be recorded in section B at C Offsetable portion of current year FDT.

Subject to the exceptions mentioned above and the special rule for late balancing entities, the reduced offset amount that should be shown at C Offsetable portion of current year FDT is calculated using the following method.

Step 1 Work out the amount of FDT liability that the entity has incurred in the income year.

Step 2 Did any franking debits arise in the entity's franking account under items 1, 3, 5 or 6 of section 205-30 of the ITAA 1997?

• If yes, go to step 3.
• If no, the FDT offset reduction does not apply. The amount of FDT liability from step 1 is the amount shown at C Offsetable portion of current year FDT on the Franking account tax return. This is the amount that can be claimed as a tax offset by a corporate tax entity that satisfies the residency requirement for imputation purposes.

Step 3 Work out the amount of FDT liability attributable to items 1, 3, 5 and 6, plus any item 2 franking debits.

• Add together the opening credit balance (if any) of the franking account and any franking credits that arose in the account for the year (see A Credits that arose in your franking account). Subtract from this amount the total of the items 1, 2, 3, 5 and 6 debits.
• If the result is zero or positive, the FDT offset reduction does not apply and the amount of FDT liability from step 1 can be claimed as a tax offset by a corporate tax entity that satisfies the residency requirement for imputation purposes. This is the amount that you show at C Offsetable portion of current year FDT on the franking account return.
• If the result is negative, this is the amount of FDT attributable to items 1, 2, 3, 5 and 6.

Step 4 If the step 3 amount for the income year is negative and is less than or equal to 10% of the total franking credits that arose in the franking account for the same year, the FDT offset reduction does not apply and the amount of FDT liability from step 1 can be claimed as a tax offset by a corporate tax entity that satisfies the residency requirement for imputation purposes. This is the amount that you show at C Offsetable portion of current year FDT on the franking account return.

If the step 3 amount for the year is negative and is greater than 10% of the total franking credits that arose in the franking account for the same year, the FDT offset reduction applies as follows:

• Work out 30% of the step 3 amount. This is the reduction amount.
• Take the reduction amount away from the amount of FDT liability at step 1.
• The result is the amount that can be claimed as a tax offset by a corporate tax entity that satisfies the residency requirement for imputation purposes. This is the amount that you show at C Offsetable portion of current year FDT on the Franking account tax return.

The amount you show at C Offsetable portion of current year FDT of this Franking account tax return is only step 1 in the calculation to determine the whole amount that a corporate tax entity that satisfies the residency requirement for imputation purposes is entitled to as an FDT offset against any income tax liability arising in Company tax return 2022. See the Company tax return instructions 2022 for more information on how to calculate this amount.

Corporate tax entities that do not satisfy the residency requirement for imputation purposes are not entitled to the offset. However, they include at C Offsetable portion of current year FDT the amount calculated in accordance with the above method.

If debits arose in the company’s franking account under items 1, 3, 5 or 6 of the table in section 205-30 of the ITAA 1997, ensure you have completed K Debits not subject to the FDT offset penalty.

Debits not subject to the FDT offset reduction

Franking debits arising under items 4, 7, 7A, 7B or 9 and in some circumstances item 2 of the table in section 205-30 of the ITAA 1997 will not be taken into account when determining whether the FDT offset reduction applies and the amount of the reduction. See Table 2 for details of the debits relating to these items.

Franking debits arising under items 10, 11 and 12 of the table in section 205-30 (in relation to friendly societies) will also not be taken into account.

Show at K the amount of debits that arose in the corporate tax entity’s franking account under items 4, 7, 7A, 7B and 9 of the table in section 205-30 of the ITAA 1997 for the period to which this Franking account tax return relates.

If no franking debits arose in the corporate tax entity’s franking account under items 1, 3, 5 or 6 of the table in section 205-30 of the ITAA 1997, also show at K any franking debits that arose under item 2 Franking debits that arise when the entity receives a refund of income tax.

Over-franking tax

Where the franking percentage for a distribution exceeds the benchmark franking percentage, liability for OFT arises unless the Commissioner has made a determination permitting the over-franking (or the corporate tax entity is a listed public company that satisfies certain criteria so that it is not subject to the benchmark rule, or is a 100% subsidiary of such a company).

Show at D Over-franking tax the amount of OFT worked out using the following formula:

Amount of the frankable distribution × (franking % differential ÷ applicable gross-up rate)

• where the franking % differential is the difference between the franking percentage for the frankable distribution and either  
  • the entity’s benchmark franking percentage for the franking period in which the distribution is made, or
  • the franking percentage permitted by the Commissioner in a determination allowing the corporate tax entity to depart from the benchmark rule
• where the applicable gross-up rate is the corporate tax gross-up rate of the entity making the distribution for the income year in which the distribution is made. The corporate tax gross-up rate is calculated using the following formula:

(100% − your corporate tax rate for imputation purposes) ÷ your corporate tax rate for imputation purposes.

For 2021–22, the corporate tax rate for imputation purposes can be 25% or 30%. To determine your corporate tax rate for imputation purposes, see Allocating franking credits. See also Changes to company tax rates.

Total tax payable

After completing section B, add up the amounts shown at B (or, if the franking account tax return is a further return, at F) and D and write the total at E Total tax payable. This is the amount the entity has to pay.

The amount completed at section B, A Credits that arose in your franking account, does not necessarily equal the amount on the Company tax return 2022 at J Franking credits item 7. Amounts in A relate to all the franking credits that arose in the franking account during the income year. By contrast, J item 7 in the company tax return relates only to franking credits you received that were attached to franked distributions received during the income year.

Continue to: Section C – Significant variation in benchmark franking percentage