It is advisable to keep records of both income and deductions relating to your share investment for 5 years from the date you lodge your tax return.
Remember that your investment in shares or other assets such as instalment receipts may also give rise to a capital gain when you dispose of them. For capital gains tax purposes you will need to keep detailed records of any shares or other assets you acquired on or after 20 September 1985.
You must keep records setting out in English:
- the date you acquired the asset
- any amounts which will form part of the cost base of the asset
- the date you dispose of the asset and the capital proceeds from the sale.
From 1 January 1998 you can choose to enter information from your capital gains tax records into an asset register. Keeping an asset register may enable you to discard records that you may otherwise be required to keep for long periods of time. For more information, see the publication Capital gains tax register: a new way of keeping records (NAT 2684-7.1998).
Keep all the information that a company gives you on your shares. It may be important when calculating your capital gains tax liability after you dispose of them.
You must also keep records relating to your ownership of assets for 5 years from the date you dispose of them.