Things you need to know
Declare at this question dividends and distributions that you receive or are credited from Australian companies that you had shares in. These include:
- dividends applied under a dividend reinvestment plan
- dividends that were dealt with on your behalf
- bonus shares that qualify as dividends
- distributions by a corporate limited partnership
- dividends you receive from a corporate unit trust
- dividends you receive from a public trading trust
- dividends you receive from a listed investment company.
You may also include the following as dividends:
- earnings you receive, or are credited with, on a non-share equity interest
- amounts you receive from, or are credited by
- a private company as a shareholder or an associate of a shareholder in the form of payments, loans or debts forgiven (these are generally unfranked dividends)
- the trustee of a trust estate in the form of payments, loans or debts forgiven where a private company in which you're a shareholder, or an associate of a shareholder, had an unpaid present entitlement (or was going to have such an entitlement by a certain time) from the trust (these are generally unfranked dividends).
Don't include dividends you receive under a demerger unless the company advises you to include them.
Your dividend statements will show the amounts and should show the payment dates.
If you receive, or are credited with, a dividend when you aren't an Australian resident, see Non-resident withholding tax – Dividends.
Don't include at this question
If you:
- receive a distribution from an exchange traded fund (ETF), a managed investment trust (MIT) or an attribution managed investment trust (AMIT), see supplementary tax return question 13 Partnerships and trusts 2025.
- receive a distribution from a partnership or trust, see supplementary tax return question 13 Partnerships and trusts 2025
- carry on a business of trading in shares, see supplementary tax return question 15 Net income or loss from business 2025
- sell, redeem, cancel or otherwise dispose of shares during the year (but don't carry on a business of trading in shares), see supplementary tax return question 18 Capital gains 2025
- receive dividends from a foreign company, see the supplementary tax return question 20 Foreign source income and foreign assets or property 2025
- receive dividends from a New Zealand company with Australian franking credits attached, see supplementary tax return question 20 Foreign source income and foreign assets or property 2025
- receive dividends or a distribution on which family trust distribution tax has been paid, see supplementary tax return question A5 Amount on which family trust distribution tax has been paid 2025.
If you don't receive or aren't credited with any dividends by Australian companies, go to question 12 Employee share schemes 2025.
What you need to answer this question
You'll need your statements from each Australian company, corporate limited partnership, corporate unit trust, public trading trust and listed investment company that pays you dividends or makes distributions to you from 1 July 2024 to 30 June 2025 inclusive.
Your statements may show:
- amounts of franked and unfranked dividends
- amounts of franking credits
- TFN amounts withheld from unfranked dividends.
Franking credits are amounts of tax paid by the company that are allocated to your dividend or distribution. You include as assessable income both:
- the amount of your dividend or distribution
- the amount of the franking credits allocated to you.
You also receive a tax credit on your tax assessment for an amount equal to the franking credits.
You may not be entitled to claim the franking credits if any of the following apply:
- within 45 days of buying the shares (excluding the dates of purchase and disposal), you either sell them or enter into an arrangement to reduce the risk of making a loss on them (for certain preference shares, this period extends to 90 days)
- you have shares and are under an obligation to make, or likely to make, a related payment
- you receive a dividend as a result of a dividend washing arrangement.
For more information, see Holding period rule, Related payments rule and Dividend washing integrity rule in Special circumstances 2025.
TFN amounts are amounts of tax withheld from dividends and some distributions by investment bodies because you didn't give them your TFN or ABN. TFN amounts show on your dividend statement. You must include these amounts in the amount of unfranked dividends in your tax return.
If you have any shares in joint names, show only your proportion of the dividends. This will be half if you hold the shares equally with one other person. Keep a record of how you work out your proportion if you and the other joint owners don't own the shares equally.
Completing your tax return
To complete this question, follow the steps.
If any of your statements don't show franked and unfranked portions of the dividend, show the total dividend amount at label T.
Step 1
Add up all the unfranked dividend amounts from your statements, including any TFN amounts withheld. Include any other amount that is treated as dividends.
Write the total amount at label S.
Step 2
Add up all the franked dividend amounts from your statements and any other franked dividends you receive or are credited to you.
Write the total amount at label T.
Step 3
Add up the 'franking credit amounts' from your statements. Don't include them if the holding period rule, related payments rule or dividend washing integrity rule prevent you from claiming them. For more information, see You and your shares 2025.
Write the total amount at label U.
Step 4
Add up all the TFN amounts withheld that haven't been refunded to you.
Write the total, including cents at label V.
Keep your dividend statements.
Where to go next
- Go to question 12 Employee share schemes 2025.
- Return to main menu Individual tax return instructions 2025.
- Go back to question 10 Gross interest 2025.