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Completing your company tax return

Last updated 9 February 2017

Non-profit organisations that are required to lodge a tax return use the company tax return.

The following tips will help you to avoid common errors made by non-profit organisations when completing the company tax return:

This guide does not cover all of the items in the company tax return that may apply to non-profit organisations.

Relevant period

Relevant period label from Company tax return 2014

An entity’s income year for the purposes of tax law is usually the period of 12 months ending on 30 June each year.

If you do not write any dates in this field, then your organisation will be treated as having a 1 July to 30 June income year.

Common errors: dates shown incorrectly

There are two main errors:

  • writing a period other than ending 30 June, without having an approved substituted accounting period (SAP)
  • having an approved SAP, but not writing any dates.

Consequence of these errors

We may return your tax return as incomplete and ask you to lodge it with the approved SAP date. We will consider that you have not lodged a tax return until you lodge your corrected tax return.

We may approve a SAP retrospectively, but this can result in:

  • pay as you go instalments being allocated to a wrong year
  • incorrect due dates for lodgment
  • delays in the processing of refunds
  • the application of penalties.

Solutions

An entity that wishes to adopt a SAP can only do so with the Commissioner of Taxation’s approval.

An entity with an approved SAP should use the company tax return for the correct income year. For example, if an organisation has an approved SAP with a balance date between:

  • 1 July 2013 and 30 November 2013 inclusive, it should use the 2013 company tax return
  • 1 December 2013 and 30 June 2014 inclusive, it should use the 2014 company tax return.

How you know if your organisation has an approved SAP

We would have sent you a letter confirming your approved SAP.

You can also check by phoning us on 1300 130 248.

Granting of a SAP

A SAP may be approved if your organisation can demonstrate that its circumstances are out of the ‘ordinary run’.

Circumstances which are out of the ‘ordinary run’ include:

  • an ongoing event, industry practice, business driver or other ongoing circumstance which makes 30 June either inappropriate or impractical as a balance date
  • alignment of balance dates within a group.

See also:

  • While it is not possible to set out all the circumstances in which a SAP may be granted, Law Administration Practice Statement PS LA 2007/21 Substituted accounting periods contains examples of facts and circumstances that may be considered relevant in deciding if a SAP should be granted.

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