ato logo
Search Suggestion:

Question 17 Restructuring events

Last updated 7 February 2022

This question seeks to identify significant restructures undertaken between Australian taxpayers and international related parties or your branch operations.

Disclosing a restructuring event at this question does not mean you do not still need to show specific international related party dealings at other questions. For example, if the restructuring event includes an acquisition, disposal or assignment of a capital nature during 2020–21 with an international related party, you will still need to show the consideration paid or consideration received for that acquisition, disposal or assignment at question 13.

For the purposes of this question we have adopted a wide meaning of restructuring which goes beyond the generally accepted financial definition.

Restructuring events for the purposes of this question, consistent with the definition in TR 2011/1, are arrangements whereby assets, functions or risks of a business are transferred between you and international related parties, or your branch operations. This may include:

  • reorganisation of your structure resulting in the disposal or acquisition of entities or the change in ownership of entities
  • establishing, expanding, downsizing, liquidating or relocating business operations or business lines, resulting in    
    • the acquisition or the disposal of assets or liabilities (tangible or intangible)
    • the transfer of functions or the significant modification of service arrangements between yourself and international related parties (for example, this may include transfer of agency, distribution, finance, information technology, insurance, logistics, marketing, sales, shared services, shipping, trading, transport and treasury functions)
    • the transfer of risks between yourself and international related parties
    • the increase or decrease of rights or obligations
     
  • where there has been a change in the nature of the business carried on through your branch operations, for example, you have commenced or ceased to use your property in your branch operations or you have commenced or ceased to perform functions or services through your branch operations.

There are compliance risks associated with restructures, particularly those involving international related parties. In order to analyse the compliance risks of these restructures we need to understand the nature of restructuring undertaken by Australian taxpayers with international related parties.

This question also collects information about restructures involving your branch operations. Aspects of these restructures may be reflected in internally recorded 'dealings' with your branch that record the attribution of your income and expenditure to the branch operations. For more information, see the Introduction of these instructions.

The dollar amounts or values asked for in this question are all based on your accounting records.

We recognise that this question asks you to determine a value for each restructure, even though there may not be payment of consideration in respect of some transactions forming part of the restructure. For these transactions we ask you to make a reasonable determination of the value. We do not expect you to obtain a formal valuation for this purpose.

For the purpose of this question the most material restructuring events aggregates two elements:

  • The capital value of each restructure. This will be the value of the restructure shown at D in question 17a and should be the aggregated value of the restructure in terms of acquiring or disposing of assets, liabilities, functions, risks, rights or obligations.
  • The gross impact on transactions reflected in your income and expenditure for international related party dealings, including in the next five years, resulting from each restructure.

To complete this question:

  • disregard all restructures where there is no international related party or branch operation involvement
  • determine the three most material restructure events.

If during 2020–21 you had restructuring events involving international related parties or branch operations, answer Yes at A item 17 and complete the required fields.

At item 17a:

  • Identify the principal international related party involved in each of the three restructures. At C, select branch B or entity E. for the type of related party involved in the restructure.
  • At D, select the code at Appendix 11 which indicates the relevant capital value of the first restructure listed, then determine the aggregated value shown in your accounting records during 2020–21 for each remaining restructure event in terms of acquiring or disposing of assets, liabilities, functions, risks, rights or obligations.

You will still need to show any specific international related party dealings connected with the restructuring event at other relevant questions. For example, if the restructuring event includes an acquisition, disposal or assignment of a capital nature during 2020–21 with an international related party, you will still need to show the consideration paid or consideration received for that acquisition, disposal or assignment at question 13.

  • At E, write the Appendix 7 code that best describes the nature of the restructure in terms of the asset, liability, function, risk, right or obligation.
  • At G, specify the code of the country in which the principal international related party to the relevant restructure was located, or the foreign country relevant to your branch operations.
  • At F, identify the code for the percentage of dealings for which you have documentation.

    Percentage of dealings with documentation refers to the aggregate dollar amount of transactions reported at this question for which you have relevant documentation expressed as a percentage of total dollar value of transactions reported at this question.
  • At H, write a brief description of the main elements of the restructure; the description should include both the initial transfer of assets, liabilities, functions, risks, rights or obligations and the resulting change in international related party dealings, including in future years. In the example below, the description could be 'ceased New Zealand branch operations, dealing in derivative contracts continued with other world-wide associates'. The description should be limited to 3000 characters.
  • At I, indicate if there was a contemporaneous, professional valuation study or transfer pricing analysis of the restructuring event undertaken. Transfer pricing analysis refers to transfer pricing documentation as discussed in Appendix 9.

At item 17b, answer Yes if you revalue any assets following the restructuring events involving international related parties or your branch operations.

Start of example

Example 16

During the income year an Australian resident taxpayer shut down its New Zealand branch operations. This included ceasing to carry on trading in derivative contracts through its New Zealand branch operations. However, the taxpayer continued to carry on trading in those derivative contracts other than through its New Zealand branch. Other assets were sold to different entities.

The following provides a summary of the transactions that were undertaken as part of the restructure.
The following provides a summary of the transactions that were undertaken as part of the restructure.

Item

Disposing entity location and type

Related to Australian taxpayer

Acquiring entity location and type

Related to Australian taxpayer

Dollar value $

Derivative portfolio

New Zealand branch

Yes

Australian entity (excluding New Zealand branch operations)

Yes

400,000,000

New Zealand building

New Zealand branch

Yes

Jersey subsidiary

Yes

45,000,000

Furniture and equipment

New Zealand branch

Yes

New Zealand entity

No

21,000,000

Total

na

na

na

na

466,000,000

In this example there are several relevant events involved in closing the New Zealand branch operations. These events are all part of the same restructure.

The Australian taxpayer does not report the transactions involving the sale of the building and furniture and equipment as an Australian resident is not a counterparty to these transactions. For this question, a resident's offshore branch operations are treated as a separate party located in the branch jurisdiction. The taxpayer has documentation covering 70% of this transaction.

The Australian taxpayer completes question 17 as follows:

This image is showing an example of how to complete Question 17. Question 17 Restructuring event 1 Label C Entity or branch: B Label D Capital value: 4 Label E Appendix 7 code: 5 Label G Foreign country: NZL Label F Percentage of dealings with documentation code: 4 Label H Description: ceased New Zealand branch operations dealing in derivative contracts continued with other world wide associates

End of example

QC64900