If the partnership received assessable dividends directly or indirectly from a New Zealand franking company, the dividends (including any supplementary dividends) must be declared as assessable foreign income even if dividend withholding tax was deducted in New Zealand. The individual partners may be able to claim a foreign income tax offset for any New Zealand dividend withholding tax paid on the dividend. To work out whether the dividend is assessable income, see the Foreign income return form guide 2015–16.
If the dividend from a New Zealand franking company is assessable income, then the amount of the Australian franking credit attached to the dividend is also assessable income if the partnership is eligible to receive imputation benefits. Subject to the holding period rule and related payments rule, the partners can claim a franking tax offset equal to the amount of the Australian franking credit included in its assessable income. For more information, see Appendix 1.
The dividend may include an amount of New Zealand imputation credits. Australian residents cannot claim any amounts of New Zealand imputation credits.
All dividend income, deductions and foreign tax paid must be converted into Australian dollars. The amount of Australian franking credits should also be expressed in Australian dollars.
Changes to income tests require each partner to report their share of the partnership rental property income or loss. As such, if you have included foreign rental income at item 23, show your net rental property income or loss at H item 50 and complete your share of net rental property income or loss at K item 51. For more information, see Income tests.
Gross foreign source income
Show at B the gross amount (that is, the amount including any foreign or Australian tax withheld or paid) of assessable income derived from foreign sources, including amounts distributed from other partnerships and trusts as well as New Zealand dividends and supplementary dividends.
Do not include at B:
- any income which is exempt from tax in Australia or treated as non-assessable non-exempt income under sections 23AI and 23AK of the ITAA 1936
- any amount of New Zealand imputation credits
- any amount of Australian franking credits attached to dividends from a New Zealand franking company, show these at D
- income already shown at item 22 Attributed foreign income
- any capital gains or capital losses.
Each partner must include their share of any capital gains or capital losses on their own tax return.
If the TOFA rules apply to the partnership, include 'gross foreign source income' from financial arrangements subject to the TOFA rules at B.
Net foreign source income
Show at V the net income derived from foreign sources.
The amount at V is the gross amount shown at B, minus any deductions allowable to the partnership against that income. Debt deductions (such as interest and borrowing costs) that relate to assessable foreign source income and that are not attributable to an overseas permanent establishment of the taxpayer should not be applied against assessable foreign source income at this item. Include them at item 18 Other deductions.
If the amount at V is negative, print L in the box at the right of the amount.
If the amount you show at V includes foreign source business income see Small business income tax offset.
If the TOFA rules apply to the partnership, include 'net foreign source income' from financial arrangements subject to the TOFA rules at B.
Current year foreign losses
Foreign losses can be deducted in calculating the partnership's net income or loss under section 90 of the ITAA 1936, and so be distributed to the partners for use against their own assessable income.
Foreign income tax offset
Show at Z the amount of any foreign income tax paid by the partnership on foreign source income.
If foreign income tax has actually been paid by the partnership, then the partners may be able to claim a foreign income tax offset in their individual income tax returns if they meet the necessary conditions.
Example 10
A partnership of two Australian partners with equal interests in all income of the partnership derives net income of $1,000 on which it pays $100 of foreign income tax. The partners each include $500 in their assessable income, being their share of the net income of the partnership. They will both be entitled to a tax offset to the extent that foreign income tax is paid on the amount that is part of their assessable income. The foreign income tax paid is apportioned according to each partner’s share of the net income of the partnership included in their assessable income. Therefore, the amount of foreign tax that counts towards the offset for each partner is $50, as this is the proportionate amount of foreign income tax they are taken to have paid on the amount included in their assessable income, that is, (500/1,000) × $100. The amount of foreign income tax offset that each partner can claim is subject to the foreign income tax offset limit calculated under subsection 770-75(2) of the ITAA 1997.
For more information, see the Guide to foreign income tax offset rules 2015-16.
End of exampleAustralian franking credits from a New Zealand franking company
Show at D the amount of Australian franking credits that are included in the net income of the partnership because of franked dividends received from a New Zealand franking company directly, or indirectly through another partnership or trust.
The amount shown at D is not necessarily the total amount that each partner can claim, see Appendix 1.
Small business income tax offset
If any part of the amount at V is net business income from a small business entity, any individual partners may be entitled to the small business income tax offset.
Refer to the instructions for item 5 Business income and expenses and complete worksheet 1A Net small business income.
The individual partners will need to know their share of net small business income from the partnership to work out their entitlement to the small business income tax offset.