The standard format does not purport to deal with all possible scenarios that a fund manager may encounter. Where the funds' circumstances are outside those shown in the standard format, additional information or requirements need to be considered. For example, attributed foreign income may need to be included.
Fund managers may delete lines that are not relevant to their particular circumstances. For example, if there is no indexed capital gain, the lines for an indexed capital gain may be deleted. Also, if there is no foreign income, Part B may be deleted, but we recommend that the fund manager include a note advising that Part B is not shown as it is not applicable.
The format is based on the standard information needs of a resident individual unit holder in a unit trust operated by the funds management industry. The circumstances are relevant to those unit holders who hold units on capital account and where distributions labelled as 'non-assessable amounts' are not capital gains or ordinary income of the unit holder. It is also assumed that the unit holder is a resident for the whole of the year of income.
Fund managers should apply relevant provisions of the income tax law in preparing the taxation information in the distribution statement, in particular Division 6 of Part III of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1936 (ITAA 1936). Trustees should carefully consider the specific facts and circumstances applying to the trust, especially in determining the nature of distribution components, such as the characterisation of gains on assets advised to unit holders.
The 2008 standard distribution statement is current as at 19 May 2008 and is issued at this time to allow the necessary systems changes to be implemented by the fund managers before 30 June 2008 for 2008 income year reporting. If subsequent changes are necessary we will discuss these with industry bodies.