Requirements

Record keeping requirements and retention

If you are carrying on a business, you must keep records relevant for any taxation purpose that record and explain all transactions and other acts you are engaged in. Subsection 262A(2) of the ITAA 1936 prescribes the records to be kept as including:

• any documents relevant for the purpose of ascertaining the person's income or expenditure
• documents containing particulars of any election, estimate, determination or calculation made by the person for taxation purposes and, in the case of an estimate, determination or calculation, particulars showing the basis on which and the method by which the estimate, determination or calculation was made.

Generally, the trust must keep all relevant records for five years after they were prepared or obtained, or five years after the completion of the transactions or acts to which they relate, whichever is the later. This period may be extended in certain circumstances. Keep records in writing and in English. You can keep them electronically as long as the records are in a form that we can access and understand to ascertain your taxation liability. See Taxation Ruling TR 2005/9 Income tax: record keeping - electronic records.

Trust record retention

Keep the following records:

• a copy of the trust deed
• a copy of all trustee resolutions
• detailed statement of assets and liabilities
• the names in which business contracts are made
• records that show you have met your choice of superannuation fund employer obligations; for more information, see Guide to superannuation for employers or phone 13 28 64.

Tax losses record keeping

If your trust incurs tax losses, you may need to keep records longer than five years from the date when the losses were incurred.

Generally, tax losses incurred this year can be carried forward indefinitely, until they are utilised by recoupment. When utilised, the loss amount is used in calculating the trust's net income (and beneficiary's taxable income) in that year. It is in the trust's interest to keep records substantiating the balance of this year's losses until the amendment period for the trust's or beneficiary's assessment for the recoupment year in which the losses are fully applied has lapsed.

See Taxation Determination TD 2007/2 Income tax: should a taxpayer who has incurred a tax loss or made a net capital loss for an income year retain records relevant to the ascertainment of that loss only for the record retention period prescribed under income tax law? 

Capital gains tax (CGT) record keeping

For more record keeping information for CGT, see the Guide to capital gains tax 2010 (NAT 4151).

Record keeping for overseas transactions

Keep records of any overseas transactions in which the trust is involved, or has an interest, during the income year.

The involvement can be direct or indirect, for example, through individuals, trusts, companies or other entities. The interest can be vested or contingent, and includes a case where the trust has direct or indirect control of:

• any income from sources outside Australia not disclosed elsewhere on the tax return, or
• any property, including money, situated outside Australia. Where this is the case keep a record of
• • the location and nature of the property
  • the name and address of any partnership, trust, business, company, or other entity in which the trust has an interest, and
  • the nature of the interest.
   

If an overseas interest was created by exercising any power of appointment, or if the trust had an ability to control or achieve control of overseas income or property, keep a record of:

• the location and nature of the property
• the name and address of any partnership, trust, business, company, or other entity in which the trust has an interest.

If there is no trustee who is an Australian resident, the onus is on the public officer to keep this information.