21 Capital gains

Did you have a CGT event or did the trust have an amount of capital gain(s) from another trust during the year?

If the trust had a CGT event happen during the income year, or if the trust's share of the net income of another trust included an amount attributable to a capital gain made by that other trust, print X in the Yes box at G. Otherwise, print X in the No box at G.

Generally a trust makes a capital gain or capital loss if certain events or transactions, called CGT events, happen. Most commonly, CGT events happen to a trust’s CGT assets (for example, the disposal of a CGT asset) while other CGT events relate directly to capital receipts (capital proceeds).

If the trust ceases to hold or use a depreciating asset which was used for both taxable and non-taxable purposes, a CGT event may happen to the asset. A capital gain or capital loss attributable to that non-taxable use may arise, for more information see the Guide to depreciating assets 2015.

An Australian resident makes a capital gain or capital loss if a CGT event happens to any of its worldwide CGT assets.

The CGT discount rules for foreign residents have changed. This may affect trusts with foreign-resident individual beneficiaries.

See also:

• Capital gains tax (CGT) discount for foreign resident individuals

Foreign entities and CGT events

A capital gain or capital loss from a CGT event may be disregarded if the trust is a foreign trust just before the CGT event happens, if it happens in relation to a CGT asset that is not taxable Australian property, see section 855-10 of the ITAA 1997.

A CGT event in relation to an interest in a fixed trust held by a beneficiary who is a foreign resident may not be subject to CGT if at least 90% of the assets of the fixed trust directly or indirectly through a chain of fixed trusts in which the fixed trust has an indirect or direct interest are not taxable Australian property at the time of the CGT event (see section 855-40). If you are the trustee of such a fixed trust, you may need to attach sufficient additional information to the statement of distribution provided to the beneficiaries, to enable them to work out their CGT position.

Have you applied an exemption or roll-over?

If the trust has capital gains disregarded or deferred as a result of an application of a CGT exemption or roll-over, print X in the Yes box at M. If you printed X for Yes, you may need to provide details of certain CGT exemptions and roll-overs, if you are required to lodge a CGT schedule.

Print in the code box at 21 M the code(s) from the list below that describe the CGT exemption(s) and roll-over(s) from which the trust has applied to disregard or defer a capital gain or capital loss made. If the trust applied more than one CGT exemption or roll-over, select all of the codes that apply. If you are lodging by paper write the code that represents the CGT exemption or roll-over that produced the largest amount of capital gain or capital loss deferred or disregarded.

See also:

• Guide to capital gains tax 2015

If the trust is required to lodge a CGT schedule, you may need to provide details of the capital gains deferred or disregarded as a result of applying certain CGT exemptions and roll-overs.

CGT worksheets and schedules

For more information about CGT events, see the Guide to capital gains tax 2015 which includes a:

• capital gain or loss worksheet for calculating a capital gain or capital loss for each CGT event
• CGT summary worksheet for calculating the trust’s net capital gain or capital loss
• CGT schedule.

The worksheets will help you calculate a trust’s net capital gain or capital loss for the income year and complete the CGT entries on the trust tax return. You do not have to complete the worksheets. However, if you do, do not attach them to the trust tax return, but keep them with the trust’s tax records.

Complete a CGT schedule and attach it to the trust tax return if the trust had:

• total current year capital gains greater than $10,000, or
• total current year capital losses greater than $10,000.

Net capital gain

The trust’s net capital gain is the total capital gains it made for the income year, less its current year capital losses, unapplied prior year net capital losses, CGT discount and any other relevant concessions. Relevant concessions are the small business:

• CGT 50% active asset reduction
• CGT 15-year asset exemption
• CGT retirement exemption
• CGT roll-over.

Show at A the amount of the trust’s net capital gain. If you have used the CGT summary worksheet or CGT schedule, this is the amount at:

• 6A at part 6 of the CGT summary worksheet in the Guide to capital gains tax 2015, or
• A at part 6 of the CGT schedule.
  

See also:

• How to work out your capital gain or capital loss
• Capital gains tax concessions for small business 2015

Record any unapplied net capital losses carried forward to later income years at V item 27. The trust may need to complete a losses schedule, for more information see the Losses schedule instructions 2015 (NAT 4088).