Reminder for first-time share investors to declare income

With the growth of micro-investment platforms helping new investors enter the market, the ATO has issued a reminder for first-time share and Exchange Traded Funds (‘ETF’) investors.

The ATO is concerned that first-time investors often do not understand their tax obligations in relation to reporting capital gains from the sale of shares and income in the form of dividends and distributions.

This could result in errors when they lodge their tax return and delay tax refunds.

While the ATO pre-fills data from third parties into individual tax returns, investors are urged to check that all relevant data has been included, or make sure their registered tax agent has all the necessary information before lodging.

Investors should also keep good records.