This article walks you through the complete Dividend Statement workflow in ChangeGPS — from entering company and shareholder details through to generating and signing the completed dividend documentation.
Before you begin
Before starting a dividend statement, make sure you have the following information available:
The company name, ACN, ABN, and registered address
The names of all directors who will sign the declaration
The share classes to be paid (for example, Ordinary shares)
The dividend amount per share for each share class
The franking percentage for each share class (0%, partially franked, or 100%)
The name, address, and number of shares held by each shareholder
The payment date and record date for the dividend
Step-by-step guide
Step 1 — Company Info
Navigate to the Dividend Statement app. Please go to Access > Apps > ChangeGPS Dividend Statement. Select + New Statement.
Select Import from CIM to search for the company in the Client Import Manager, or select Manual entry to type the details directly.
Enter the Company Name, ACN, ABN, and Registered Address.
Select the Financial Year and enter the Company Tax Rate — select whether the company is a base rate company or standard.
In the Directors table, add all directors who will sign the dividend declaration. Enter each director's name, address, and date of appointment.
Select Next to proceed to Step 2.
Step 2 — Share Classes
Select Add Share Class to add the first share class (for example, Ordinary).
Enter the Share Class Name, the Dividend Per Share amount (in dollars), and the Franking Percentage (0 to 100%).
Within the share class, select Add Shareholder and enter each shareholder's:
Name
Address
Number of shares held
The Dividend Amount and Franking Credits per shareholder are calculated automatically based on the shares held, the dividend per share, and the franking percentage.
The Summary Statistics panel at the top of the page shows the running totals — Total Dividends, Total Franking Credits, Average Franking Percentage, and Total Shareholders — updating in real time as you enter data.
Repeat for additional share classes if the company has more than one class of shares.
Select Next to proceed to Step 3.
Example: If ordinary shares pay a dividend of $1.00 per share and are 100% franked at the 30% corporate tax rate, the franking credit per share is $0.4286 (calculated as $1.00 × 30/70). A shareholder holding 10,000 shares receives a $10,000 dividend with $4,286 of attached franking credits. ChangeGPS Dividend Statement calculates this automatically.
Step 3 — Document Content
Review the pre-populated content sections of the dividend statement. These are generated automatically from the company and distribution data entered in Steps 1 and 2.
Edit any sections as needed — for example, to add specific meeting minutes references or to customise the director declaration wording.
Select Next to proceed to Step 4.
Step 4 — Review & Send
Review the completed dividend statement in the PDF preview panel.
Use the actions sidebar to deliver the documents:
Export PDF — Download the dividend statement as a PDF
Export Word — Download as a Word document (.docx)
Add Pages — Merge additional documents (for example, a board meeting agenda) into the package using the Collate widget
Send for Signing — Send via FuseSign for digital signature by the directors
Send Email — Email the documents directly to your client
If using FuseSign, the signing status is tracked in the module. Once all directors have signed, you and the client receive a copy of the executed documents.
Tips and best practices
Check the franking account balance before declaring. The franking credits attached to a dividend must not exceed the company's franking account balance.
Use CIM import to avoid re-entering company data. If the company is already in ChangeGPS as a CIM client, importing from CIM pre-fills the company name, ACN, ABN, and director details automatically.
Add all share classes before finalising. If the company has multiple share classes, add all of them in Step 2 before reviewing the summary statistics and proceeding to Step 3. The total dividend and franking credit amounts shown in the summary cover all share classes.
Send for signing before distributing funds. The director declaration should be signed before or at the same time as the dividend is paid. Use FuseSign to get all directors to sign digitally, which is faster than circulating a physical document.
Common issues
The franking credits calculation appears incorrect. Franking credits are calculated as: Dividend Amount × (Franking Percentage × Corporate Tax Rate) ÷ (1 − Corporate Tax Rate). At the standard 30% corporate tax rate and 100% franking, the formula is: Dividend × 30/70 = Dividend × 0.4286. Check that the Franking Percentage entered for the share class is correct (for example, 100 for fully franked, not 0.30 or 30) and that the company's corporate tax rate in Step 1 is set to 30% (or 25% for base rate entities).
The Send for Signing button is not showing. FuseSign must be connected to your ChangeGPS account before the digital signing option is available. Go to Admin Settings → Integrations to connect your FuseSign account. If FuseSign is connected but the button is not appearing, contact our support team through the chat widget.
A shareholder's dividend amount is showing as $0. Check that the shareholder's Number of Shares has been entered in Step 2. A shareholding of zero will result in a $0 dividend regardless of the dividend per share amount. Also confirm that the shareholder is nested within the correct share class.
Need help?
If you are stuck or have questions about a dividend statement, reach out through the chat widget or contact your account manager.