Blog

Tip #17 - Don’t fall prey to “shoebox syndrome”

by Andrew Bird, Executive Chairman, Sharesight | Sep 3rd 2013

Every week we post a tip that we hope will help you become a successful share market investor.

Tip#17 — Don’t fall prey to “shoebox syndrome”

As all share market investors know, the benefits of being in the market come with responsibilities to the tax office, not to mention the need to provide information to your accountant and frequently other interested parties as well. If you’re not prepared to keep your paperwork in good order throughout the year, or use an online share portfolio management service to do it for you, you most likely will end up in a last-minute scramble to get your affairs in order.

Paperwork haters like me know the shoebox drill – hunting around at the 11th hour (13th hour?) for trade confirmations / contract notes and dividend statements, scouring through bank statements and desperately trying to remember details of share splits, bonus issues and everything else that happened in your portfolio over the last year.

This information is not a recommendation nor a statement of opinion. You should consult an independent financial adviser before making any decisions with respect to your shares in relation to the information that is presented in this article.

FURTHER READING

Product updates May 2026

Sharesight product updates – May 2026

by Milly Brent, Business Analyst at Sharesight | May 20th 2026

This month we launched an AI trade importer, added bulk uploads for cash account transactions, improved the Australian CGT report and expanded fund support.

How to calculate Australian CGT with Sharesight

Capital gains tax made simple: CGT guide for Australian investors

by Stephanie Stefanovic | May 13th 2026

We explain the fundamentals of capital gains tax (CGT) in Australia, how it applies to your investments and how you can calculate your CGT with Sharesight.

NZ top trades Apr 26

Top trades by New Zealand Sharesight users — April 2026

by Stephanie Stefanovic | May 8th 2026

Welcome to the April 2026 edition of Sharesight’s monthly trading snapshot, where we look at the top 20 trades made by New Zealand Sharesight users.