Survey of International Investment

The ABS takes the privacy and security of your information very seriously.

We use your survey responses to produce statistics, which we release as summary data that does not identify any business or organisation. In some cases, detailed statistics might relate to a single holding. If you are concerned your holding could be identified, you can ask us to further aggregate your data.

The ABS Privacy Policy for Statistical Information outlines how we use your personal information and keep it safe. To view our policy visit the Privacy page.

Your enterprise group has been identified as having significant international transactions and investment (assets held overseas and/or liabilities to overseas companies) which meets the criteria to complete the survey. If you do not believe your enterprise groups meets the criteria to complete the survey, please call the telephone number which appears on the front of the survey form.

Businesses experiencing difficulties in completing ABS survey forms by the due date can request an extension of time. Extensions may be granted on a case by case basis, and should be requested by contacting the toll free telephone number which appears on the front of the survey form. Please note that careful estimates are acceptable if actual data is not available.

The ABS relies on the willing cooperation of businesses selected in our surveys to provide accurate information as requested. The vast majority of businesses respond regularly to our requests for information.

However, the Census and Statistics Act 1905 provides the Australian Statistician with the power, if necessary, to direct you in writing to answer the questions. As most business survey results contribute towards policy and legislation formulation it is highly important that a response is provided as this will ensure that we are able to produce reliable and useful results.

Data supplied by businesses to the ABS remains strictly confidential. It is used to compile aggregate estimates and under no circumstances does the ABS publish any data which would enable your data to be identified. Further, it is an offence under the Census and Statistics Act 1905 for ABS staff to either directly or indirectly, divulge or communicate any information furnished in pursuance of the Act to any person (other than the person from whom the information was obtained). The ABS Privacy Policy outlines how the ABS will handle any personal information that you provide to us.

The ABS is very conscious of the reporting load imposed on businesses in completing our statistical surveys. For some time the ABS has been actively pursuing a policy of reducing this load to the minimum necessary to fulfil its obligations as a national statistical agency.

To enable the ABS to fulfil its responsibilities as the national statistical organisation, the Census and Statistics Act 1905 provides for the compulsory furnishing of statistical information. The Act does not provide for payment of respondents to statistical collections. If the ABS was required to pay for the statistical information it collects it could not do so without significant additional funds. It is ABS policy that businesses responding to ABS surveys are entitled to a complimentary copy of relevant publications upon request.

The ABS requires information that is as accurate as possible. The information supplied by your business is used to produce estimates for all businesses within the same industry operating in Australia. The more accurate the figures you supply, the more accurate the estimates will be. However, if accurate data is not readily available, careful estimates will be accepted.

Our processing systems contain checks for consistency and validity and are usually able to identify figures which are seriously incorrect. These checks suggest that most businesses do behave responsibly and give the best figures that they can.

If you have received a reminder notice about your form, it probably means you have returned the form at the same time as your reminder notice was issued. If you wish to confirm this, feel free to contact us so we can check against our records.

The Census and Statistics Act 1905, under which surveys are conducted, protects the confidentiality of all information supplied to the ABS. The information contained in your return is published at an aggregate level and ensures that individual companies cannot be identified.