"What you're saying is they can't declare and pay a partially...

"What you're saying is they can't declare and pay a partially franked dividend until they've paid the tax."

I am not saying that all. Odd interpretation of what i have said.

"Let's pretend you're right and they paid FY22 tax by 1 December 2022. Seems crazy to pay an unfranked dividend on 19 September 2022, instead of waiting until 2 December 2022 to pay a franked dividend."

I am not pretending, i know what i am talking about having significant experience in the field and i have provided you the information from their financial statements. If you don't understand corporate tax or how to read financial statements, just say it, i can appreciate it is a complicated world, don't pretend to understand something you don't understand.

As for the timing of the Sep22 Dividend, i agree. If i was an executive if would have waited to the payment of tax or let the franking account go into a deficit position, which is 'fine' knowing they would have paid tax on 1 December 2022. But if you want the answer to the question as to why they did what they did, you need to ask the company for copies of the board minutes. Good luck. My opinion and it is only an opinion, they wanted to get a good news story out and were keen to pay cash and reward long suffering shareholders a very good dividend.

"What I'm saying is if they were a taxpayer for FY22, they should've been able at least partially frank the September 2022 dividend. The franking account would've temporary gone into deficit until they paid the tax during FY23."

They were a 'taxpayer' for every single year they have been in operation, per the definition of a taxpayer in Section 6 of the income tax assessment act 1936. They could have easily paid a FF or partially franked dividend in Sep22 as they would have known, well should have known, they were going to pay $44 million of tax in Dec22 - my suspicion is they didn't have a tax manager on staff and/or perhaps didnt want to get external advice on timing and/or wanted to pull the trigger and/or wanted to conserve future franking credits for future dividends (didn't work out so well). Going into a franking account deficit during the year isn't normally a problem, even at year end it is 'fine' you just need to pay franking deficit tax on 31 July. Again as per above, i can't answer the question as to why they did what they did, you need to contact the board for their reasons not to frank the Sep22 dividend.

"Probably one to agree to disagree."

Disagreeing with solid facts is a weird flex these days. But you do you and believe your "alternative facts".