Lost a packet on One.Tel and HIH? What about Pasminco and Harris Scarfe? You are not alone. More than 200,000 shareholders were hit by corporate collapses over the past year or so.

Still, all may not be lost. A free service at www.delisted.com.au allows shareholders to work out whether they can claim a capital loss for their worthless shares. The site has information on almost 500 companies that have been delisted from the Australian Stock Exchange since 1990.

Tony McLean, the former executive officer of the Australian Shareholders Association, who is behind the site, says shareholders are rarely informed of the status of companies that are put under administration, receivership or liquidation.

"Insolvency practitioners are beholden to creditors and tend to ignore residual shareholder interests," he says.

One of those interests is the issuing of a liquidator's declaration, which is needed for a shareholder to claim a capital loss.

"Typically, liquidator's declarations are not circulated and many shareholders are not aware the appropriate declaration has been made," Mr McLean says.