Assignments for the absorption and magnetic circular dichroism (MCD) spectra recorded between room temperature and 50 K. are reported for a range of iron(II) phthalocyanine complexes, with axial ligands of imidazole, N-methylimidazole, pyridine, methylpyridine, piperidine, ammonia, cyanide, and carbon monoxide. The L(2)Fe(II)-Pc(-2) complexes can be arranged into three distinct groups on the basis of the spectral features according to the sigma donor and pi acceptor strengths of the axial ligands : (1) strong sigma donors-weak pi accepters [L = im, meim, py, mepy, pip, and NH3]; (2) weak sigma donors-strong pi accepters [L = CO]; and (3) strong sigma donors-weak pi donors [L = CN-]. The complexes (NH3)(2)Fe(II)Pc(-2), (NH3)(CO) Fe(II)Pc(-2), and Na-2[(CN)(2)Fe(II)Pc(-2)] are representative of these three groups. Parameters reported from band deconvolution calculations carried out on pairs of absorption and MCD spectra provide quantitative support for the,characterization of these complexes as members of three groups. Results from the deconvolution calculations are used to locate two degenerate ligand to metal charge transfer (LMCT) transitions between 300 and 450 nm in addition to a series of pi-pi* transitions based on the phthalocyanine ring. Degenerate pi-pi* ring states are assigned for the Q, B1, B2, Ni and L transitions; in addition, two LMCT bands, representing the allowed e(g)(d pi) - 1b(1u)(pi*) and e(g)(d pi) - Ib(2u)(pi*) transitions, are characterized from the MCD spectral analysis. Degenerate states are identified from the MCD A terms : 662 (Q(OO)) 424 (MLCT1), 359 (MLCT2), 341 (B1), 316(B2), 273 (N), and 253 nm (L) for (NH3)(2)Fe(II)Pc(-2); 665 (Q(OO)), 453 (MLCT1), 396 (B1), 334 (MLCT2), 307 (B2), 279 (N), and 251 nm (L) for Na-2[(CN)(2)Fe(II)Pc(-2)]; and 659 (Q(OO)), 369(MLCT1), 352 (MLCT2), 327 (B1), 307 (B2), and 278 nm (L) for (NH3)(CO)Fe(II)Pc (-2).