Your Money: Know how dividend income is taxed

The counter viewpoint is that though they’re generated out of post-tax earnings on the stage of the agency, they’re nonetheless revenue for the traders and consequently needs to be taxed once more. In some international locations there’s a dividend distribution tax (DDT).

By Sunil Okay Parameswaran

Curiosity paid by companies on bonds, debentures, and financial institution loans is a tax deductible expense, whereas dividends paid to most well-liked and fairness shareholders shouldn’t be. Consequently, curiosity on debt or borrowed capital provides the issuer a tax protect and brings down efficient value. Thus, debt is cheaper than fairness and if a agency assumes extra debt, it may carry down its value of capital.

Nevertheless, there isn’t a unanimity on how returns from securities needs to be taxed by the hands of traders. Curiosity or coupons obtained by traders is taxed by the hands of the recipients. The logic is that this money movement stream has come out of the pre-tax earnings of the issuing agency, and consequently needs to be taxed a minimum of as soon as.

Fairness dividends
Fairness dividends, nevertheless, are taxed by the hands of the recipient in sure international locations. The identical is true for dividends on most well-liked shares. The rationale for not taxing them by the hands of the recipients is that they’ve already been taxed as soon as. The counter viewpoint is that though they’re generated out of post-tax earnings on the stage of the agency, they’re nonetheless revenue for the traders and consequently needs to be taxed once more. In some international locations there’s a dividend distribution tax (DDT).

This tax is paid by the corporate remitting the dividends, and in such instances shareholders would not have to pay revenue tax on dividend revenue obtained by them. On this case all shareholders face an similar tax burden. Nevertheless, if particular person shareholders should pay tax on dividend revenue, the levy would rely upon the tax bracket during which they fall. Consequently, folks in decrease tax brackets would pay tax on dividends at a decrease charge.

Dividend revenue
In sure international locations company shareholders are exempted from paying revenue tax on most well-liked and fairness dividends. The dividends obtained represent revenue for a company shareholder. If they’re taxed at its fingers, the identical rupee has been taxed twice. At some stage this revenue will kind a supply of the dividends paid by it to its shareholders. If particular person shareholders are required to pay taxes on dividend revenue, it might imply that the identical rupee will likely be taxed thrice. Thus, in sure international locations, dividend revenue, or a portion of it, obtained by company shareholders is tax free. Nevertheless, such revenue is taxable by the hands of particular person shareholders.

The author is CEO, Tarheel Consultancy Companies