Maximising your dividend income

You could improve your return by selling the share instead of waiting for the dividend payout—but there are caveats. I was recently asked an interesting question about dividends.  The person concerned was curious as to whether—from a tax and return perspective—it is better to take the dividend itself, or sell the share and take the […]

Analysing tax exemption for dividends

Dividends are a valuable part of many shareholders’ income, but even though they are exempt from regular income tax, it does not mean that they are completely exempt from tax. A dividend can be defined as any local or foreign dividend paid by a resident company of South Africa or a foreign country, provided that the […]

Explained: Dividends according to the Income Tax Act

Although there are several exclusions to the general rule, South Africa applies a withholding tax on dividends declared by companies at a rate of 20%. It is essential to appreciate that such a withholding obligation for companies do not arise only on “ordinary” dividends but that the concept of what constitutes a dividend, goes much wider. The Income Tax […]