Dividends: Are They Taxable?

Updated May 28, 2020

If you hold dividend paying stocks in your CDP, then you might have wondered if your dividends are taxable.

What is dividend?
A dividend is a payout of a company's profits or earnings to shareholder, in the form of cash or scrips. For example, SingTel pays dividends twice a year, typically in January and August. Both payment are in cash. In 2015, SingTel paid out $0.068 per share in January and $0.107 per share in August.

Are my dividends taxable?
Technically speaking, yes, your dividends are taxable, but all taxes are already paid before the dividends are distributed to you. Under the one-tier corporate tax system, Singapore resident companies can issue one-tier exempt dividends. This means shareholders will not be taxed on such dividend income. Here's an article on IRAS website on dividends.

Where can I check on one-tier tax info on my stock?
You can check for dividend info on your stock on the SGX website. Go under "Company Information", then "Corporate Action".






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