Dividend Taxation: Rules, Rates and Tax Calculation Explained

Key Takeaways: 
 

• Dividends are the profits that companies distribute to their shareholders. The dividend taxable in India only applies to individual investors. 
   
• Earlier, companies used to pay dividend distribution tax in India. Although now investors pay taxes on dividend income. 
   
• It is important for investors to learn to avoid tax on dividend income legally. 
   
• Mutual funds have also started following the dividend tax in mutual fund rules. 

If you are an investor and have invested in stocks or mutual funds, you might have received dividends. A dividend is a part of a company’s profit paid to its investors. These dividends provide regular income from investment. Many people prefer this as a side income. 

However, many people are unaware of the term Dividend Taxation in India. Dividend Taxation is a term that refers to the tax added to income earned as a dividend.

Previously, the companies used to pay dividend distribution tax in India before distributing dividends to the investors. After the Union Budget 2020, the tax rules were changed by the government. Now the investors are responsible for the tax. 

This change has shifted the dividend tax into the investor’s income tax slab. But what does it mean? Don’t worry, we will curate this for you. Let’s learn about it more together. 

What is Dividend Taxation in India?

Dividend taxation means the amount of tax paid on the dividend income. These dividend incomes are received from shares, equity funds, and even mutual funds. 

As mentioned above, after the 2020 budget, the tax responsibilities were handed to the investors rather than the company. Before, the investors used to receive dividends without paying any tax, but this has changed now. 

In India, the dividend is treated as a regular income. This means that the dividend is added to your total income for the year. After that, it is taxed as per your income tax slab. 

The meaning of this is that if you fall under the 10% tax bracket, the dividend will be taxed at that rate. Through this change, the dividend taxable in India is more transparent. Now the investors report the income themselves. 

Dividend Tax After the 2020 Union Budget

After the Union Budget 2020, a major change was noticed in the dividend tax distribution in India. Before the budget, the companies used to pay the tax before handing out dividends. This system raised questions among the companies as investors did not directly pay taxes. 

The government saw that this process was unfair and shifted the tax burden on investors. Today, the system works differently. When the investors receive their part of the share, it becomes part of their taxable income. The tax on dividend income depends on the investor's tax bracket. 

Let’s understand this with an example. 

An investor received ₹10,000 as dividend income. This amount will automatically be considered as his annual income. Then the tax fee will be applied to his annual income including the dividend income. 

After the changes in the rules, this applies to both the stock and the equity dividends taxation. 

Bonus Tip: As per the Income Tax Act 1961, dividend income is payable by individuals. This rule changed afterwards when the Finance Act 2020 was released. The 2020 Act removed the distribution tax in India. 

About Mutual Fund Dividend Taxation

Investors in India earn dividends with the help of mutual funds, too. The mutual funds offer two plans for the investors, i.e., dividend plan and growth plan. 

1. Dividend Plan: When investors choose a dividend plan, they can get regular income from the funds. This income follows the rule of dividend taxation in mutual funds. 
2. Growth Plan: In this plan, all the profits are reinvested in new investments rather than regular income as dividends. 

As per the current rule, the dividend taxation works the same as the stock dividends. Meaning, the income will be added to the investor’s total income. 

Investors are required to pay dividend tax according to their income tax slab. This is the reason why people prefer a growth rather than a dividend plan. In a growth plan, the profits remain invested, and the gains are taxed later as capital. 

What is Equity Dividend Taxation? 

The companies listed on the stock exchange reward their shareholders with dividends. This type of payment is ruled as per the equity dividend tax rules. 

After the dividends are declared, the investor’s part is transferred to their bank accounts directly. But, as per the dividend taxable rule, the investors are required to include the income in their tax returns. 

Companies are also allowed to deduct TDS before handing out payments if the amount reaches a specified limit. Through this rule, the dividend collection is now better than ever. The investors can now track the dividend payments throughout the year. 

What does Dividend Reinvestment Taxation mean?

This means reinvesting your dividends. Most of the investors like to reinvest their profits instead of spending them. Through this method, you can grow your investment over time. 

However, this doesn’t mean you can avoid tax on dividend income for individuals. The dividend tax in India will still be included when you reinvest your profits. Reinvested profit is also treated as income. Investors are asked to report the dividend income even if it is reinvested. 

Understanding how dividend tax in India works allows investors to get clarity while filing for taxes. 

How To Avoid Tax On Dividend Income?

Many investors get this question in their mind: “How to avoid tax on Dividend Income?” But under the present rules, you can not complete the dividend income tax-free. However, with a proper strategy, you can definitely manage your taxes.