Dividends and Features of their Payments

Shareholders (members of joint-stock companies) have the opportunity to receive income commensurate with the investments they made into the company, depending on the growth of the value of securities that are in their ownership, and as dividends on shares held in their ownership.

Payments to shareholders are made from the company's profits. The greater the profit the company has, the higher its prices become in the price and the larger amounts are paid to their owners for dividends.

In practice, there was a golden ratio between the size of the profit and that part of it that goes to pay dividends. On average, 8-15% of net profit goes to shareholders to pay dividends.

Dividends are that part of the net profit of a firm - a joint-stock company, which, according to financial results for a certain period, can be distributed among shareholders.

Payment of dividends is only a right, and not a rigid duty of the joint-stock company. This provision is established by the law of the Russian Federation "On Joint Stock Companies". In Russia, about a third of companies in the form of joint-stock companies pay dividends to their shareholders. The decision on payments (declaration of dividends) can be made only by the general meeting of shareholders.

In order to maintain the balance of interests of all groups of shareholders (minority shareholders, majority shareholders) and the company itself, the law establishes binding rules. According to these norms, dividends can not be melted in a larger amount than recommended by the board of directors, and the board itself must act in the interests of the company's development, and not the satisfaction of the interests of its individual investors.

Shareholders do not have the right to set the amount of dividends, bypassing the board of directors. In case of disagreement with its decision, they can either refuse dividends, or make a decision passed by the council.

When dividends are declared, their exact sizes, terms of payment and the form of payment are immediately established. Dividends are paid in rubles per share (not including the amount of tax). As a rule, they are paid in cash, unless otherwise specified in the company's charter.

In the event that the company does not pay dividends on time, shareholders are entitled to apply to the court with a demand to recover the amount due and interest for late payment.

Only shareholders who have acquired their shares before a certain date for which a special document is drawn up with a list of those persons who are entitled to dividends can receive payments on the shares. It is noteworthy that in this case it does not matter what period the shareholder owned shares - a year or one day, he will receive payments in the form of annual dividends.

Dividends are paid at the place of residence of the shareholder. If payments are made through the bank, then to the place of residence equate the address of the bank where the shareholder has an account. The shareholder can receive payments either personally or through another person if there is a notarized document.

The tax on dividends is considered income tax. The tax amount is calculated separately by categories of taxpayers in the manner that provides for the Tax Code.

It is equal to 9% for individuals - citizens who live permanently in the territory of the Russian Federation. For individuals who are not tax residents of Russia, the tax is 30%. The tax on dividends of legal entities (tax residents of the Russian Federation) is set at a rate of 9%, and for non-residents of the Federal Republic of Germany - 15%.

The tax is paid not directly to the shareholders, but to the issuer, as by law the joint-stock companies are considered tax agents. Even if shares are purchased through brokers, payment of taxes remains with him, since in this case he acts as a tax agent.