MBK wrote: ↑Thu Sep 08, 2022 2:14 am
Thank you for further information. I did not really care about the dividends initially, and found out that the stock pays out dividends only after purchase, so the whole system is new to me and I'm trying to get better understanding of how will influence the stock price going forward.
Naturally, the passive income from the dividends does sound good on paper, though in the long run(and wit speculative purchase even in the short run) can make you gain 5, just to lose 10.
For tax levied on dividends, it`s the same 20% capital gains tax, correct?
Japanese Taxes on Dividends.
If you hold shares in a regular account, your broker is obliged to withhold Dividend Tax on the Dividends you receive at the Dividend Tax Rate of 20.42%.
At Kakutei Shinkoku Time, you can elect to have your dividends taxed by the Aggregate Income Taxation Method at your marginal Tax Rate OR by the Separate Taxation Method for Dividend Income at the fixed Tax Rate of 20.315% (15% National, 0.315% Reconstruction and 5% Residents' Tax Rates).
Due to some credits that I will not go into here, as I have written about it before...
For Dividends on Japanese Stocks, if your Total Taxable Income is less than about Y6M, then it would be better for you to select the Aggregate Income Taxation Method at your marginal Tax Rate.
For Dividends on Foreign Stocks, if your Total Taxable Income is less than about Y3.5M, then it would be better for you to select the Aggregate Income Taxation Method at your marginal Tax Rate.
Otherwise, it would be better for you to select the Separate Taxation Method for Dividend Income at the fixed Tax Rate of 20.315% (15% National, 0.315% Reconstruction and 5% Residents' Tax Rates).
Dividends:
Usually companies have to be quite mature with good stable cashflow before they will start paying dividends. Once started, it is not good for the company's reputation if then have to reduce or stop paying dividends, but it can happen if the company falls on hard times (e.g. COVID).
The company makes sales, earns revenue, pays its bills, pays its taxes, and what is left is the Free Cashflow (remember Post-Tax...).
The company can then use this Free Cashflow in any combination of the following activities:
1. Reinvest in Themselves - internally invest in current and new projects to maintain and increase profits in the future
2. Make Acquisitions - to add sources of revenue to maintain and increase profits in the future
3. Pay Down Debt - increasing the value of the company by reducing the liabilities
4. Buy Back Shares - reducing the total number of shares outstanding, so increasing the portion of profits allocated per share in the future
or/and
5. Pay Dividends - If they don't think they can make a better return for shareholders in any of the above, the company will pay the money out to shareholders so that the shareholders can go and use it or reinvest it for a better return somewhere else.
It is nice to receive the Dividend, but you have to remember that the dividend is paid out of After Tax Free Tax Flow (has already been taxed).
You then get taxed again on the Dividend Income (Unavoidable Double Taxation).
If you want to use the Dividend Income to live on in Retirement, then that may be perfectly OK. Alternatively, you could just sell some shares occassionally...
But, if you are investing for the Long-Term, then this may not be the most efficient strategy...
You could think of the Dividend Taxes as being 'equivalent' to the high Fees on Managed Mutual Funds, reducing the compounding effect of your investments over time.