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- Chapter 9. Dividends and Other Corporate Distributions
-
- Important Reminder
-
- Dividends received in January. Any dividend declared by a regulated investment
- company (mutual fund) or real estate investment trust (REIT) in October,
- November, or December and payable to you in such a month, but actually paid
- during January of the following calendar year, is treated as paid to you in
- the earlier year.
-
- Introduction
-
- This chapter discusses the tax treatment of:
-
- ∙ Dividend income,
-
- ∙ Capital gain distributions,
-
- ∙ Nontaxable distributions, and
-
- ∙ Other distributions you may receive from a corporation or a mutual fund.
-
- This chapter also explains how to report dividend income on your tax return.
-
- Dividends are distributions of money, stock, or other property paid to you
- by a corporation. You also may receive dividends through a partnership, an
- estate, a trust, or an association that is taxed as a corporation. However,
- some amounts you receive that are called dividends are actually interest
- income. See Dividends that are actually interest under Taxable Interest
- in Chapter 8.
-
- Most distributions that you receive are paid in cash (or check). However,
- you may receive distributions such as additional stock, stock rights, other
- property, or services. These distributions are also discussed in this chapter.
-
- Related publications and forms.
-
- This chapter refers to several publications and forms that you may need.
- The list of forms does not include Forms 1040, 1040A, and 1040EZ. For more
- information, you may want to order any of the following:
-
- Publication 514, Foreign Tax Credit for Individuals
-
- Publication 525, Taxable and Nontaxable Income
-
- Publication 550, Investment Income and Expenses
-
- Publication 564, Mutual Fund Distributions
-
- Publication 925, Passive Activity and At-Risk Rules
-
- Schedule B (Form 1040), Interest and Dividend Income
-
- Schedule 1 (Form 1040A), Interest and Dividend Income for Form 1040A
- Filers
-
- 1992 Instructions for Forms 1099, 1098, 5498, and W─2G
-
- Form 1116, Foreign Tax Credit
-
- General Information
-
- This section discusses general rules on dividend income.
-
- Passive activity income and losses. There are tax rules which limit the
- amount of losses and tax credits from passive activities that you can claim.
- Generally, only income from passive activities can be used to offset losses
- from passive activities. Consequently, you generally cannot use passive
- activity losses to offset your other income, such as your wages or your
- portfolio income. Portfolio income is any gross income from interest,
- dividends, etc., that is not derived in the ordinary course of a trade or
- business. For more information about determining and reporting income and
- losses from passive activities, see Publication 925, Passive Activity and
- At-Risk Rules.
-
- Tax on investment income of a child under age 14. If a child is under age 14
- at the end of the year and has more than $1,200 of investment income (such
- as taxable interest and dividends), part of his or her investment income may
- be taxed at the parents' tax rate if either parent is alive at the end of the
- year. If these requirements are met, Form 8615, Tax for Children Under Age 14
- Who Have Investment Income of More Than $1,200, must be completed and attached
- to the child's tax return. If these requirements are not met, Form 8615 is not
- required and the child's income is taxed at his or her own tax rate.
-
- However, parents can choose to include their child's gross income on their
- return if certain requirements are met. Form 8814, Parent's Election To
- Report Child's Interest and Dividends, is used for this purpose.
-
- For more information about the tax on investment income of children and
- the parent's election, see Chapter 32.
-
- Beneficiary of an estate or trust. Interest, dividends, or other investment
- income you receive as a beneficiary of an estate or trust is generally taxable
- income. You should receive a Schedule K─1 (Form 1041), Beneficiary's Share
- of Income, Deductions, Credits, etc. - 1992, from the fiduciary. Your copy of
- Schedule K─1 and its instructions will tell you where to report the items from
- Schedule K─1 on your Form 1040.
-
- Backup withholding. To ensure that income tax is collected on dividends and
- other types of income that generally are not subject to withholding, backup
- withholding will apply in certain circumstances.
-
- Under backup withholding, when you open a new account you must certify under
- penalties of perjury that your social security number is correct and that you
- are not subject to backup withholding. If you fail to make this certification,
- backup withholding may begin immediately on your new account or investment and
- 20% of the amount paid on your account or investment will be withheld. Your
- payer will give you a Form W─9, Request for Taxpayer Identification Number
- and Certification, or a similar form, to make this certification. Backup
- withholding may also be required if the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has
- determined that you underreported your interest and/or dividend income. For
- more information, see Backup Withholding in Chapter 5.
-
- Form 1099─DIV. Most corporations use Form 1099─DIV, Dividends and
- Distributions, to show you the distributions you received from them during
- the year. Keep this form with your records. You do not have to attach it
- to your tax return. Even if you do not receive Form 1099─DIV, you must
- report all of your taxable dividend income.
-
- Reporting tax withheld. If tax is withheld from your dividend income, the
- payer must give you a Form 1099─DIV that indicates the amount withheld.
-
- Nominees. If someone receives distributions as a nominee for you, that person
- will give you a Form 1099─DIV, which will show distributions they received on
- your behalf.
-
- If you receive a Form 1099─DIV that includes amounts belonging to another
- person, see Nominees, later under How to Report Dividend Income, for more
- information.
-
- Form 1099─MISC. Certain substitute payments in lieu of dividends or tax-exempt
- interest that are received by a broker on your behalf must be reported to you
- on Form 1099─MISC, Miscellaneous Income, or a similar statement. See Reporting
- substitute payments under Short Sales in Publication 550, Investment Income
- and Expenses, for more information about reporting such substitute payments.
-
- Incorrect amount. If you receive a Form 1099 that shows an incorrect amount
- (or other incorrect information), you should ask the issuer for a corrected
- form. The corrected Form 1099 you receive will be marked "CORRECTED."
-
- Accuracy-related penalty. A 20% accuracy-related penalty may be charged for
- underpayments of tax due to negligence or disregard of rules and regulations
- or substantial understatement of tax. For more information on the penalty and
- any applicable interest, see Penalties in Chapter 1.
-
- Social security number. You must give your name and social security number to
- any person required by federal tax law to make a return, statement, or other
- document that relates to you. This includes payers of dividends. If you are
- married and the funds in a joint account belong to you, you should give your
- social security number to the payer of the dividends. If the funds in the
- account belong to both you and your spouse, you may give either your number
- or your spouse's number, as long as the number you provide corresponds with
- the name listed on the account. You must give the payer the correct social
- security number if the number being used is wrong.
-
- If you do not give your social security number to the payer of dividends, you
- may have to pay a penalty. See Penalty for failure to supply social security
- number under Penalties in Chapter 1. Backup withholding also may apply. See
- Backup Withholding in Chapter 5.
-
- Dividends received in January. If a regulated investment company (mutual fund)
- or real estate investment trust (REIT) declares a dividend (including any
- exempt-interest dividend) in October, November, or December and that dividend
- is payable to you on a specified date in such month, you are considered to
- have received the dividend on December 31 even though the company or trust
- actually pays the dividend during January of the following calendar year.
- Therefore, you report the amount in the year of declaration.
-
- Ordinary Dividends
-
- Ordinary (taxable) dividends are the most common type of distribution from a
- corporation. They are paid out of the earnings and profits of a corporation
- and are ordinary income to you. You can assume that any dividend you receive,
- whether on common or preferred stock, is an ordinary dividend unless the
- paying corporation tells you otherwise.
-
- Money market funds. Report amounts you receive from money market funds as
- dividend income. These amounts generally are not interest income and should
- not be reported as interest.
-
- Dividends on capital stock. Dividends on the capital stock of organizations,
- such as savings and loan associations, are ordinary dividends. They are not
- interest. You should report them with your dividend income.
-
- Stock certificate in two or more names. If two or more persons, such as a
- husband and wife, hold stock as joint tenants, tenants by the entirety, or
- tenants in common, each person receives a share of any dividends from the
- stock. Each person's share is determined by local law.
-
- Dividends used to buy more stock. The corporation in which you own stock
- may have a dividend reinvestment plan. This plan lets you choose to use your
- dividends to buy more shares of stock in the corporation instead of receiving
- the dividends in cash. If you are a member of this type of plan and you use
- your dividends to buy additional stock at a price equal to its fair market
- value, you must report dividends as income.
-
- If you are a member of a dividend reinvestment plan that lets you buy
- additional stock at a price less than its fair market value, you must report
- as income the fair market value of the additional stock on the dividend
- payment date. You also must report as income any service charge subtracted
- from your cash dividends before the dividends are used to buy the additional
- stock. But you may be able to deduct the service charge amount. See Chapter
- 30 for more information about deducting expenses of producing income.
-
- In some dividend reinvestment plans, you can invest additional cash to buy
- shares of stock at a price less than fair market value. If you choose to do
- this, you must report as income the difference between the cash you invest and
- the fair market value of the stock you buy. When figuring this income amount,
- use the fair market value of the stock on the dividend payment date.
-
- Public utility stock reinvestment plans. If you own stock in a qualified
- domestic public utility and chose to receive your dividends in common stock,
- rather than in cash, you must include in your gross income the total value
- of such stock dividends.
-
- Pre-1986 stock dividend exclusion. If after 1981 and before 1986, you chose
- to receive your dividends from the public utility stock in the form of more
- stock, you could exclude the value of the dividend from your income.
-
- If you chose to exclude the value of the stock dividend from income before
- 1986, you were required to exclude it on your return for the year in which
- you would have included the dividends in income.
-
- If you excluded the value of stock dividends from income, your basis in that
- stock is zero.
-
- Capital Gain Distributions
-
- These distributions or dividends are paid by regulated investment companies,
- mutual funds, and real estate investment trusts from their net realized
- long-term capital gains. A Form 1099─DIV or the mutual fund statement will
- tell you the amount you are to report as a capital gain distribution. Report
- capital gain distributions as long-term capital gains on your tax return
- regardless of how long you have owned the stock in the mutual fund. Those
- distributions that are not derived in the ordinary course of a trade or
- business are treated as portfolio income and are not considered as income
- from a passive activity (see Passive activity income and losses, earlier).
-
- Undistributed capital gains. In addition to the amounts you receive, you must
- report as long-term capital gains any amounts that the investment company or
- mutual fund credited to you as capital gain distributions, even though you
- did not actually receive them. (This income is not reported to you on Form
- 1099─DIV.)
-
- Form 2439. You can take a credit on your return for any tax that the
- investment company or mutual fund has paid for you on the undistributed
- capital gains. The company or fund will send you Form 2439, Notice to
- Shareholder of Undistributed Long-Term Capital Gains, showing the amount
- of the undistributed long-term capital gain and the tax that was paid.
- Take this credit by entering the amount of tax paid and checking the box
- on line 59, Form 1040. Attach Copy B of Form 2439 to your return.
-
- Basis adjustment. Increase your basis in the stock by the difference between
- the amount of undistributed capital gain that you report and the amount of
- the tax paid for you by the fund. Keep Copy C of Form 2439 as part of your
- records to show increases in the basis of your stock.
-
- Note. You must report any undistributed long-term gains shown on Form 2439
- in addition to any capital gain distributions reported on Form 1099─DIV.
-
- Real estate investment trusts (REITs). You will receive a Form 1099─DIV or
- similar statement from the REIT showing the capital gain distributions you
- must include in your income. You report the capital gain distributions as
- long-term capital gain regardless of how long you owned stock in the REIT.
-
- For more information on the treatment of distributions from mutual funds
- and regulated investment companies, see Publication 564, Mutual Fund
- Distributions.
-
- Nontaxable Distributions
-
- You may receive a return of capital or a tax-free distribution of additional
- shares of stock or stock rights. These distributions are not treated the same
- as ordinary dividends or capital gain distributions.
-
- Return of Capital
-
- A return of capital is a distribution that is not paid out of the earnings and
- profits of a corporation. It is a return of your investment in the stock of
- the company. You should receive a Form 1099─DIV or other statement from the
- corporation showing you what part of the distribution is a return of capital.
- If you do not receive such a statement, you report the distribution as an
- ordinary dividend.
-
- Basis adjustment. A return of capital reduces the basis of your stock and is
- not taxed until your basis in the stock is fully recovered. If you buy stock
- in a corporation in different lots at different times, reduce the basis of
- your earliest purchases first.
-
- When the basis of your stock has been reduced to zero, report any return
- of capital that you receive as a capital gain. Whether you report it as a
- long-term capital gain or short-term capital gain depends on how long you
- have held the stock. See Holding Period in Chapter 15.
-
- Example. You bought stock in 1987 for $100. In 1989, you received a return
- of capital of $80. You did not include this amount in your income, but you
- reduced the basis of your stock. Your stock now has an adjusted basis of $20.
- You receive a return of capital of $30 in 1992. You use $20 of this amount
- to reduce your basis to zero. You report the other $10 as a long-term capital
- gain for 1992. You must report as a long-term capital gain any return of
- capital you receive on this stock in later years.
-
- Liquidating distributions. Liquidating distributions, sometimes called
- liquidating dividends, are distributions you receive during a partial or
- complete liquidation of a corporation. These distributions are, at least
- in part, one form of a return of capital. They may be paid in one or more
- installments. You will receive a Form 1099─DIV from the corporation showing
- you the amount of the liquidating distribution.
-
- Any liquidating distribution you receive is not taxable to you until you have
- recovered the basis of your stock. After the basis of your stock has been
- reduced to zero, you must report the liquidating distribution as a capital
- gain (except in certain instances with regard to collapsible corporations).
- Whether you report the gain as a long-term capital gain or short-term capital
- gain depends on how long you have held the stock. See Holding Period in
- Chapter 15.
-
- If you acquired stock in a corporation at several different times, you own
- more than one block of stock in the corporation. If you receive distributions
- from the corporation in complete liquidation, you must divide the distribution
- among the blocks of stock you own in the following proportion: the number
- of shares in that block over the total number of shares you own. Divide
- distributions in partial liquidation among that part of the stock that is
- redeemed in the partial liquidation. After the basis of a block of stock
- is reduced to zero, you must report the part of any later distribution for
- that block as a capital gain.
-
- If the total liquidating distributions you receive are less than the basis of
- your stock, you may have a capital loss. You can report a capital loss only
- after you have received the final distribution in liquidation that results in
- the redemption or cancellation of the stock. Whether you report the loss as a
- long-term or short-term capital loss depends on how long you held the stock.
- See Holding Period in Chapter 15.
-
- Distributions of Stock and Stock Rights
-
- Distributions by a corporation of its own stock are commonly known as stock
- dividends. Stock rights (also known as "stock options") are distributions by
- a corporation of rights to subscribe to the corporation's stock. Generally,
- stock dividends and stock rights are not taxable to you, and you do not
- report them on your return.
-
- Taxable stock dividends and stock rights. Distributions of stock dividends and
- stock rights are taxable to you if:
-
- 1) You or any other shareholder has the choice to receive cash or other
- property instead of stock or stock rights,
-
- 2) The distribution gives cash or other property to some shareholders and
- an increase in the percentage interest in the corporation's assets or
- earnings and profits to other shareholders,
-
- 3) The distribution is in convertible preferred stock and has the same
- result as in (2),
-
- 4) The distribution gives preferred stock to some common stock shareholders
- and gives common stock to other common stock shareholders, or
-
- 5) The distribution is on preferred stock. (This requirement, however, does
- not apply if the distribution is made for convertible preferred stock
- solely to take into account a stock dividend, stock split, or a similar
- event that would otherwise result in reducing the conversion right.)
-
- In addition, any transaction having the effect of increasing your
- proportionate interest in the corporation's assets or earnings and profits
- may be taxable to you, even though no stock or stock rights are actually
- distributed.
-
- The term "stock" includes rights to acquire such stock, and the term
- "shareholder" includes a holder of rights or of convertible securities.
-
- Basis. If you receive taxable stock dividends or stock rights, include their
- fair market value at the time of the distribution in your income. This amount
- is your basis in the stock or stock rights received. If you receive stock
- dividends or stock rights that are not taxable to you, see Stocks and Bonds
- under Basis of Investment Property in Publication 550 for information on how
- to figure their basis.
-
- Fractional shares. You may not own enough stock in a corporation to receive
- a full share of stock if the corporation declares a stock dividend. However,
- with the approval of the shareholders, the corporation may set up a plan in
- which no fractional shares are issued, but are sold, and the cash proceeds are
- given to the shareholders. Any cash you receive for fractional shares under
- such a plan is treated as an amount realized on the sale of the fractional
- shares. You must determine your gain or loss and report it as a capital gain
- or loss on Schedule D (Form 1040). Your gain or loss is the difference between
- the cash you receive and the basis of the fractional shares sold.
-
- Example. You own one share of common stock that you bought on January 3, 1991,
- for $100. The corporation declared a common stock dividend of 5% on June 30,
- 1992. The fair market value of your stock at the time the stock dividend was
- declared was $200. You were paid $10 for the fractional-share stock dividend
- under a plan described in the above paragraph. You figure your gain or loss
- as follows:
-
- Fair market value of old stock ................ $200.00
- Fair market value of stock dividend (cash
- received) .................................. 10.00
- __________
- Fair market value of old stock and stock
- dividend ...................................... $210.00
- ==========
- Basis (cost) of old stock after the stock
- dividend (($200 ÷ $210) x $100) ............ $95.24
- Basis (cost) of stock dividend
- (($10 ÷ $210) x $100) ...................... 4.76
- __________
- Total ......................................... $100.00
- ==========
- Cash received ................................. $10.00
- Basis (cost) of stock dividend ................ 4.76
- __________
- Gain $5.24
- ==========
-
- Because you had held the share of stock more than one year at the time the
- stock dividend was declared, your gain on the stock dividend is a long-term
- capital gain.
-
- Other Distributions
-
- You may receive any of the following distributions during the year.
-
- Exempt-interest dividends. Exempt-interest dividends you receive from a
- regulated investment company (mutual fund) are not included in your taxable
- income. (However, see Information reporting requirement, next.) You will
- receive a notice from the mutual fund telling you the amount of the exempt-
- interest dividends you received. Exempt-interest dividends are not shown on
- Form 1099─DIV or Form 1099─INT. See Gains and Losses in Publication 564 for
- information about the loss treatment of mutual fund stock on which you
- received exempt-interest dividends.
-
- Information reporting requirement. Although these dividends are not taxable,
- you must show them on your tax return if you are required to file. This is
- an information-reporting requirement and does not convert exempt-interest
- dividends to taxable income. See How to Report Interest Income in Chapter 8.
-
- Also, exempt-interest dividends may be treated as tax-exempt interest from
- private activity bonds, which is a "tax preference item" that may be subject
- to the alternative minimum tax. See Alternative Minimum Tax in Chapter 31 for
- more information.
-
- Dividends on insurance policies. Dividends you receive on insurance policies
- are a partial return of the premiums you paid. Do not include them in your
- gross income until they are more than the total of all net premiums you paid
- for the contract. However, you must report as taxable income the interest paid
- or credited on dividends that are left with an insurance company. See Chapter
- 8 for treatment of interest income.
-
- Dividends on veterans' insurance. Dividends you receive on veterans'
- insurance policies are not taxable. In addition, do not report as taxable
- income interest on dividends left with the Department of Veterans Affairs.
- See Veterans in Chapter 6 for more information about veterans' benefits.
-
- Patronage dividends. Patronage dividends you receive in money from a
- cooperative organization are generally included in your income.
-
- Do not include in your income patronage dividends you receive on:
-
- 1) Property bought for your personal use, or
-
- 2) Capital assets or depreciable property bought for use in your business.
- But you must reduce the basis (cost) of the items bought. If the dividend
- is more than the adjusted basis of the assets, you must report the excess
- as income.
-
- These rules are the same whether the cooperative paying the dividend is a
- taxable or tax-exempt cooperative.
-
- Alaska Permanent Fund Dividends. Do not report these amounts as dividends.
- Instead, report these amounts on line 22 of Form 1040.
-
- How to Report Dividend Income
-
- Generally, you can use either Form 1040 or Form 1040A to report your
- dividend income. However, you must use Form 1040 if you receive capital gain
- distributions or return of capital distributions. You cannot use Form 1040EZ
- if you receive any dividend income.
-
- Form 1099─DIV. If you owned stock on which you received more than $10 in
- gross dividends and other distributions, you should receive a Form 1099─DIV.
-
- Box 1a of Form 1099─DIV shows the amount of gross dividends and other
- distributions you received on stock. Box 1a is the total of Boxes 1b, 1c,
- 1d, and 1e.
-
- Box 1b of Form 1099─DIV shows your ordinary dividends. This amount is included
- in Box 1a. If you do not need to file Schedule B (Form 1040), or Schedule 1
- (Form 1040A), add together the amounts shown in Boxes 1b and 1e and enter the
- total on line 9 (Form 1040 or Form 1040A). Also see the paragraph later about
- Box 1e.
-
- Box 1c of Form 1099─DIV shows your capital gain distributions. You report
- these capital gains on line 5 of Schedule B (Form 1040). You cannot file Form
- 1040A. Since these capital gains are included in the amount shown in Box 1a of
- Form 1099─DIV, you enter them on line 5 of Schedule B and subtract them out on
- line 7 of Schedule B. These capital gains are also reported on line 12, Part
- II of Schedule D (Form 1040). However, if you do not need to complete Schedule
- D for any other capital transactions, report them directly on line 14 of Form
- 1040.
-
- Box 1d of Form 1099─DIV shows your nontaxable distributions. Since this amount
- is included in the amount shown in Box 1a of Form 1099─DIV, you enter it on
- line 5 of Schedule B (Form 1040) and subtract it out on line 8 of Schedule B.
- Amounts shown are usually a return of capital that reduces your basis in the
- stock. Once you have received an amount equal to your cost or other basis,
- these distributions are taxable to you as a capital gain even if the payer
- lists them as nontaxable.
-
- If you own stock in a nonpublicly-offered regulated investment company, your
- pro rata share of that fund's allocable investment expenses is shown in Box
- 1e of Form 1099─DIV. This amount is also included in Box 1a of Form 1099─DIV.
- You can deduct these expenses as a miscellaneous itemized deduction subject to
- the 2% of adjusted gross income limit only if you itemize your deductions on
- Schedule A (Form 1040).
-
- If you were subject to backup withholding, because, for example, you failed
- to furnish your social security number to a payer, the amount withheld will be
- shown as "Federal income tax withheld" in Box 2 of Form 1099─DIV. Report this
- amount on Form 1040A, line 28a, or on Form 1040, line 54, and check the box.
-
- Box 3 of Form 1099─DIV shows the amount of foreign taxes withheld (paid) on
- dividends and other distributions, and Box 4 identifies the foreign country or
- U.S. possession that did the withholding. If there are entries in these boxes,
- fill out Form 1040 and Form 1116, Foreign Tax Credit. However, do not complete
- Form 1116 if you claim this amount as other taxes on Schedule A. For more
- information on the credit and deduction, see Publication 514, Foreign Tax
- Credit for Individuals.
-
- Box 5 of Form 1099─DIV shows distributions of cash from corporations in
- partial or complete liquidation, and Box 6 shows the fair market value of
- noncash distributions. If there are entries in these boxes, see Liquidating
- distributions under Dividends and Other Corporate Distributions in Publication
- 550.
-
- Dividends received on restricted stock. Restricted stock is stock that you get
- from your employer for services you perform and that is nontransferable and
- subject to a substantial risk of forfeiture. You do not have to include the
- value of the stock in your income when you receive it. However, if you get
- dividends on restricted stock, you must include them in your income as wages,
- not dividends.
-
- Your employer should include these dividends in the wages shown on your Form
- W─2. If you also get a Form 1099─DIV for these dividends, list them on line 5,
- Part II of Schedule B (Form 1040), with the other dividends you received.
- Enter a subtotal of all your dividend income several lines above line 6. Below
- the subtotal, write "Dividends on restricted stock reported as wages on line
- 7, Form 1040," and enter the amount of the dividends included in your wages
- on line 7, Form 1040. Subtract this amount from the subtotal and enter the
- remainder on line 6, Part II of Schedule B.
-
- Election. You can choose to include in gross income the value of restricted
- stock as compensation for services. If you make this choice, the dividends
- are treated as any other dividends.
-
- If you receive both a Form 1099─DIV and a Form W─2 showing these dividends,
- do not include the dividends in your wages reported on line 7, Form 1040.
- List the dividends on line 5, Part II of Schedule B, along with your other
- dividends. Attach a statement to your Form 1040 explaining why the amount
- shown on line 7 of your Form 1040 is different from the amount shown on your
- Form W─2.
-
- Dividends on stock sold. If stock is sold, exchanged, or otherwise disposed
- of after a dividend is declared, but before it is paid, the owner of record
- (usually the payee shown on the dividend check) must report the dividend.
- Even if the purchase price of the stock goes up because of the amount of
- the anticipated dividend, the owner of record must report such dividend.
-
- Stock sold short. If you borrow stock to make a short sale, you may have
- to pay the lender an amount to replace the dividends distributed while you
- maintain your short position. Your treatment of the payment depends on the
- kind of distribution for which you are reimbursing the lender of the stock.
-
- If your payment is made for a liquidating distribution or nontaxable stock
- distribution, or if you buy more shares equal to a stock distribution issued
- on the borrowed stock during your short position, you have a capital expense.
- You must add the payment to the cost of the stock sold short. See Short Sales
- in Publication 550 for more information about the tax treatment of short
- sales.
-
- Expenses related to dividend income. You may deduct expenses related to
- dividend income only if you itemize your deductions on Schedule A (Form 1040).
- See Chapter 30 for general information about deducting expenses of producing
- income.
-
- Form 1040A
-
- Report your total dividends on line 9, Form 1040A. If the amount on line 9
- is more than $400, you also must list each payer's name and the amount of
- dividends received from each payer in Part II of Schedule 1 (Form 1040A) and
- attach it to your Form 1040A. If you received a Form 1099─DIV from a brokerage
- firm, list the brokerage firm as the payer. However, you must use Form 1040
- instead of Form 1040A if you had capital gain distributions or return of
- capital distributions. (Exempt-interest dividends, which are treated as
- interest, should be reported on line 8b. See How to Report Interest Income
- in Chapter 8.)
-
- Nominees (Form 1040A). If you received dividends as a nominee (that is, the
- dividends are in your name but actually belong to someone else), include
- them on line 5 of Schedule 1. Several lines above line 6, put a subtotal of
- all dividend income listed on line 5. Below this subtotal, write "Nominee
- Distribution" and show the amounts received as a nominee. Subtract the total
- of your nominee distributions from the subtotal. Enter the result on line 6
- of Part II.
-
- See Nominees, later, for more information.
-
- Form 1040 - Total Dividends and Other Distributions of $400 or Less
-
- If your total dividends, including capital gain and nontaxable distributions,
- are $400 or less, report only the total of your ordinary dividends from Box 1b
- of Form 1099─DIV and any investment expenses from Box 1e of Form 1099─DIV on
- line 9, Form 1040.
-
- Capital gain distributions. Report capital gain distributions (Box 1c of Form
- 1099─DIV) on line 12, Part II of Schedule D (Form 1040). If you do not need
- Schedule D to report any other capital gains or losses, enter your capital
- gain distributions on line 14, Form 1040.
-
- Nontaxable (return of capital) distributions. Some distributions are
- nontaxable because they are a return of your cost. You report return of
- capital distributions (Box 1d of Form 1099─DIV) as a capital gain only when
- your basis in the stock has been reduced to zero. If the basis of your stock
- is zero, report any return of capital distributions you receive on line 1d,
- Part I of Schedule D, if you held the stock one year or less, or on line 8d,
- Part II of Schedule D, if you held the stock for more than one year.
-
- Form 1040 - Total Dividends and Other Distributions of More Than $400
-
- If your total dividends, including capital gain and nontaxable distributions,
- are more than $400, you must fill in Schedule B and attach it to your return.
- You must complete Parts II and III of Schedule B.
-
- You must report all of your dividend income (Box 1a of Form 1099─DIV) on
- line 5, Part II of Schedule B. You must include on this line all the ordinary
- dividends, capital gain distributions, and return of capital distributions you
- receive. You should list the name of the payer and the amount of income for
- each distribution you receive. If your securities are held by a brokerage firm
- (in "street name"), list the name of the brokerage firm that is shown on Form
- 1099─DIV as the payer. If your stock is held by a nominee who is the owner of
- record, and the nominee credits or pays you dividends on the stock, you should
- show the name of the nominee and the dividends you received or were credited
- for. You should enter on line 6 the total of the amounts listed on line 5.
- However, if you hold stock as a nominee, see Nominees, later.
-
- Capital gain distributions. You enter on line 7, Part II of Schedule B, any
- amount shown on line 5 that is a capital gain distribution. You also enter
- this amount on line 12, Part II of Schedule D (Form 1040). If you do not need
- to use Schedule D to report any other gains or losses, do not use it. Instead,
- show your capital gain distributions on line 14, Form 1040.
-
- Nontaxable (return of capital) distributions. You enter on line 8, Part II of
- Schedule B, any amount from line 5 that you received as a return of capital
- distribution. However, after the basis of your stock has been reduced to zero,
- you must also show this amount on line 1d, Part I of Schedule D, if you held
- the stock one year or less, or on line 8d, Part II of Schedule D, if you held
- the stock for more than one year.
-
- Completing Schedule B. Add the amounts shown on lines 7 and 8, and enter the
- total on line 9. Subtract the amount on line 9 from the amount on line 6. The
- difference, if any, is your taxable ordinary dividends. Enter this amount
- on line 10, Part II of Schedule B, and on line 9, Form 1040. You must also
- complete Part III of Schedule B. See Foreign financial accounts and foreign
- trusts under Additional Schedules in Chapter 1 for more information.
-
- Nominees (Form 1040). Include on line 5, Part II of Schedule B (Form 1040),
- all dividends you received. This includes dividends you received, as a
- nominee, that actually belong to another person (such as your child), even if
- you later distributed some or all of this income to others. Enter a subtotal
- of all your dividend income listed on line 5 several lines above line 6. Below
- the subtotal, write "Nominee Distribution," and show the amounts received
- as a nominee. Subtract these distributions from the subtotal, and enter the
- remainder on line 6.
-
- If you receive a Form 1099─DIV on which your taxpayer identification number is
- shown, and two or more recipients are named, or amounts belonging to another
- person are included, you must file a Form 1099─DIV with the IRS to show
- the proper distributions of the amounts shown. Complete a Form 1096, Annual
- Summary and Transmittal of U.S. Information Returns, and file both forms with
- the Internal Revenue Service Center. Give the other person Copy B of the Form
- 1099─DIV that you filed as a nominee. On Form 1099─DIV and Form 1096, you
- should be listed as the "Payer." On Form 1099─DIV, the other owner should
- be listed as the "Recipient." You are not required, however, to file a Form
- 1099─DIV to show payments for your spouse. For more information about the
- reporting requirements and the penalties for failure to file (or furnish)
- certain information returns, see 1992 Instructions for Forms 1099, 1098, 5498,
- and W─2G.
-
- Liquidating distributions. You will receive Form 1099─DIV from the corporation
- showing the amount of the liquidating distribution. Generally, this is treated
- as the sale or exchange of a capital asset and you should report it on
- Schedule D (Form 1040).
-