Ultimate Guide On Dividends In Singapore

Dividends in Singapore are sums of money that are obtained from the rights of the shareholders in a corporation, just like any other form of income. They are typically compensated in cash or in kind and have corporate stocks as their source.

Individuals and businesses are taxed on profits made in Singapore as well as on income earned outside of the city-state for which financial statements have been submitted to the Inland Revenue Authority (IRAS) when it comes to the taxes that must be paid on these incomes.

TYPES OF DIVIDENDS IN SINGAPORE

Interim dividends

The board of the firm may declare an interim dividend at any time between the two annual general meetings of the company and before the annual profit or loss is determined. It is paid from either the profits of the accounting year in which the dividend is to be declared or from retained earnings in the profit and loss accounts.

Final dividends

On the other hand, a final dividend is declared following the presentation of the fiscal year’s financial statement at the annual general meeting of the firm. In this situation, it is necessary to determine the financial and profitable stance.

TAXABLE DIVIDENDS IN SINGAPORE

In Singapore, some dividend payments are taxed on the recipient’s income. They consist of the following:

• Co-operative dividends, 
• Income distribution from Singapore REITs when the distribution is derived by individuals through a partnership in Singapore, and 
• dividends paid by foreign entities that are derived by individuals through a partnership in Singapore.

Singapore does have a tax exemption for income from overseas sources for dividends. When all three requirements outlined in the Income Tax Act are met, this exemption is given. 

NON-TAXABLE DIVIDENDS IN SINGAPORE

According to the one-tier company tax system, deduced payments made by Singapore resident companies are typically not taxed (except for co-operatives, as stated above). No withholding tax is applied in Singapore to dividend payments made by local businesses. 

Singaporean residents are not required to pay taxes on any foreign dividends they receive. 

Dividends from private resident companies or dividends from resident companies that are registered on the Singapore Stock Exchange are two examples of payouts that are clearly exempt from taxes.

Singapore allows businesses and individuals to include dividend income on their tax returns (under the “Other income” category). If the corporation states that it will give IRAS the dividend information, this declaration is not required.

The Taxation Of Dividends Received From Abroad

Dividends from foreign-sourced income must be declared to Singapore and taxed there for both natural persons and businesses. On the other hand, no further taxes will be levied in Singapore under the concept of avoiding double taxation if the taxes for the corresponding dividends were already paid in the nation where they were received. An agreement must exist for this reason.

Profits Of Singapore Companies From Which Dividends Arise

A Singapore-incorporated company‘s directors must present a proposal to the shareholders before they can declare dividends. However, it should be noted that these can only be paid from the firm’s profits; as a result, the shareholders must ensure the company has sufficient profits before deciding that dividends can be given. From this point of view, profits will cover:

• only the revenue generated by the business alone, even if it belongs to a group (such as in the case of holding companies).
• If the company’s entire assets are worth less than the shareholders’ capital investment, dividends may also be paid (however, they are conditioned by the net income of the business),
• Dividends may also be paid from a company’s capital gains.
• Profits can also include funds that were made in the previous fiscal year and set aside for the subsequent one.

The Declaration Of Dividends In Singapore

The directors will propose to the shareholders the distribution of dividends, and the proposal must take the form of a declaration. Also, the managers will suggest a dividend payment rate, and shareholders will vote on it at the annual general meeting. 

This will be referred to as final dividends if approved. It is also feasible to pay interim dividends that are declared before the end of the fiscal year, provided that they can be included in the company’s profits.

Dividend payments are typically issued in Singapore prior to the submission of financial statements. Dividend payments made during the interim must be accompanied by the interim financial statements.

The declaration of dividends in Singapore implies the preparation of various accounting documents, including:

• the dividend register,
• the resolution through which the payment of the dividends was made,
• the approval of the shareholders,
• the minutes of the meeting during which the issuance of the dividends was decided.

HOW ARE DIVIDENDS IN SINGAPORE CALCULATED?

There are a few steps involved in calculating dividends:

• Count the number of shares of stock you own.
• The dividends paid per share should be calculated (DPS).
• Divide the DPS by the total shares.

Follow these steps to discover Singapore’s dividend yield:

• Establish the stock’s share price before you begin your analysis.
• then ascertain the stock’s DPS.
• the DPS by the share price next.
• Lastly, compare investment alternatives using dividend yields.

INCOME TAX RATES APPLIED IN SINGAPORE

• the corporate tax rate which is set at a rate of 17%.
• a 0% rate is applied to dividend payments made by Singapore companies to their shareholders.
• dividends obtained abroad and not capitalized in Singapore by individuals and companies will be subject to a 0% rate.
• the taxation of dividends earned abroad and declared in Singapore will be taxed at rates ranging between 0% and 17%.

WHAT IS THE LIMIT OF DIVIDENDS TO BE PAID?

The amount of dividends themselves has no limit. One must, however, pay attention to the amount of profit the business has generated. In other words, one can distribute whatever profit that is left over after taxes and loss adjustments.

The directors of the company could be accused of a crime if they declare and pay dividends but have not generated any profits.

HOW OFTEN ARE DIVIDENDS PAID?

The majority of dividends are paid out on a quarterly basis four times a year. Yet, other businesses only pay dividends once, twice, or even monthly.

To put it another way, there are no defined guidelines for how frequently businesses should pay dividends. Instead, businesses are free to decide how they want to handle dividend payments.

DIVIDEND POLICIES IN PRIVATE VS. PUBLIC COMPANIES

Private corporations tend to have more irregular and unclear payout policies since they are subject to less public scrutiny and oversight than public companies. While private companies have more latitude in this area, public corporations are also subject to numerous laws and regulations, including the need to pass resolutions at the AGM and declare dividends.

Private enterprises, in general, only have to worry about the duty to pay dividends out of profits and are therefore free to design a dividend policy that best serves their business.

Reach out to us at Relin Consultants for more information.