Do you pay more taxes on dividends or interest?
Interest from money markets, bank CDs, and bonds is taxed at ordinary tax rates. That means a person in the top tax bracket pays taxes on interest payments up to 37%. If you compare that to the maximum 23.8 % tax on qualified dividends, the "after-tax" returns are significantly better with dividends.
Interest income and ordinary dividends (qualified dividends are taxed at capital gains rates) are taxed at the same rate as your ordinary income tax. For example, if your federal income tax rate is 22%, your interest income or dividends will also be taxed at 22%.
The government has abolished the Dividend Distribution Tax (DDT) from FY 2020-21. Hence, the investor has to pay tax on dividend income. The taxpayer can claim interest expense up to 20% of the dividend income. The tax shall be paid at the normal tax slab rates applicable to you.
You may be able to avoid all income taxes on dividends if your income is low enough to qualify for zero capital gains if you invest in a Roth retirement account or buy dividend stocks in a tax-advantaged education account.
| Tax Band | 2023/24 and 2024/5 Tax Years | Tax Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Basic | £0 – £37,700 | 8.75% |
| Higher | £37,701 – £125,140 | 33.75% |
| Additional | £125,140 + | 39.35% |
In other words, dividend income is more tax-efficient than interest income. This means that investors in dividend-paying investments keep more of what they earn after taxes. Capital gains are triggered when you sell your investment for a higher price than your book value (also called adjusted cost base or ACB).
Interest is paid to the lenders/creditors. Dividend is paid to the shareholders. Interest determines how much profits/losses a company would make. Dividend determines how much profits would be reinvested into the business.
If the CD is placed in a tax-deferred 401(k) or individual retirement account (IRA), any interest earned on the CD may be exempt from paying taxes in the year it was earned. 2 Instead, you will pay taxes on that money when it is withdrawn from the 401(k) or IRA after you retire.
Generally, the IRS requires you to pay federal taxes on any savings account interest you earn in a given year, regardless of whether it's $1 or $100.
Most interest income is taxable as ordinary income on your federal tax return, and is therefore subject to ordinary income tax rates. There are a few exceptions, however. Generally speaking, most interest is considered taxable at the time you receive it or can withdraw it.
Does reinvesting dividends avoid tax?
Keep in mind: You can't avoid taxes by reinvesting your dividends. Dividends are taxable income whether they're received into your account or invested back into the company.
Contributions to these accounts may be tax-deductible, so your dividend reinvestments escape taxation at the time you make them. After that, your money grows tax-free over time. You do pay taxes on the reinvested dividends and earnings later when you withdraw funds in retirement.
Regular dividends are taxed as ordinary income, just like interest or work income, even if they are reinvested. Qualified dividends are instead taxed at the more favorable capital gains rate. Keeping dividend flows in tax-exempt accounts like a Roth IRA shields investors from these taxable events.
Your “qualified” dividends may be taxed at 0% if your taxable income falls below $44,625 (if single or Married Filing Separately), $59,750 (if Head of Household), or $89,250 (if (Married Filing Jointly or qualifying widow/widower) (tax year 2023). Above those thresholds, the qualified dividend tax rate is 15%.
All dividends paid to shareholders must be included on their gross income, but qualified dividends will get more favorable tax treatment. A qualified dividend is taxed at the capital gains tax rate, while ordinary dividends are taxed at standard federal income tax rates.
Whereas ordinary dividends are taxable as ordinary income, qualified dividends that meet certain requirements are taxed at lower capital gain rates. The payer of the dividend is required to correctly identify each type and amount of dividend for you when reporting them on your Form 1099-DIV for tax purposes.
The average dividend yield on S&P 500 index companies that pay a dividend historically fluctuates somewhere between 2% and 5%, depending on market conditions. 7 In general, it pays to do your homework on stocks yielding more than 8% to find out what is truly going on with the company.
Taxing CD Yield
And that amount is taxed as interest income, not at the (usually) more favorable capital gains rate. 2 For example, if an investor is in the 24% tax bracket and has earned $300 in CD interest for the year, then they owe $72 in taxes.
Top financial advisor Marguertia Cheng says, "Some of the most reliable and consistent forms of passive income include income from dividends paying stocks, mutual funds or ETFs, interest income from CDs, and bond ladders."
Many deposit accounts receive an interest rate (banks) or dividend rate (credit unions). This rate does not take into account the compounding of earnings within the year. Savings and checking accounts providing easy access to funds may pay lower rates.
Are dividends taxed differently than distributions?
Dividends are paid with after-tax money – thus they are double taxed; distributions are paid with before-tax money – thus they avoid being double taxed. The IRS treats distributions as a payout of company equity.
Dividend Gross-up Creates the “Taxable Dividends” Amount
The “grossed up” amount approximates the equivalent before-tax amount in the corporation. This is why the “taxable” amount of dividends paid on your T5 slip is higher than the actual amount of dividends paid, and why it's important that it's included on the slip.
Key Takeaways
Interest on bonds, mutual funds, CDs, and demand deposits of $10 or more is taxable. Taxable interest is taxed just like ordinary income. Payors must file Form 1099-INT and send a copy to the recipient by January 31 each year. Interest income must be documented on Schedule B of IRS Form 1040.
Dividends from stocks or funds are taxable income, whether you receive them or reinvest them. Qualified dividends are taxed at lower capital gains rates; unqualified dividends as ordinary income. Putting dividend-paying stocks in tax-advantaged accounts can help you avoid or delay the taxes due.
Unearned income involves the money you make without having performed a professional service. Unearned income includes money-making sources that involve interest, dividends, and capital gains.
