Corporate governance – Dividends
A dividend is the distribution of a reward from a portion of the company’s earnings and is paid to a class of its shareholders. Dividends are decided and managed by the company’s board of directors, though they must be approved by the shareholders through their voting rights. Dividends can be issued as cash payments, as […]
What constitutes a dividend?
Although there are several exclusions to the general rule, South Africa applies a withholding tax on dividends declared by companies at a rate of 20%. It is essential to appreciate that such a withholding obligation for companies do not arise only on “ordinary” dividends but that the concept of what constitutes a dividend, goes much wider. The Income Tax […]