Dividends are taxed
How dividends are taxed
You may get a dividend payment if you own shares in a company. You can earn some dividend income each year without paying tax.
You do not pay tax on any dividend income that falls within your Personal Allowance (the amount of income you can earn each year without paying tax).
You also get a dividend allowance each year. You only pay tax on any dividend income above the dividend allowance.
You do not pay tax on dividends from shares in an ISA.
Tax year Dividend allowance
6 April 2022 to 5 April 2023 £2,000
6 April 2021 to 5 April 2022 £2,000
6 April 2020 to 5 April 2021 £2,000
6 April 2019 to 5 April 2020 £2,000
The rules are different for dividends before 6 April 2016.
Working out tax on dividends
How much tax you pay on dividends above the dividend allowance depends on your Income Tax band.
To work out your tax band, add your total dividend income to your other income. You may pay tax at more than one rate.
Example
You get £3,000 in dividends and earn £29,570 in wages in the 2022 to 2023 tax year.
This gives you a total income of £32,570.
You have a Personal Allowance of £12,570. Take this off your total income to leave a taxable income of £20,000.
This is in the basic rate tax band, so you would pay:
20% tax on £17,000 of wages
no tax on £2,000 of dividends, because of the dividend allowance
8.75% tax on £1,000 of dividends