CGT Loss and Dividend Payments
Discussion
Just a quick one - I have a substantial CGT loss for last year (damn you stockmarket :hehe:). Question is can I pay myself a bit more in the divi department this year to ofset the loss? So using made up figures - last year I lost £50k on the stockmarket. I usually pay myself £25k dividends as a director of the company so could I pay myself an extra £50k to plug the loss - I assume this extra £50k would be tax free as I have a £50k loss from the previous FY??
You pay dividends from the reserves of the company. Even if a company has not made a profit in the most recent trading year, it may still be in a position to pay dividends to the shareholders because of the accumulated reserves it has built up in the past.
If you make a CGT loss, you are normally restricted to offsetting that loss against other CGT profits in the same tax year or future tax years. In fact, there are quite a few situations where you can do absolutely nothing with a CGT loss.
One thing you usually cannot do with Capital Losses is offset them against earned or investment income. Dividends are "Investment" income and subject to Income Tax. Therefore, a Capital Loss would not be offsetable against dividend income.
>> Edited by Eric Mc on Monday 4th July 16:00
If you make a CGT loss, you are normally restricted to offsetting that loss against other CGT profits in the same tax year or future tax years. In fact, there are quite a few situations where you can do absolutely nothing with a CGT loss.
One thing you usually cannot do with Capital Losses is offset them against earned or investment income. Dividends are "Investment" income and subject to Income Tax. Therefore, a Capital Loss would not be offsetable against dividend income.
>> Edited by Eric Mc on Monday 4th July 16:00
Chaps - think you all misunderstood - the loss is a personal one not a company one. I privately bought shares using my own money that went belly up. What I am saying is can I pay myself a dividend from my company and offset the tax against my loss i.e. treat the dividend as a capital gain then offset against the previous years personal capital loss.
Editied to note Eric's comment - Eric surely the shares that I bought and sold at a loss are an investment loss just as my dividend payment from my company is an investment gain thus I can offset one against the other?
>> Edited by darrent on Monday 4th July 17:54
Editied to note Eric's comment - Eric surely the shares that I bought and sold at a loss are an investment loss just as my dividend payment from my company is an investment gain thus I can offset one against the other?
>> Edited by darrent on Monday 4th July 17:54
Nope.
Investment income is income generated by the invested funds (interest, rents, dividends etc) and is taxed under Income Tax rules.
Gains brought about by a rise in the underlying value of the investment are Capital Gains and are taxed under separate Capital Gains Tax rules.
The two worlds don't interact much.
Investment income is income generated by the invested funds (interest, rents, dividends etc) and is taxed under Income Tax rules.
Gains brought about by a rise in the underlying value of the investment are Capital Gains and are taxed under separate Capital Gains Tax rules.
The two worlds don't interact much.
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