Possible Reasons for Dividend Income Cut-VRK100-29Sep2020

Possible Reasons for Dividend Income Cut-VRK100-29Sep2020

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During this financial year 2020-21, Indian listed companies have declared lower dividends as compared to the same period last year. Actually, companies should have distributed more of their profits to investors this year, after corporate tax rate were cut in September 2019 and dividend distribution tax (DDT) was abolished in February of this year.

 

But it is not so. Some possible reasons why dividend income from listed companies in India has come down substantially during the half-year ending 30 September 2020:        

 

Post the outbreak of Corona Virus, Indian companies like their global peers want to conserve capital in order to face the turbulent times ahead. Due to severe lockdowns imposed by the central and state governments, economic growth has slumped impacting the revenues and profits of companies and incomes of households severely.

 

With a view to conserving their capital, corporates have been giving lower dividends this year. This is a big blow to investors in a situation when their incomes are already down due to job losses and wage cuts.

 

Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has barred banks from declaring any dividends for the financial year 2019-20, which they would have declared after 01 April 2020 had the RBI not barred them from dividend declaration. As a result, no bank has declared any dividend in this financial year so far.

 

In April of this year, RBI barred banks from declaring dividends due to uncertainty after Corona Virus outbreak, so that banks would conserve their capital. RBI will assess this ban after the declaration of second quarter (Jul-Sep2020) results.

 

In February of 2020, Government of India abolished dividend distribution tax (DDT) and made dividends distributed by companies taxable in the hands of investors from 01 April 2020.

         

Due to abolition of DDT, many companies declared interim dividends between 01Feb2020 and 31Mar2020, so that promoters and minority shareholders in higher tax brackets could avoid paying tax on dividend for the year 2019-20.  

 

Tax laws change behaviour of companies and individual tax payers. India is notorious for its capricious laws, leaving investors panting for breath all the time.

 

As many companies declared interim dividends liberally between the start of February and end of March 2020, they have chosen not to pay any final dividend after 01 April 2020.

         

Anecdotal evidence suggests that almost fifty percent of listed Indian companies that ordinarily pay dividend during April and September of every year have not paid any dividend during April-September 2020 period. 

         

Due to the Corona Virus outbreak, even traditionally well-paying firms have not declared any dividends in order to conserve cash for tough times ahead. 

 

It may be noted several companies that ordinarily not borrow money or companies with low debt are forced to borrow money for working capital and other needs, as their sales have suffered drastically post-COVID-19.         

         

Many companies complete paying dividends before the end of September every year. Software (Information Technology) companies and some other companies traditionally pay dividends three or four times in a year.

 

Even some mid-tier IT companies too have not paid any dividend after April 1st of this year.      

         

It would not be incorrect to say that companies should have paid 15 to 20 per cent more dividend than previous year as DDT stood abolished since 01 April 2020 and corporate tax rates were cut by Government of India in September 2019; but strangely nearly half of companies  have not bothered to declare any dividend after 01 April 2020 for the reasons suggested above.

 

Top 500 companies are supposed to have a dividend distribution policy as per law. Even though they have a policy, companies have not considered it appropriate to explain why they have not declared dividends in the first half of this year.

 

Instead of getting more dividend, investors are left with dividend income getting slashed by 20 to 35 per cent during the first half of 2020-21 depending on the mix of listed companies they hold.

 

It is hoped this nasty surprise, though not wholly unexpected, slapped on investors should get corrected during the next one or two years depending on the speed of upturn in the economy.

         

Many big companies have not announced any buybacks in recent quarters after the abolition of DDT and introduction of buyback tax. Share buybacks / repurchases are one form companies choose to return their excess cash to investors.

 

Companies now have to deduct tax at source (TDS) on dividend income, before distributing them to investors. The TDS rate is 10 per cent, but cut to 7.5 per cent till March 31, 2021 due to the pandemic.

 

If total dividend for a single investor exceeds Rs 5,000 in a financial year, a company has to do TDS on the total dividend at rates mentioned above. A company will apply dividends declared in the preceding financial year, while determining the limit of Rs 5,000 for TDS on dividends.  

 

A few companies declared higher dividend this year. One such example is Lupin Limited. With a view to compensating shareholders due to dividend becoming taxable in investors' hands effective 01 April 2020, the company recommended higher dividend of Rs 6 per equity share as against Rs 5 of the previous year.

 

Across the globe, stock investment strategies based on dividend yield are out of favour. Discount cash flow (DCF) methods based solely on dividend have stopped working. The current trend is that more of total gains for investors come from share price increases rather than dividends.

(Please see comments below)

 

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Update on 08 October 2020: The article is updated with the following table giving details of dividends declared by select companies:

 

 

References:

My Tweet thread dated 17Apr2020 on RBI banning bank dividends

Tweet thread06Feb2020 on behaviour of promoters

 Connected Tweet threadof 07Feb2020 on dividends

 Connected Tweet threadof 04Feb2020 on 10% dividend tax on dividends above Rs 10 lakh

 IiAS Advisory Dividend & Buyback Report 05Feb2020

IiAS Advisory Dividend & Buyback Report 11Apr2019

 

Disclosure:  I've vested interested in Indian stocks. It's safe to assume I've interest in the stocks discussed, if any.

Disclaimer: The analysis and opinion provided here are only for information purposes and should not be construed as investment advice. Investors should consult their own financial advisers before making any investments. The author is a CFA Charterholder with a vested interest in financial markets. He blogs at:

https://ramakrishnavadlamudi.blogspot.com/

https://www.scribd.com/vrk100

Twitter @vrk100     

 

 

RETIREMENT PLANS WITH HIGHEST SAFETY FOR INDIANS-VRK100-03012010

RETIREMENT PLANS WITH HIGHEST SAFETY FOR INDIANS

Rama Krishna Vadlamudi, BOMBAY

January 3, 2010  


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There used to be a time when Senior Citizens would get a lot of support and care in a joint family set up. Now that India has become a dominating part of the so-called global village, there has been a definitive shift toward the concept of nuclear family, where the onus is on ‘me and my close family.’ However, the implications of this tectonic shift have not been fully felt in the Indian community so far, especially, among senior citizens. They are yet to accept the reality, which is a bit harsh for traditional people to digest in many an instance. In the light of this new/modern trend, there has been no corresponding change in the economic well-being or protection of senior citizens.

In view of the shift away from joint family concept to a nuclear family, youngsters in their 40s, 30s and even 20s and who have been earning good income need to set plan for their retirement in early part of their career, profession or business. This calls for a radical shift in their saving and investment habits. Now, let us examine the traditional retirement plans with guaranteed returns and tax saving embedded into them. (Another article is being written afresh analyzing the retirement plans available from insurance companies and mutual funds, which do not offer any guaranteed returns. You need to wait for a few more days to publish it on my SCRIBD pages at www.scribd.com/vrk100)

General Guidelines for Senior Citizens

Before we go deep into the minute details of the individual plans, let us know a bit about some basic principles behind retirement plans and the underlying idea behind them.

Start Early: It would be better to start planning for retirement well before the age of retirement. Starting early enables people to add a variety of schemes and avenues to their retirement plans. Keeping this in view, many life insurance companies are offering a variety of products to youngsters in their 30s and 40s with high monthly earnings.

Capital Protection: Protection of capital should be the paramount requirement for Senior Citizens. People in their golden years prefer safety and stability. As such, they try to put their money in government securities, post office savings, bank deposits and other low-risk instruments. So that, return of their hard-earned money is guaranteed at all times. Social and income security are the two most vital needs for senior citizens.

Diversification of investments: It would be better to spread their investments in different instruments depending on individual requirements. A variety of safe instruments for senior citizens are available.

Surety of regular/monthly income: Retirement plans should offer guaranteed and regular returns for investors so that they can have a stable, peaceful and enjoyable lifestyle even after retirement.

Liquidity: In retirement, liquidity of saving instruments is of utmost importance. Any savings product/instrument should be easily encashable so that investors can withdraw their money in case of financial emergencies arising out of unforeseen events, like, a medical treatment, etc.


INVESTMENTS SENIOR CITIZENS SHOULD AVOID:

The foremost need for Senior Citizens is protection of capital and guaranteed & regular income to take care of their daily needs. As such, it would be better if they avoid investing in equities and equity-linked investments (if one is extremely rich, he/she can dabble in equity investments, though). They should also avoid any investments that claim to offer ‘higher’ or ‘superior’ returns. In our country, there are a lot of sellers of financial products in the garb of ‘financial advisors.’ Such sellers are similar to ‘quack’ doctors who are available at every nook and corner of India. Seniors need to be wary of such sellers of financial products, which are sold to innocent people without explaining or analyzing the merits/demerits/suitability of such financial products to the specific needs of individuals.

Let us now discuss some schemes that offer low-risk and high-security features:

1. Senior Citizens Savings Scheme (SCSS) - 2004

FEATURES:

Eligibility: Senior citizens who are above 60 years of age are eligible for depositing in this scheme. Individuals who are more 55 years and have retired after voluntary retirement scheme are also eligible. Retired personnel of Defence Services are also eligible to invest irrespective of the age limits subject to certain conditions.

Amount: The minimum deposit is Rs 1,000 and the maximum amount is Rs 15 lakhs, in multiples of Rs 1,000.

Period: For five years, this can be extended by another three more years

Rate of Interest: Nine per cent per annum

Interest payment: Interest is paid quarterly on 30th June, 30th September, 31st December and 31st March.

Premature withdrawal: Investors can prematurely withdrawal the deposit. As such, the scheme provides high liquidity to investors. However, investors will have to bear a penalty depending on the period. For withdrawals after one year but before expiry of two years, penalty of 1.5 per cent of initial deposit will be levied. For withdrawals after two years, penalty of one per cent of initial deposit will be charged.

Tax benefits: This scheme is eligible for Section 80C (of Income Tax Act) benefit. Investments up to Rs one lakh in Senior Citizens Savings Scheme (As per Section 80C, a taxpayer is allowed a maximum deduction of Rs one lakh from his annual income for certain savings instruments, which include Senior Citizens Savings Scheme, National Savings Certificates, Insurance policies, Public Provident Fund and others)

Tax Deduction at Source (TDS): The interest income received under the scheme is fully taxable and is subject to TDS. However, TDS can be avoided by submitting Form 15-H (for Senior Citizens of age 65 years or more-Income Tax Act defines a senior citizen as a person of 65 years or more) or Form 15-G (for persons below the age of 65 years) as the case may be to post office/bank. This form may be given at the time of deposit itself. This is going to change with effect from April 1, 2010. From that date, all term deposit holders shall compulsorily quote their PAN (permanent account number); otherwise, TDS at much higher rate of 20 per cent or more will be deducted from interest payable irrespective of the interest amount due by banks/Financial institutions/NBFCs or companies.

Where to Deposit: Post Offices, 24 public sector banks and ICICI Bank. (Only designated branches of these banks are allowed to open these accounts)

Nomination: The facility is available

Joint Account: Single or joint accounts are allowed. Joint account can be held only with the spouse.

Non-eligibility: Non-resident Indians (NRIs) and Hindu Undivided Families (HUFs) are not eligible to invest in the scheme

Transfer: In case of change of residence, the depositor can transfer his account to another post office/bank


2. Post Office Monthly Income Scheme (POMIS)

FEATURES:

Eligibility: POMIS is available at post offices and only individuals are eligible to invest in the scheme

Amount: The minimum deposit is Rs 1,500 and the maximum amount is Rs 4.5 lakhs and Rs 9.00 lakh for single and joint accountholders

Period: For six years

Rate of Interest: Eight per cent per annum

Interest payment: Interest is paid monthly. Interest is credited directly every month to Savings Bank account maintained with the post office where the deposit is made. Interest received under the scheme is fully taxable in the hands of the depositor.

Bonus: Investments, made after December 8, 2007, will be eligible for a bonus of five per cent on the amount invested. The bonus will be paid upon maturity of the deposit

Premature withdrawal: Depositors can prematurely withdraw the deposit. As such, the scheme provides high liquidity to investors. However, investors will have to bear a penalty depending on the period. For withdrawals after one year but before expiry of three years, penalty of 2.0 per cent of initial deposit will be levied. For withdrawals after three years, penalty of 1 per cent of initial deposit will be charged.

Tax benefits: There are no tax benefits for deposits made under POMIS

Nomination: The facility is available

Joint Account: Single or joint accounts are allowed.


3. Five-Year Post Office Time Deposit (5-year POTD)

FEATURES:

Eligibility: Individuals are allowed to invest in the scheme. Single or Joint accounts are allowed.

Amount: The minimum deposit is Rs 200. And there is no upper limit.

Period: For five years

Rate of interest: 7.5 per cent for five-year Post Office Time Deposit

Interest Payment: Interest is payable on the basis of quarterly compounding, but interest is paid to the investor only annually. Interest received under the scheme is fully taxable in the hands of the depositor.

Premature Withdrawal: Up to six months from the date of investment, no premature withdrawal is allowed. If money is withdrawn between six months and less than one year from the date of investment, no interest will be paid on the deposit. If withdrawn after one year, interest will be paid at a rate 2% less than the rate applicable for the period for which the deposit has run

Tax Benefits: The five-year Post Office Time Deposit is eligible for tax benefits under Section 80C with an upper limit of up to Rs 1,00,000. (In addition to 5-year POTD, post offices offer 1-year, 2-year and 3-year time deposits with lesser interest rate compared to 5-year deposit. However, 1-year, 2-year and 3-year time deposits will not be eligible for Section 80C income tax benefits)

Nomination: The facility is available


4. Five-Year Bank Deposits (Tax Saver Schemes)

Several banks are offering Bank deposits with payment of monthly options. Banks also offer special fixed deposits of tenure of five years or more with tax benefits under Section 80C of the Income Tax Act. Banks offer interest rates ranging from 8% to 10% on these special fixed deposits. The full details will be available with the banks.

 

ALTERNATIVE IDEA

If one is prepared to take a little risk, one can think of pursuing an alternative idea.

The idea consists of two parts:

First part: Senior citizens can invest, say, Rs 3,00,000 in POMIS (Post Office Monthly Income Scheme-discussed above) and give a mandate to the post office to credit the monthly interest to their Savings Bank account with the particular post office. If they do not have an SB account with the post office, they can open a new SB account with the post office.

Second part: The initial investment of Rs 3,00,000 attracts an interest of Rs 1,950 (approx.) per month and it will be credited to the depositor’s SB account with the post office. This interest amount of Rs 1,950 can be invested every month regularly in a diversified equity mutual fund with a good and long-term track record. Otherwise, depositor can give an ECS-Debit instruction to a mutual fund so that the interest amount is debited from the savings bank account every month and re-invested in a particular scheme-chosen by the investor-by the mutual fund. (ECS-electronic clearing service-is provided in metros and tier-II cities)

RATIONALE: By investing in post office, one gets full protection of the capital as post office deposits are guaranteed by the Government of India. After protecting one’s capital, one can take a little risk and invest the monthly interest income into a well diversified equity mutual fund with a good and long-term track record. By investing in a well diversified equity mutual fund, one can be hopeful of getting 12 to 15 per cent over long periods of five or ten years. Here, the risk is limited to the extent of interest income while the capital is fully protected. After five or ten years, the senior citizen can pass on the mutual fund units to their heirs without attracting any capital gains tax. By bequeathing the mutual fund units to the inheritors, one gets the satisfaction of passing on good assets to their children/heirs.

Note: Please note to consult your Financial Advisor/Planner for full details before investment for latest modifications and suitability of the respective products to individual needs. For sophisticated investors, a plethora of schemes, like, liquid mutual funds, 8% RBI bonds (taxable) fixed maturity plans, company fixed deposits, structured products, monthly income plans from mutual funds, etc., are available. These details can be sourced from websites, books or investment advisors.

 

IMPORTANT NOTE:

GOLDEN YEARS: Retirement is more about how one spends his/her time in a more meaningful manner, rather than about savings or money. Retirement is more about psychological issues than financial issues. Money is also important, but retirees need to give more value to a life that is joyous, delightful and meaningful in their own way. In golden years, one gets plenty of time to pursue their special, passionate and well-established interests, which they could not fulfill during their working life. While some prefer to spend their time with little children, some remain active by providing a helping hand to the less privileged through teaching or training youngsters. Some would prefer to concentrate on voluntary or community-based activities. Many try to learn new languages and games and make new friends.

Our life expectancy has gone up of late, which means our non-earning retirement phase has increased from about 10 years to 20/25 years. So, nowadays, retirees are more in need of money after retirement. As such, many seniors, who are healthy and enjoy their work, opt to undertake part-time jobs, even after retirement, with a view to remaining active and supplementing their pensions. It would be better if people plan for their retirement well before so that they can take care of all their financial needs in a smooth manner. Developing non-work related interests early on one’s life is vital to prepare oneself for the retirement. As the concept of nuclear family has been on the rise, senior citizens need to brace themselves for facing a few harsh realities in post-retirement life.

TAILPIECE:

Question: “What is old age?”

Answer: “When we have ceased to wonder.”

 

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Annexure A: Personal Income Tax Slabs for FY 2009-10

For Women below age of 65 years #                  For resident individuals, HUFs, etc #

Total Annual Income (Rs.) Rate of Income Tax    Total Annual Income (Rs.) Rate of Income Tax

Up to 1,90,000                          NIL                            Up to 1,60,000                       NIL

1,90,001 to 3,00,000                 10%                          1,60,001 to 3,00,000              10%

3,00,001 to 5,00,000                 20%                         3,00,001 to 5,00,000              20%
  
5,00,001 and above                    30%                          5,00,001 and above                 30%

# For senior citizens of 65 years and above, the exemption limit is Rs 2.40 lakh

Cess for Education: At three per cent on income tax payable


Deductions allowed under Section 80 C (Aggregate amount of deduction under this section shall not exceed Rs one lakh) (Read with section 80CCE)

In 2005-06, section 80C replaced old section 88. Under section 80 C, individuals and HUFs are allowed deductions of up to a maximum Rs. 1,00,000/- from taxable income for payments and contributions as given below; without any sectoral caps.

1 Life Insurance premia. Annual premium of any policy shall not be more than 20 per cent of the sum assured.

2 Contribution to a recognised provident fund

3 Voluntary contribution by employee to a recognised provident fund

4 Contribution to Public Provident Fund account (PPF scheme allows interest on annual contributions of up to Rs 70,000 only)

5 Contribution by an employee to an approved superannuation fund

6 Contribution to National Savings Certificate (NSC) VIII issue

7 Interest accrued on NSC VIII issue during the current year except interest for the sixth year

8 Contribution to Unit Linked Insurance Plans

9 Contribution to annuity plan of a life insurance company

10 Equity Linked Savings Scheme (ELSS) of a mutual fund

11 Contribution to pension schemes of two mutual funds, namely Templeton India Pension Plan and UTI Retirement Benefit Pension Fund

12 Tuition fee paid to a college, school, etc, for education of any two children of an assessee. However, the eligible amount shall not include any payment towards any development fees or donation.

13 Instalments paid in a year towards Housing Loans

14 Bank fixed deposits for a period of not less than five years (wef April 1, 2006)

15 Deposits in a Senior Citizens Savings Scheme (SCSS) (wef April 1, 2007)

16 Sums deposited in a Five-year time deposit scheme of a Post Office (wef April 1, 2007)



SECTION 80CCC (Aggregate amount of deduction under this section shall not exceed Rs one lakh) (Read with Section 80CCE)

Section 80CCC allows for a deduction from income of an amount of Rs one lakh deposited by an individual towards any annuity plan of the Life Insurance Corporation or any other insurer for receiving pension. (Prior to April 1, 2006, only Rs 10,000 was allowed).



SECTION 80CCD (Aggregate amount of deduction under this section shall not exceed Rs one lakh) (Read with Section 80CCE)

Section 80CCD allows for a deduction in respect of contribution to New Pension System as notified by the Central Government. Individuals, including public/private sector employees and self-employed individuals, can avail this tax benefit. In respect of employees, the deduction shall not exceed 10 per cent of their salary. For employees, this section is applicable from January 1, 2004 and for self-employed individuals from April 1, 2008 (FY 2008-09).

SECTION 80CCE (VERY IMPORTANT – INTRODUCED IN 2005-06)

Section 80CCE states that the aggregate amount of deductions under section 80C, section 80CCC and section 80CCD shall not, in any case, exceed Rs one lakh

 

DEDUCTIONS THAT ARE ALLOWED IN ADDITION TO DEDUCTIONS

UNDER SECTIONS 80C, 80CCC & 80CCD

SEC. DETAILS OF THE SECTION DEDUC-TION Rs

80D Health insurance premium of the individual or family 15,000

In addition to above, health insurance cost of parents* 15,000

* If parents are senior citizens (65 years & above) (the parents need not be dependant on the assessee) 20,000

80DD Expenditure incurred for medical treatment of a disabled dependant (ordinary disability) # 50,000

For severe disability # 1,00,000

# pertains to deduction for maintenance (including medical treatment), training and rehabilitation of a handicapped dependant; or on the amount paid or deposited under a scheme of the Life Insurance Corporation of India or other insurance for maintenance of disabled dependant

80DDB Medical treatment of herself or a dependant 40,000

If the assessee is a senior citizen 60,000

80E Individuals can claim deduction for interest paid on loan taken for pursuing full-time education of her/his own or her/his relative (Note: Deduction can be claimed for eight years and education includes all fields of studies post-schooling) Actual amount paid

80G Donations paid to Prime Minister's National Relief Fund or such other approved funds 100% of donation

Donations paid to other funds/institutions 50% of donation

80U Deduction allowed to inviduals with permanent physical disability (including blindness) 50,000

In case of severe diability 75,000

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