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Declare Dividend?

Hi,
My wife currently earns around £9000 and will receive dividends of around £2500 next year, making a total income of around £11500. The dividends are above the dividend allowance but the total income is below the personal allowance. Will she need to declare the dividend income to HMRC?

Thanks for your time. 

Comments

  • Dazed_and_C0nfused
    Dazed_and_C0nfused Posts: 18,784 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Fifth Anniversary Name Dropper
    edited 10 January 2024 at 1:50PM
    Stegor said:
    Hi,
    My wife currently earns around £9000 and will receive dividends of around £2500 next year, making a total income of around £11500. The dividends are above the dividend allowance but the total income is below the personal allowance. Will she need to declare the dividend income to HMRC?

    Thanks for your time. 
    She probably won't be able to benefit from the dividend nil rate (aka Dividend Allowance) as that can only be used once the Personal Allowance has been used.

    No material impact on your wife but you seem to think she can use the nil rate band and she will only be able to use (some of) that if her Personal Allowance is £11,310 not £12,570.
  • Stegor
    Stegor Posts: 37 Forumite
    Third Anniversary 10 Posts
    Hi, thanks for the reply. I understand the dividend allowance doesn't come into play until she has used up her personal allowance, but does she still need to declare the dividend income to HMRC? Thanks again.
  • george4064
    george4064 Posts: 2,947 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    edited 12 January 2024 at 8:51AM
    What type of account is the shares/investments that are paying the dividends held in? 
    "If you aren’t willing to own a stock for ten years, don’t even think about owning it for ten minutes” Warren Buffett

    Save £12k in 2025 - #024 £1,450 / £15,000 (9%)
  • eskbanker
    eskbanker Posts: 39,534 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    edited 12 January 2024 at 11:31AM
    Stegor said:
    Hi, thanks for the reply. I understand the dividend allowance doesn't come into play until she has used up her personal allowance, but does she still need to declare the dividend income to HMRC? Thanks again.
    Not if it's below £10K, unless she already self-assesses:

    https://www.gov.uk/tax-on-dividends
  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 0 Newbie
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    edited 12 January 2024 at 12:22PM
    eskbanker said:
    Stegor said:
    Hi, thanks for the reply. I understand the dividend allowance doesn't come into play until she has used up her personal allowance, but does she still need to declare the dividend income to HMRC? Thanks again.
    Not if it's below £10K, unless she already self-assesses:

    https://www.gov.uk/tax-on-dividends
    Hello eskbanker -I think you mean to say below £1K.  The gov link you gave says that you need to inform HMRC if your dividend is upto £10K and above that you fall into self assessment.  But the way I understand it is that if your dividend is within the div allowance, you don't need to inform them as no tax is due.   
  • ColdIron
    ColdIron Posts: 10,325 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Hung up my suit! Name Dropper
    edited 22 August 2025 at 3:08PM
    eskbanker said:
    Stegor said:
    Hi, thanks for the reply. I understand the dividend allowance doesn't come into play until she has used up her personal allowance, but does she still need to declare the dividend income to HMRC? Thanks again.
    Not if it's below £10K, unless she already self-assesses:

    https://www.gov.uk/tax-on-dividends
    But the way I understand it is that if your dividend is within the div allowance, you don't need to inform them as no tax is due.   
    True but the OP receives £2,500 pa so not within the 'allowance' hence the query
  • eskbanker
    eskbanker Posts: 39,534 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    edited 22 August 2025 at 3:08PM
    eskbanker said:
    Stegor said:
    Hi, thanks for the reply. I understand the dividend allowance doesn't come into play until she has used up her personal allowance, but does she still need to declare the dividend income to HMRC? Thanks again.
    Not if it's below £10K, unless she already self-assesses:

    https://www.gov.uk/tax-on-dividends
    Hello eskbanker -I think you mean to say below £1K.  The gov link you gave says that you need to inform HMRC if your dividend is upto £10K and above that you fall into self assessment.  But the way I understand it is that if your dividend is within the div allowance, you don't need to inform them as no tax is due.   
    My answer was specifically in the context of OP's wife earning less than her personal allowance in total....
  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 0 Newbie
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    edited 22 August 2025 at 3:08PM
    ColdIron said:
    eskbanker said:
    Stegor said:
    Hi, thanks for the reply. I understand the dividend allowance doesn't come into play until she has used up her personal allowance, but does she still need to declare the dividend income to HMRC? Thanks again.
    Not if it's below £10K, unless she already self-assesses:

    https://www.gov.uk/tax-on-dividends
    But the way I understand it is that if your dividend is within the div allowance, you don't need to inform them as no tax is due.   
    True but the OP receives £2,500 pa so not within the 'allowance' hence the query
    Exactly the point I'm making.  The OP's wife receives £2.5K in dividends ie below £10K so she will need to inform HMRC, yet eskbanker is saying she dos not need to inform HMRC because it is below £10K.  

    I'm not trying to labour this point; I just need to fully understand the correct requirement as I'm also in a position this year where my div if £2500, so do I need to inform HMRC  The way I interpret eskbanker's reply is that I don't need to but this is contrary to the link.  
  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 0 Newbie
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    edited 22 August 2025 at 3:08PM
    eskbanker said:
    eskbanker said:
    Stegor said:
    Hi, thanks for the reply. I understand the dividend allowance doesn't come into play until she has used up her personal allowance, but does she still need to declare the dividend income to HMRC? Thanks again.
    Not if it's below £10K, unless she already self-assesses:

    https://www.gov.uk/tax-on-dividends
    Hello eskbanker -I think you mean to say below £1K.  The gov link you gave says that you need to inform HMRC if your dividend is upto £10K and above that you fall into self assessment.  But the way I understand it is that if your dividend is within the div allowance, you don't need to inform them as no tax is due.   
    My answer was specifically in the context of OP's wife earning less than her personal allowance in total....
    That may well be the case, but why qualify it with 'if it's below £10K.  That's what I'm finding confusing
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