Cash dividends
Cash dividends are paid into your Wallet in the same currency as the investment. For example, Australian dividends are paid in Australian dollars (AUD), US dividends are paid in USD, and New Zealand dividends are paid in NZD.
You can choose to reinvest that money into an investment of your choice, or withdraw it to your bank account. If you want to withdraw a US or NZ currency dividend, you’ll first need to exchange the money into AUD, and then withdraw this into your bank account.
Auto-invest dividends
You can invest dividends back into a company or fund automatically in the app by going to your investment portfolio, then select Manage > Dividend reinvestment.
Additionally, if you have push notifications enabled, you’ll be notified each time a dividend is paid to your Wallet. You can choose how often you hear from us at any time via notification settings.
When turning this feature on, you have the choice to auto-invest the dividend once or auto-invest every dividend you receive from that investment.
This takes place through a typical buy order process, and the order will include transaction fees. If you’re on a monthly plan, transaction fees on auto-invested dividends will be covered by any available auto-invest coverage.
Can I auto-invest a dividend back into a different stock?
Not with this feature, you can only set up the automatic investment of dividends back into the same company or fund.
All the companies and funds you’ve invested in will show in this list. This does not guarantee they will pay a dividend in the future.
Is this a dividend reinvestment plan (DRP)?
No, every time you’re paid a dividend, it’ll be automatically invested back into the company or fund. The order will include a transaction fee—it works just like a buy order but is done automatically.
Some investments offer a dividend reinvestment plan (DRP). This means future dividends will be issued directly as shares rather than being paid into your Wallet.
How to invest some of my dividends, but not all.
You can customise which dividend you want to auto-invest. Simply go to your investment portfolio, then select Manage > Dividend reinvestment.
You can then toggle to turn on auto-invest dividends and customise other investments you want toggle on or off.
What are the transaction fees?
Transaction fees will apply when your dividend is auto-invested back into a company or fund. This will be taken from the amount you’ve received in dividends and that you’ve selected to auto-invest.
Transaction fees are the same as a regular buy order, There’s a 1.9% transaction fee on the amount invested, up to a fee cap. If you are on a plan, these fees will be covered in your auto-invest quota (providing you still have coverage available in the month the dividend hits your Wallet).
If you’re on a monthly plan, transaction fees on auto-invested dividends will be covered by any available auto-invest coverage.
How to opt out
Should you choose to turn off auto-invest dividends, or the dividend can’t be invested, for whatever reason, it’ll be paid into your Wallet.
You can turn it off in your investment portfolio > Manage > Dividend reinvestment.
Future dividends will be paid into your Wallet, but won’t be invested. Dividends due on the day of cancellation may still be auto-invested. Future dividends will be paid into your Wallet, but won’t be invested.
Dividend reinvestment plans (DRPs)
Some investments offer a dividend reinvestment plan (DRP). Not all DRPs are available on Sharesies. If an investment’s DRP is available on Sharesies, you’ll see Dividend reinvestment plan available on the investment page, under the investment description.
If you opt in to a DRP through Sharesies, you’ll receive shares instead of a cash payment if the investment issues a dividend. You don’t pay a Sharesies transaction fee when you receive shares through a DRP.
Investments that offer a DRP
If an investment on Sharesies offers a DRP, you’ll see Dividend reinvestment plan available on the investment page, under the investment description.
How to opt in
You need to be an existing shareholder to opt in to an investment’s DRP. Go to the investment’s page > Dividend reinvestment plan available > Learn more. Be sure to read and understand a DRPs offer document before opting in.
How to opt out
Go to the investment’s page > Dividend reinvestment plan > View > Opt out of plan.
As long as you hold shares in the investment, you can opt back into the DRP at any time.
You can also view and manage your DRPs by going to your investment portfolio > Manage > Dividend reinvestment.
Receiving shares
If you opt in to a DRP before an announced dividend’s ex-dividend date, you’ll receive shares for that dividend (and any following). If you opt in after the ex-dividend date, you’ll receive cash, but you’ll receive shares for any following dividends.
Shares issued through a DRP get added to your Portfolio. If you receive a dividend, it will show in your Portfolio’s Activity feed and under Your investment > Investing activity on the investment’s page.
Tax
Share dividends are taxed like cash dividends. Dividends you receive through DRPs will be recorded in your end-of-year Sharesies tax statement, and you're responsible for your tax obligations to the Australian Taxation Office.
If you receive a dividend from an NZ company’s DRP, tax needs to be paid to Inland Revenue (the IRD). In this case, a portion of your dividend is issued as cash and paid to the IRD on your behalf, and the rest of the dividend is issued to you as shares. The value of your dividend and the tax paid on your behalf is recorded in your Sharesies tax statement.