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April 6, 2007

How do cash dividends affect the financial statements?

When a corporation declares a cash dividend on its stock, its retained earnings are decreased and its current liabilities (Dividends Payable) are increased. When the cash dividend is paid, the Dividends Payable account is decreased and the corporation’s Cash account is decreased.

The net result of the declaration and payment of the dividend is that the corporation’s assets and stockholders’ equity have decreased. Specifically, the balance sheet accounts Cash and Retained Earnings were decreased.

The income statement is not affected by the declaration and payment of cash dividends on common stock. (The cash dividends on preferred stock are deducted from net income to arrive at net income available for common stock.)

The cash dividends will be reported as a use of cash in the financing activities section of the statement of cash flows.




Comments

6 Responses to “How do cash dividends affect the financial statements?”

  1. Sharon on February 27th, 2009 5:59 pm

    Questions: What effects would a declaration of a cash dividend have on the following balance sheet sections:

    Total Asset

    Total Liabilities

    Total Stockholders’ equity

    Thank you

  2. Larry Perkins on June 12th, 2009 8:08 am

    When you have a join venture partner with 51% ownership that is to receive a 3rd party Dividend for $75K.

    You Declare the Dividend

    Dr. Dividend Declared 3rd Party -361001
    CR Cash -101000

    you make payments to the third Party Partner to receive the cash.

    Dr. Dividend Income Expense -3rd Party
    Cr.

    What account would you credit or what entries you would make for a outside third party Partner dividend from income profits.

    Thanks,

    Larry

  3. Rizwana on August 31st, 2009 1:54 am

    Dear Sir

    My question is when a company pays dividends , where it will be shown in the financial statements? Whether it ‘ll be shown in balance sheet/Income statement etc .

  4. Caroline on October 23rd, 2009 7:13 am

    Hi

    We have just being paid a cash dividend how do we allocate these??

  5. Mechas on November 17th, 2009 8:29 pm

    How should a investor know what is an adequate amount of stockholders equity?

  6. Mechas on November 17th, 2009 8:32 pm

    What would the equity for a company be compared to…?

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