What Are Section 199A Dividends? (2024)

What Are Section 199A Dividends? (1)

Section 199A dividends are distributions from the profits of domestic real estate investment trusts (REITs) that qualify for a special 20% tax deduction. Investing in Section 199A dividends can provide a valuable tax deduction for investors, and income limits don’t apply to Section 199A income from REITS. Understanding the ins and outs of this tax break requires some study, but the effort can produce useful information to guide investing activities. Consulting with a financial advisor can help you determine whether investments like REITs and their Section 199A dividends fit into your overall financial plan.

Section 199A Dividend Background

Section 199A dividends get their name from Section 199A of the tax code. This section was created by the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act to provide a tax deduction for pass-through business income. One element of Section 199A is that it allows a 20% deduction for dividends paid out from the profits of domestic REITs.

When you receive Section 199A dividends, they will be reported on Form 1099-DIV in Box 5. These dividends are a subset of the total ordinary dividends reported in Box 1a. You don’t need to itemize deductions to qualify for the 199A deduction. The deduction does not reduce your adjusted gross income.

Section 199A Dividend Tax Deductions

The tax deduction for Section 199A dividends is generally 20% of the amount reported in Box 5 of 1099-DIV. This percentage deduction is not phased out at higher income levels like it is for some other sources of qualified business income (QBI), such as profits from self-employment. Taxpayers at any income level can take the full 20% deduction for their Section 199A dividends.

The Section 199A deduction for dividends is claimed on Form 8995 or Form 8995-A and then flows through to Line 13 of your Form 1040. This deduction does not lower your marginal tax bracket or income-based phaseouts on things like Roth IRA contributions. But it does directly lower your taxable income.

Section 199A Dividend Deduction in Action

What Are Section 199A Dividends? (2)

Here’s a hypothetical example of how a typical taxpayer who invests in domestic REITs might use the Section 199A dividend deduction:

This investor earns $50,000 in W-2 income from his job. He also gets $5,000 in ordinary dividends from a mutual fund that includes domestic REITs in its portfolio. His Form 1099-DIV shows $3,000 of that amount as Section 199A dividends in Box 5. Only part of the $5,000 in ordinary dividends is classified as Section 199A dividends in this example because the other components of the mutual fund’s portfolio are not REITs. In this case, his Section 199A deduction would be the lesser of:

  • 20% of $3,000 Section 199A dividends = $600 or
  • 20% of his taxable income = 20% x ($50,000 + $5,000 – $12,950 standard deduction for 2023) = $8,230

The investor in this example could claim a $600 Section 199A deduction. That’s 20% of his $3,000 in Section 199A dividends.

Section 199A Dividends for Investors

For investors, the main advantage of Section 199A dividends is the tax deduction without income limits. The tradeoff is that ordinary REIT dividends don’t qualify for the lower qualified dividend tax rates like corporate stock dividends might.

Investors will generally find Section 199A dividends within mutual funds or ETFs holding REIT stocks. Individual REIT stocks also may pay Section 199A dividends. The presence of this potential deduction can be a significant factor to consider when selecting REIT investments.

Limitations of the Section 199A Dividend Deduction

While the 199A deduction for dividends has some attractive features, including that it lacks income phaseouts, it comes with limitations. Here are some to keep in mind:

  • It doesn’t reduce your adjusted gross income or marginal tax bracket.
  • It expires at the end of 2025 unless Congress extends Section 199A.
  • The dividends themselves are taxed as ordinary income, not at the lower qualified dividend rate.
  • The deduction only applies to dividends attributable to domestic REIT ownership.

Bottom Line

What Are Section 199A Dividends? (3)

The Section 199A dividend deduction can directly lower tax bills for REIT investors. Taxpayers can claim the deduction even if they don’t itemize, although it doesn’t lower adjusted gross income and can’t move them to a lower tax bracket. The deduction may not last forever and can be tricky, but the opportunity to save on taxes can make learning about it and using it a worthwhile exercise.

Tips for Tax Planning

  • Meeting with a financial advisor can help identify the best tax savings opportunities for your situation. Finding a financial advisor doesn’t have to be hard. SmartAsset’s free tool matches you with up to three vetted financial advisors who serve your area, and you canhave a free introductory call with your advisor matches to decide which one you feel is right for you. If you’re ready to find an advisor who can help you achieve your financial goals, get started now.
  • Forecast your future tax bill with SmartAsset’s federal income tax calculator.

Photo credit: ©iStock.com/ciricvelibor, ©iStock.com/zamrznutitonovi, ©iStock.com/praetorianphoto

What Are Section 199A Dividends? (2024)

FAQs

What Are Section 199A Dividends? ›

Section 199A dividends are distributions from the profits of domestic real estate investment trusts (REITs) that qualify for a special 20% tax deduction. Investing in Section 199A dividends can provide a valuable tax deduction for investors, and income limits don't apply to Section 199A income from REITS.

Do I have to report section 199A dividends? ›

One element of Section 199A is that it allows a 20% deduction for dividends paid out from the profits of domestic REITs. When you receive Section 199A dividends, they will be reported on Form 1099-DIV in Box 5. These dividends are a subset of the total ordinary dividends reported in Box 1a.

What is Section 199A in simple terms? ›

IRC Section 199A allows individuals, trusts, and estates with pass-through business income to deduct up to 20% of qualified business income (QBI) from taxable ordinary income.

How do I know if my business qualifies for section 199A? ›

Essentially, the way to determine whether or not a taxpayer qualifies for this deduction is to determine whether or not their business meets a few criteria: Their income does not exceed $157,500 for a single filer or $315,000 for a married couple filing jointly. They are not an employee of the business.

What is Section 199A dividends on K 1? ›

Section 199A information. Generally, you may be allowed a deduction of up to 20% of your apportioned net qualified business income (QBI) plus 20% of your apportioned qualified REIT dividends, also known as section 199A dividends, and qualified publicly traded partnership (PTP) income from the trust or estate.

How do I enter 199A dividends on TurboTax? ›

Only enter amounts from your Section 199A Statement, not any of the other boxes on the K-1 form. When you check the box next to a line, an additional box will open where you can enter the amount from your Section 199A Statement for that line.

What happens if you don't report dividends to IRS? ›

If you receive interest, dividends or patronage dividend income, but you don't report the income on your tax return and you don't pay the tax due on your tax return, you could be subject to a special income tax withholding called Backup Withholding.

Can I deduct foreign tax paid on dividends? ›

Generally, only income, war profits, and excess profits taxes (collectively referred to as income taxes) qualify for the foreign tax credit. Foreign taxes on wages, dividends, interest, and royalties generally qualify for the credit.

Why was Section 199A created? ›

To establish parity between the tax treatment of corporate and noncorporate (or pass-through) business profits, the TCJA also lowered individual income tax rates (except for the lowest rate of 10%) and created a new deduction under Internal Revenue Code Section 199A for pass-through business profits.

Where is the 199A deduction taken on Form 1040? ›

Explanation: The tax cut and jobs act added a section 199a deduction for pass through entities. It is calculated on form 8995. It is then carried forward to form 1040 on line 10 as a deduction from adjusted gross income (AGI).

Who is excluded from 199A? ›

Income earned by a C corporation or by providing services as an employee is not eligible for the deduction regardless of the taxpayer's taxable income. In some cases, patrons of agricultural or horticultural cooperatives are required to reduce their deduction under section 199A(b)(7) (patron reduction).

What type of income is always excluded from QBI? ›

QBI does not include items such as: Items that are not properly includable in taxable income. Investment items such as capital gains or losses. Interest income not properly allocable to a trade or business.

Do restaurants qualify for 199A? ›

Many restaurant businesses are structured as pass-through entities, such as sole proprietorships, partnerships, S corporations or limited liability companies whose income is taxed directly to their owners at their individual rates. Owners were likely pleased that tax reform legislation added Sec. 199A to the tax code.

Do you pay taxes on Section 199A dividends? ›

With 199A dividends, you can claim the qualified business income deduction regardless of your income level and you are not required to be involved in a qualified business or trade. Section 199A dividends are not considered qualified dividends and are taxed at the taxpayer's ordinary income tax rate.

Where do I report 199A dividends? ›

The Section 199A deduction for dividends is claimed on Form 8995 or Form 8995-A and then flows through to Line 13 of your Form 1040. This deduction does not lower your marginal tax bracket or income-based phaseouts on things like Roth IRA contributions. But it does directly lower your taxable income.

What is the holding period for 199A dividends? ›

To be eligible for deduction under Section 199A, a shareholder must have held shares on which the dividend was paid for at least 46 days during the 91-day period that began 45 days before the fund's ex-dividend date (ex-date).

Do qualified dividends have to be reported? ›

Whereas ordinary dividends are taxable as ordinary income, qualified dividends that meet certain requirements are taxed at lower capital gain rates. The payer of the dividend is required to correctly identify each type and amount of dividend for you when reporting them on your Form 1099-DIV for tax purposes.

Do I have to report 1099-DIV on my tax return? ›

If you receive $10 or more in dividends, you will receive a Form 1099-DIV. This form shows the dividends you received, any taxes withheld, non-dividend distributions, capital gains distributions, investment expenses, and certain other types of gains. You will need to report this income on your tax return.

Where do I report 199A dividends on 1120s? ›

If the Form 1120-S – U.S. Income Tax Return for an S Corporation is being entered in the Business Program, the total 199A amounts that will flow to the individual shareholder's Schedule K-1's are first entered on the Schedule K – Distributive Share Items > Other Menu and are NOT made directly on the Schedule K-1 (Form ...

Do I have to report non taxable dividends? ›

Non-taxable distributions are generally reported in Box 3 of Form 1099-DIV. Return of capital shows up under the “Non-Dividend Distributions” column on the form. The investor may receive this form from the company that paid the dividend. If not, the distribution may be reported as an ordinary dividend.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Saturnina Altenwerth DVM

Last Updated:

Views: 5689

Rating: 4.3 / 5 (44 voted)

Reviews: 83% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Saturnina Altenwerth DVM

Birthday: 1992-08-21

Address: Apt. 237 662 Haag Mills, East Verenaport, MO 57071-5493

Phone: +331850833384

Job: District Real-Estate Architect

Hobby: Skateboarding, Taxidermy, Air sports, Painting, Knife making, Letterboxing, Inline skating

Introduction: My name is Saturnina Altenwerth DVM, I am a witty, perfect, combative, beautiful, determined, fancy, determined person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.