What are the pros and cons of REITs?

What are the pros and cons of REITs?

Dividend taxation REITs tend to have above-average dividends and aren’t taxed at the corporate level. The downside is that REIT dividends generally don’t meet the IRS definition of “qualified dividends,” which are taxed at lower rates than ordinary income.

What are the advantages of a REIT?

REITs offer investors the benefits of real estate investment along with the ease and advantages of investing in publicly traded stock. REITs have historically provided investors dividend-based income, competitive market performance, transparency, liquidity, inflation protection and portfolio diversification.

How do REITs avoid double taxation?

Real estate investment trusts, like many companies, distribute earnings to investors in the form of dividends. That means REITs avoid the dreaded “double-taxation” of corporate tax AND personal income tax. Instead, REITs are sheltered from corporate tax so their investors are only taxed once.

How will a capital gain distribution from a REIT be reported on the income tax return?

If you own shares in a REIT, you should receive a copy of IRS Form 1099-DIV each year. This tells you how much you received in dividends and what kind of dividends they were: Ordinary income dividends are reported in Box 1. Capital gains distributions are generally reported in Box 2a.

Are REITs good for 401k?

Because of this, REITs are best suited for tax-deferred entities such as IRAs and 401(k) accounts. You can buy individual REITs, just as you can buy individual stocks and bonds.

Where do REITs go on tax return?

For UK resident individuals who receive tax returns, the PID from a UK REIT is included on the tax return as Other Income. If completing the return online, in the section “Other UK Income” tick the bottom box “Any other income”.

How do I pay tax on dividends?

You do not pay tax on any dividend income that falls within your Personal Allowance (the amount of income you can earn each year without paying tax). You also get a dividend allowance each year. You only pay tax on any dividend income above the dividend allowance. You do not pay tax on dividends from shares in an ISA .

How do I report sale of shares on my tax return?

Enter stock information on Form 8949, per IRS instructions. You’ll need to provide the name of your stock, your cost, your sales proceeds, and the dates you bought and sold it. Short-term transactions go in Part I, while long-term transactions go in Part II.

Do REITs have to pay dividends?

REIT shares trade on the open market, so they are easy to buy and sell. To qualify as securities, REITs must payout at least 90% of their net earnings to shareholders as dividends. For that, REITs receive special tax treatment; unlike a typical corporation, they pay no corporate taxes on the earnings they payout.

Andrew

Andrey is a coach, sports writer and editor. He is mainly involved in weightlifting. He also edits and writes articles for the IronSet blog where he shares his experiences. Andrey knows everything from warm-up to hard workout.