Calculator · Canada & US
Dividend income calculator
Turn shares and a per-payment dividend into income per payment, per month and per year, plus current yield and yield on cost. Runs in your browser.
Start with the dividend per payment from the company's own announcement, not a website's rounded yield.
Your position
From the company's latest dividend announcement.
Income before tax
Per year
$540.00
Per payment
$135.00
Monthly average
$45.00
Current yield
3.75%
Yield on cost
4.5%
Market value
$14,400
| Yield | Capital for your target | Income on your market value |
|---|---|---|
| 2% | $600,000 | $288 |
| 3% | $400,000 | $432 |
| 4% | $300,000 | $576 |
| 5% | $240,000 | $720 |
| 6% | $200,000 | $864 |
| 8% | $150,000 | $1,152 |
At your current yield of 3.75%, $12,000 a year would take about $320,000 of capital, if the dividend never changed. Higher yields need less capital but often carry more risk to the dividend.
Estimate for education, not advice. This site does not recommend, rate or rank any security and does not know your full situation. Results depend on your inputs and the simplifications listed under Method. Check tax details with the CRA or IRS, or a qualified professional. Read the disclaimer.
How to use it
- Enter how many shares you own and the dividend declared per share for each payment.
- Pick how often it is paid (monthly, quarterly, twice a year or yearly).
- Add today's price and your average cost per share to see current yield and yield on cost side by side.
- Use the target box to see how much capital a given yield would need to produce the income you want.
Method and limits
- Annual dividend per share = dividend per payment × payments per year.
- Current yield = annual dividend per share ÷ today's price. Yield on cost = annual dividend per share ÷ your average cost.
- Capital needed = target annual income ÷ yield. All figures are before tax and assume the dividend stays exactly where you entered it.
Frequently asked questions
Should I use the trailing or the forward dividend?
The calculator uses whatever per-payment amount you enter. A forward figure (the latest declared payment × payments per year) reflects recent raises or cuts; a trailing figure (the last twelve months actually paid) reflects what was received. Special dividends should be left out of either.
Why does my brokerage show a different yield?
Platforms differ in whether they use trailing or forward dividends, include special payments, or update prices in real time. Yields also move every time the price moves. Check the company's own dividend announcement for the amount.
Is the result what I will actually receive?
No. It is a gross, before-tax figure. Taxes, foreign withholding and currency conversion can reduce what lands in your account. The after-tax calculator estimates that part.