The national income and product accounts (NIPAs) present several estimates of dividends:

  • “Net dividends” is shown in several NIPA tables that present estimates of corporate profits.
    Net dividends is measured as

    gross dividends paid by U.S corporations in cash or other assets,
    plus U.S. receipts of dividends from the rest of the world, net of dividend payments to the rest of the world,
    less dividends received by U.S. corporations.

This measure of net dividends represents the net dividend income of U.S. residents arising from their ownership, in whole or in part, of U.S. and foreign corporations.

  • “Personal dividend income” is shown in NIPA tables that present estimates of personal income and is defined as the dividend income of persons from all sources. It equals net dividends paid by corporations less dividends received by federal, state and local governments. Pension funds, some insurance reserves, and private trust funds are considered to be the property of persons, so dividends received by these institutions are included in personal dividend income. Dividends received by mutual funds are generally redistributed to the mutual fund shareholders, so these dividends can be considered to “pass through” to their owners and are also included in personal dividend income.
  • In government current receipts, dividends received by federal, state and local governments are a component of income receipts on assets.
  • In foreign transactions and in sources and uses of private enterprise income, dividends are shown in income receipts on assets (dividend receipts from the rest of the world) and in income payments on assets (dividend payments to the rest of the world).
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