Dividend income calculator:
how much would it pay you each month?
Enter your portfolio, what you invest each month, the dividend yield and the tax you pay. See the monthly income over time, with or without reinvesting, and the portfolio you'd need for a target income.
Year-by-year table
| Year | Portfolio | Dividends that year | Total dividends |
|---|
How it's calculated.
Month by month: growth, then the dividend, then your investment.
Each month the portfolio grows at the price growth rate and pays a twelfth of the yearly yield on its current value. Tax comes off each payment. If you reinvest, the payment buys more of the portfolio; if not, it's paid out to you. Then that month's investment is added.
monthly dividend = portfolio × yield ÷ 12 × (1 − tax)
portfolio needed = target monthly income × 12 ÷ (yield × (1 − tax))
The yield is held constant, which means the dividend per share grows at the same pace as the share price. Companies that raise their dividend faster than their price would pay you more than shown.
- Dividends are spread evenly across the year. Most stocks pay quarterly or twice a year. The yearly total is the same, and reinvesting less often changes little.
- Yield and growth never change. Dividends can be cut, especially in a recession.
- A high yield isn't free money. The price usually drops by the dividend on the ex-dividend date, and a very high yield is often a sign of risk.
300 a month at a 3.5% yield.
These are the calculator's starting values, so the chart above shows the same run.
Start
20,000
Portfolio
3.5% yield
Dividends
Reinvested
You put in 92,000. In the first year the dividends pay 666 after tax; by the end of year 20 the portfolio is paying at a pace of 6,963 a year. Without reinvesting, the portfolio ends at 152,975 and pays 379 a month, though you'd have received 46,327 in cash along the way.
Frequently asked questions.
What is dividend yield?
The dividends a stock or fund pays in a year, divided by its price. A share that costs 100 and pays 3.50 a year yields 3.5%.
How much do I need invested to earn 1,000 a month in dividends?
Divide the yearly income you want by the yield after tax. At a 3.5% yield with 15% tax, that's 12,000 ÷ (0.035 × 0.85), about 403,361. At the same yield with no tax, about 342,857.
Should I reinvest dividends?
Reinvesting buys more shares, which pay more dividends, so income grows faster. In the example on this page, reinvesting raises the monthly income after 20 years from 379 to 580. Taking the dividends as cash makes sense once you need the income.
What tax rate should I enter?
The total tax on dividends where you live: withholding at source plus any income tax on top, less any credit you get back. It varies by country and by account type, so check your local rules.
Is the calculator free? Do I need an account?
Yes, it's free and needs no signup. The calculation runs in your browser, and the numbers you type aren't stored or sent anywhere.
See the passive income
you actually receive.
Moneydy puts dividends, interest, rent and cashback side by side: what came in over the last 12 months and an estimate of the yearly pace, next to your stocks with live prices. Try the live demo, no signup.