http://udn.com/NEWS/WORLD/WOR2/7430077.shtml

【經濟日報╱編譯葉亭均／綜合外電】 2012.10.15 03:18 am
美國國會將調整股利稅稅率，明年起稅率可能自15%調升至18.8%或43.4%，一些企業考慮提早配息，為投資人省荷包，但零售龍頭沃爾瑪不考慮跟進。（彭博資訊）
    華爾街日報報導，儘管市場對美國「財政懸崖」憂心不已，但「股利懸崖」，亦即股利稅率可能大幅提高，同樣值得關注。
明年1月1日起，美國針對股利課徵的最高稅率，可能從15%調升至18.8%或43.4%。對投資人而言最好情況是國會將最高股利所得稅率維持在15%，只針對高收入者的投資所得課徵3.8%附加稅；最糟的情況是，國會決定把股利納入一般所得計算，最高稅率可能會躍升至39.6%，另加上同樣的3.8%附加稅。

紐約21證券公司稅務專家高登指出，僅在2012年1月頭2周，美國上市公司支付的股利金額達161億美元。如果這些公司明年初再發出類似規模的股利，卻提前數天至今年底分發，將使投資人的稅後所得財富大不同。

舉例來說，零售業龍頭沃爾瑪（Wal-Mart）已宣布將於2013年1月3日配發股利。該公司去年度的股利達12.5億美元，明年1月配發的股利總額將達13.4億美元。高登估計，只要沃爾瑪提前3天配息，自明年1月3日挪至今年12月31日，為投資人省下的稅金總額最低為3,500萬美元，最高可達2.63億美元。

沃爾瑪顯然不會將配息日提前。其發言人哈格羅夫說：「我們已定好配息登記日與支付日。」
但奇異與和菸草商菲利普莫里斯（Philip Morris）等其他預定在1月配息的公司都不願置評。
分析師指出，許多公司正觀望國會動向以敲定配息計畫，而提早配息對企業並無重大稅務或財務影響。
紐約Marcum會計事務所稅務會計師斯皮爾曼說：「我建議未上市公司的大老闆客戶們，最好趕在稅率提高前、也就是提早到今年分發股息。因此關心股東福祉的上市企業不也應該提早配息？」

基金經理人皮瑞斯則擔心，調高稅率可能會讓一些企業有逃避調高股利的藉口。
【2012/10/15 經濟日報】

英文版的新聞, 還提到美國 "Health Care and Recognition Act of 2010" 針對年薪美金20萬 or 25萬以上的人的收入(包含資本利得,股利,利息)課 3.8%的健保附加稅.

台灣是不是抄襲美國的這個制度? 但是又抄得不對!

想到明年台灣健保對 NT5000 = USD170 這點小錢就要課2%, 跟美國針對年收入台幣600萬以上的人的收入才課健保附加稅, 好像用意差很多喔!


Dividends or Share Buybacks: A Taxing Dilemma

MORNINGSTAR By Alex Bryan | Morningstar – Oct 18, 2012

While there's been a lot of talk about the looming "fiscal cliff," rarely does even a highly partisan political divide prevent politicians from cooperating at the last minute to find some sort of temporary solution. Sure, the resolution may neither be prudent nor long-term in scope, but most can logically predict that something will be done. With that said, regardless of how the cliff is resolved, we believe investors should care more about how we'll be paying for the spending that will be incurred. There is a good chance that tax hikes are right around the corner, and those will directly hit most investors' pocketbooks if enacted.

Tick, Tick, Tick ...
If Congress does not take any action, starting on Jan. 1, the government will tax all dividends at ordinary income rates instead of the preferential 15% treatment for qualified payouts. On top of that, as part of the Health Care and Recognition Act of 2010, investors whose income exceeds $200,000 or $250,000 for single and joint filers, respectively, will be subject to an additional 3.8% Medicare surtax on all dividends, interest income, and capital gains. This new tax will remain in effect even if Congress extends the Bush tax cuts.
As a result, the top dividend tax rate could increase to 43.4% from 15%. Taxes on long-term capital gains are also scheduled to rise for most investors to 20% from 15%. (This rate will decrease to 10% for investors in the 15% income tax bracket.) However, with the Medicare surtax, the top rate will increase to 23.8%.
While we can't predict the outcome of the election, there is a good chance that these tax hikes will remain in place for investors in the upper income tax brackets. The Medicare surtax almost certainly isn't going away. Rather than trying to determine whether the tax changes will take effect, a more relevant question may be how to be prepared if they do.