Quote Originally Posted by Bjauck View Post
I think I may not have made my point clear in my response to another poster. Namely: Much of NZ business is now actually in foreign ownership. So, owning foreign shares may actually be a way to invest in those companies who own NZ businesses now.

However in relation to imputed dividends I disagree. It gives a tax-neutral flexibility for companies to either retain or distribute tax paid profit. Attaching imputation credits means that the shareholder is not then in effect double-taxed on the company profit. If the tax paid profit were kept in the company, then the only way for a shareholder (who relies on an income stream from investments) would be to sell shares thereby incurring transaction costs.

Other countries have investment schemes with discounted tax rates on dividends and/or a tax threshold before dividend income is taxed. Certainly until NZ introduces such schemes, imputation at least tries to address double taxation on the income from NZ shares.

A few years old:
https://www.interest.co.nz/business/...reholders-says
I'll try to keep this short as it's off topic. I completely agree on the reasons for the imputation credit, which avoids double taxation. Canada addresses this via a dividend credit directly to the shareholder on their tax return. But eitherway, i'm not buying this argument one bit. You have critics that have been very vocal against Warren Buffet why he doesn't pay dividends in Berkshire Hathaway because quite simply, they don't know better. This is not to rain against issue dividends because Buffet collect a heap of dividends. His view is simply again, not tax efficient and encourages the companies that Berkshire hold to retain profits for use in EXPANSION to maintain growth. Otherwise if there's no growth then dividend payment is acceptable.

If you really want an income stream, then choose a different asset class. But to assume these NZ listed companies to have an expectation to pay dividends? No matter if they're in a growth stage or mature type of company say like utilities (huge lack of distinction). It's prevalent entirely through NZ's finance industry ; NZ brokers such as MacQuires giving out their investment approach that focus on dividends and .. none other. No wonder companies like Xero have left the NZX. On the US front, US brokerage firms are shutting out access to the NZX because of the NZ gov'ts FMA. Then I hear liquidity in the NZX is drying up. Should be interesting to see where the NZX will be in 10 years. Wouldn't be happy to be holding Kiwi Saver focused solely on NZ listings.