The 16% dividend tax: what changes for shareholders

The 16% rate and when it applies

Law 141/2025 raised dividend tax to 16% for dividends distributed from 1 January 2026. What matters is the date of the distribution resolution, not the payment date. For individual shareholders, the tax withheld by the company is final.

Worked example: 100,000 lei in dividends

An SRL with a sole shareholder distributes 100,000 lei gross. The shareholder has no other income that counts towards CASS.

You can check any amount with the dividend calculator.

Who withholds the tax and when it is paid

• the company withholds the tax on payment of the dividends, from the gross amount; if you pay in instalments, it is withheld from each instalment;
• the tax is declared on D100 and paid by the 25th of the month following payment;
• if distributed dividends have not been paid by the end of the year in which the financial statements were approved, the tax is payable by 25 January of the following year;
• the company files the information return D205 by the last day of February of the following year.

Quarterly (interim) dividends

Company law allows dividends to be distributed during the year, on the basis of interim financial statements approved by the shareholders’ general meeting. A year-end adjustment is made, and if more than the annual profit was distributed, the difference must be repaid within 60 days of the approval of the annual financial statements.

New restrictions under Law 239/2025

• if the company has losses carried forward, dividends out of the year’s profit may be distributed only after the legal reserves have been set up, the loss covered and the statutory reserves set up;
• if net assets fall below half of the share capital, the company may not distribute dividends, including interim dividends, until its net assets have been restored;
• a company that distributes interim dividends may not grant loans to its shareholders until the adjustment has been made;
• breaches are punishable by a fine of 10,000 to 200,000 lei, and the company and the shareholder are jointly and severally liable.

CASS on dividends in 2026

CASS is not withheld by the company: you declare it yourself in the Single Tax Return (Declarația unică) by 25 May 2027 for 2026 income. It is calculated on the dividends received during the year, net of tax, added to other income such as rent or interest. The thresholds are based on the minimum wage of 4,050 lei.

What you can do now

• check whether the company has losses carried forward or low net assets before deciding on a distribution;
• plan distributions over several years so that you do not jump into a higher CASS bracket than necessary;
• keep the distribution resolution and the proof of payment: they determine the tax rate and the payment deadline.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

• Law no. 141/2025 (ANAF, PDF)
• ANAF guide on dividend distribution (PDF)
• Dividend taxation: ANAF 2026 guide (StartupCafe)
• How dividend tax is calculated and which returns to file (Contabilul.ro)
• Dividends distributed in 2025 and paid in 2026 (Fiscalitatea.ro)