Dividend paid date vs. ex date

Reporting & tax
1

In Sharesight, why is my performance calculated from a dividend’s ex date and not the paid date?

2

Yes I have noticed that but probably more correct from an accounting point of view as once past the ex date you have earned that amount. However I account in my SMSF by cash. What I do is at the end of the year run the future income report. It shows you the ex dividend dates of companies near the end of the year, likely to pay in the new year. I then change the ex date to July 1 so it is in the new financial year. This slightly lowers your return for the year you are in and increases it by the same amount for the following year but that does not matter to me. I would not bother with this adjustment month by month.

3

Thanks – that makes sense, especially using the Future Income Report.

4

The system has to use the ex-date because the underlying share price adjusts down on that date.