Dividends are paid by corporations, mutual funds, money market funds, and other entities such as REITs. Ordinary dividends include payments from foreign securities such as ADRs and foreign companies and net short-term gains from mutual funds. Dividends that have been reinvested are also included in this amount.
In compliance with Treasury Department Circular 230, unless stated to the contrary, any information contained in this FAQ was not intended or written to be used and cannot be used for the purpose of avoiding tax penalties that may be imposed on any taxpayer.