PRESS RELEASE
Bucharest, May 11, 2022
BRD - Groupe Societe Generale starts on June 7, 2022 the payment of dividends for 2021
BRD - GROUPE SOCIETE GENERALE SA informs the shareholders about the start of the payment of dividends for the financial year 2021 on June 7, 2022.
Dividends will be paid through the Central Depository S.A. and BRD - Groupe Societe Generale S.A. (Payment Agent).
All the shareholders registered in the BRD Shareholders Register, held by the Central Depository S.A., on May 16, 2022 (the registration date) are entitled to cash dividends for the year 2022; the ex- date is May 13, 2022;
The General Shareholders Meeting of BRD - Groupe Societe Generale that took place on April 28, 2022 established a gross dividend of 1.285 lei per share. The payment of the net dividends for the financial year 2021 will be made in RON.
The dividends that are not collected will be prescript after three years from the start of their payment in accordance with the law. The period of the dividend payment for the financial year 2021 is 07.06.2022 – 07.06.2025, the last day of payment. Deferred payment date is 29.11.2022.
The dividend tax will be withheld at source and paid to the state budget, in accordance with the tax rates provided by the law.
According to the legislation in force, the dividend tax rates are:
· 5% for resident natural persons;
· 5% for resident legal persons; no dividend tax will be withheld if the beneficiary of the dividends owns a minimum of 10% of BRD’s shares on the date when the dividend is paid, for a full period of one year ending on the date when the dividend is paid.
· 5% for resident investment funds with legal personality; no dividend tax is withheld if the investment fund that receives the dividends holds, at the date of payment of the dividends, at least 10% of the participation titles of BRD, for a period of 1 year completed on the date of payment of the dividends;
· 0% resident investment funds without legal personality; In this respect, the beneficiary of the dividends will send by mail to investor@brd.ro, copies of the official documents (certificate of incorporation/ articles of incorporation,i.e) certifying the status of investment fund without legal personality1;
· 0% for voluntary and privately administrated pension funds from Romania; In this respect, the beneficiary of the dividends will send by mail to investor@brd.ro, copies of the official documents (certificate of incorporation/ articles of incorporation,i.e) certifying the status of voluntary and privately administrated pension funds from Romania1;
· 0% for pension funds, defined in accordance with the legislation of a Member State of the European Union or a state of the European Economic Area, provided that there is a legal instrument on the basis of which the exchange of information takes place; In this regard, the beneficiary of the dividends will present official documents (certificate of registration / articles of incorporation, etc.) showing the status of pension fund established under the law of that state, as well as a Certificate of tax residence valid on the date of payment of dividends (in original or in certified copy issued by an authorized entity from Romania, accompanied by an original of the authorized translation into Romanian) 1;
· 5% for non-resident individuals and legal entities (including non-resident investment funds with legal personality), with the following exceptions:
- If the beneficiary of the dividends presents a tax residence certificate from the country of tax residence (in original or in certified copy issued by an authorized entity from Romania, accompanied by an original of the authorized translation into Romanian), valid on the date of payment of dividends, the most favorable tax rate between the one provided for in the double tax treaty and the 5% tax rate provided by the Law 227/2015 regarding the Fiscal Code is applicable2;
- No dividend tax is withheld if the non-resident legal entity / non-resident investment fund with legal personality that receives the dividends cumulatively meets the conditions provided in art. 229 para. 1 let. c) of Law 227/2015 on the Fiscal Code: is resident in a member state of the European Union; holds at least 10% of the share capital of BRD at the date of payment of dividends, for an uninterrupted period of at least 1 year; has a certain form of organization and is a payer of income tax or a tax similar to income tax in the foreign country of tax residence.
• 5% for non-resident investment funds without legal personality; if the beneficiary of the dividends presents a tax residence certificate from the country of tax residence (in original or in certified copy issued by an authorized entity from Romania, accompanied by an original of the authorized translation into Romanian), valid on the date of payment of dividends, the most favorable tax rate between the one provided in the double taxation agreement and the 5% rate provided in Law 227/2015 on the Fiscal Code becomes applicable2.
The commissions for the payment of dividends shall be borne by BRD - Groupe Societe Generale SA.
Please find attached forms of payment of dividends.
1 For shareholders who hold shares on the registration date of May 16, 2022 and who have already submitted the required documentation and have benefited from the application of the 0% tax rate on the occasion of payment of BRD 2019-2020 dividends made on April 4, 2022, it will apply automatically, without other formalities, 0% tax rate.
2 For shareholders who hold shares on the registration date of May 16, 2022 and who have already submitted the requested documentation and have benefited from the application of a more favorable tax rate on the occasion of payment of dividends BRD 2019-2020 made on April 4, 2022, it will apply automatically, without other formalities, the most favorable rate between that provided for in the double taxation avoidance agreement and the 5% rate provided for in Law 227/2015 on the Fiscal Code.