I wonder if this is really possible. The type of shares you'll be issued are different depending on whether you chose the capital or income option - would the type of share received not be somewhere on the documentation you might have to submit to Revenue when doing returns?I intend to fill in capital payment selection, take a copy of the form, bin it, and use that to indicate to Revenue what I selected if it ever comes up. Given that it's self-assessment, it seems unlikely to, and the Revenue are hardly going to ask the company what election thousands of Irish shareholders made. Any potential pitfalls with this?
Honestly, I don't know why Vodafone didn't just spare themselves the headache and automatically opt everyone (or at least all the one-off small investors from eircom days) for the capital option!
The most tax efficient option for most Vodafone shareholders would be the dividend option. I assume this is the reason it is the default option.
Why is this? I thought the dividends would be taxed at your marginal rate. The other option, I thought, would allow you to use your annual CGT exemption and only be taxed as Capital Gains on the excess, if any.
I opted for the capital tax option and sent off my forms on 14th February. This morning I received a letter, dated 25th. Feb. to inform me that they had received my form after 1pm on 20th. February and the default options will be applied. In other words the "windfall" will be treated as income for taxation purposes. I rang Computershare for an explanation and they placed the blame on the Royal Mail and there is nothing they can do. It would appear that 6 days are not sufficient to send a letter to England! Anybody else have a similar problem?
I'm confused now. I called computershare . They said my form was received on the 21st but they said that all I need to do is declare as CGT even though defaulted to Income. The representative said that the form of election is for Vodafone's records only.
I was going to send a letter to Dominic Coyle or is there an e.mail address you can write to.I cannot seem to find it on the Irish times website?