DIVIDENDS/TAXES
The Coca-Cola Company has paid dividends consecutively every year since 1920. While we have historically paid dividends to holders of our common stock, the declaration and payment of future dividends will depend on many factors and is at the discretion of our Board of Directors.
Dividends of The Coca-Cola Company are taxable as ordinary income. Each calendar year, the company is required to file with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service a list of all shareowners who received dividends totaling $10 or more. As a shareowner of record, a statement (Form 1099-DIV) will be mailed to you in December of each year that dividends are paid. If your annual dividend was less than $10 a dividend distribution statement is not required. If you hold shares through a bank or brokerage account, a Form 1099-DIV will be mailed to you by your bank of broker no later than January 31.
Your dividend checks will be sent to your address of record unless you instruct us otherwise. If you would like to have your checks mailed to a different address, or electronically deposited to your bank, we would be happy to do so. Please contact Computershare for an automatic deposit authorization form.
DIRECT STOCK PURCHASE AND DIVIDEND REINVESTMENT PLAN
The Computershare Investment Plan allows investors of The Coca-Cola Company to directly purchase and sell shares of company common stock and reinvest dividends. The Computershare Investment Plan requires payment by the participant of the brokerage commissions and dividend reinvestment-related fees. To request plan materials or learn more about the Computershare Investment Plan, you may contact Computershare, the plan administrator through the mail, by phone, or via the Internet.
CHANGE OF ADDRESS
If you are a shareowner of record and change your address, please advise Computershare in writing, by telephone or by Internet.
This will help ensure that you continue to receive your dividend checks, Notice of Annual Meeting and other shareowner information promptly. Please give your name as it appears on your account(s), old and new addresses, stock certificate or account number(s).
If shareowners of record do not advise the company when they change addresses, dividends sometimes cannot be delivered. Under various state laws, dividends and stock due individuals who cannot be located may be escheated or claimed by the state of last-known residence after a certain length of time. The shareowner must then file a claim with the state involved, which can be a lengthy process. Therefore, it is vital that the company always has a correct, up-to-date address for each shareowner of record.
The Coca-Cola Company has retained Venio -- formerly known as SMS Vancore -- to assist us in locating our missing shareowners. If you have received a letter from Venio your property has been deemed lost and is in danger of becoming abandoned and turned over to the appropriate state as unclaimed property. To contact Venio, please call 212-764-1173. You may also contact Computershare directly to update your account information.
CONSOLIDATING DUPLICATE ACCOUNTS
Occasionally, several accounts are established for an individual shareowner due to variations in name, initials or addresses. This results in duplicate mailings, which are costly to your company and inconvenient for you. To consolidate multiple accounts, please contact Computershare.
PROTECTING YOUR STOCK CERTIFICATES
Your stock certificates are very valuable. They should be kept in a safe place, such as a safe-deposit box at your bank. It is also a good idea to keep a photocopy or separate record of your certificates, including the exact wording of the registration, the number of shares represented by the certificate, the stock certificate number and the date of issuance. Also, you should record the exact cost of stock represented by each certificate, since this information is not on record at the company.
If certificates are lost, stolen or destroyed, please notify Computershare immediately. A “stop transfer” will be placed on the certificates. Computershare will send you the forms necessary to obtain a replacement certificate. You also will be required to purchase an indemnity bond for the lost certificates. The cost of this bond will be 3 percent of the current market value of the missing certificate (a minimum of $20), based on the current market price of the stock when the bond is issued.
The sample stock certificate is marked to identify pertinent information such as the registration name, account number and number of shares your certificate represents. If you find errors on your certificate, please return the certificate along with a cover letter to Computershare, indicating the errors and the correct information. |
