Tax Breakdown of 2009 Distributions for iShares ETFs Now Available

It's nearing the time to prepare the 2009 tax return and iShares Canada has released the breakdown for tax purposes of the 2009 distributions of all its funds. Knowing the actual cash distribution received during the course of the year is not enough to do taxes since distributions are not the same as dividends. Some of the distributions are dividends (which themselves can be eligible or ineligible and taxed at different rates) but others are interest, capital gains or foreign income and there is also possibly credit for foreign taxes paid and deductions of Return of Capital to be made against the Adjusted Cost Base of holdings in taxable accounts.

The data is available for each ETF in the Distribution History link in the left hand margin of the individual ETF webpage (e.g. the TSX Composite ETF XIC) as well as a convenient pdf table of all the funds here.