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How To Claim Unclaimed Dividends Pending in India

unclaimed dividends

Claim Unclaimed Dividends Pending in India

The Investor Education and Protection Fund (IEPF) receive these securities. In some of India’s top firms, more than 100,000 stockholders have unclaimed shares and dividends worth billions of rupees.

According to a Business Standard investigation of the S&P BSE 100 businesses’ ownership data, shares worth at least Rs 13.02 billion are languishing unclaimed with them. Shares become unclaimed for a variety of reasons, including heirs being unaware of their inheritance and share certificates being misplaced or lost.

  • By value, ITC, the world’s largest tobacco company, owns most of these shares. According to statistics analysed by Business Standard as of end-December, it possessed 13.71 million unclaimed dividends and shares worth Rs 3.6 billion. 
  • Titan Company, the world’s largest gem and jewellery company, owns 1.71 million shares worth Rs 1.6 billion. Vedanta Mining has 3.4 million unclaimed shares and dividends valued over Rs 957 million.
  • Ambuja Cements has the largest number of stockholders affected. 1.14 million shares worth more than Rs 271.1 million are unclaimed by 166,277 shareholders.
  • In the instance of ITC, there are 7,083 stockholders, 1,502 in the case of Titan, and 3,980 in the case of Vedanta.
  • The figures are significant in light of current legislation requiring such shares to be transferred to the Investor Education and Protection Fund (IEPF).

Based on the most recent holdings as of the end of December. Sources: BSE, Business Standard analysis; value is based on the share price as of April 9, 2018.

The transfer provisions were included in the Companies Act of 2013, according to Ankit Singhi, a partner at Corporate Professionals, an advice firm. Previously, companies were compelled to transfer unclaimed dividends to the IEPF after seven years. When a revised provision was issued in 2016, this rule was made applicable to transfers of shares as well.

According to Singhi, even if there are awaiting dividends, investors can prevent a transfer provided they have claimed dividends at least once in the previous seven years.

“If a dividend has been claimed in any of the previous seven years, shares are not transferred,” Singhi explained.

At the very least, some transfers have occurred. The following note was placed in Zee Entertainment Enterprises’ archives. “According to Section 124(6) of the Companies Act, 2013, 111,070 unclaimed equity shares owned by 2,124 owners were transferred to the IEPF authority’s beneficiary account during the quarter ended December 31, 2017.” It claimed 45,629 undelivered shares held by 116 owners were notified under Regulation 39 of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) listing requirements.

After fraudulent transfers in such shares were discovered, the initiative to compel this was made.

In an order dated March 22, 2016, Sebi prohibited registrant and share transfer agency Sharepro Services (I) from the market. Unclaimed profits and shares of persons, including a deceased shareholder, were unlawfully stolen, according to the judgement.

The transfer should not be an issue, according to Hinesh Doshi of the Investors’ Grievances Forum, as long as the government acts as custodian and no attempt is made to sell the shares. They can now be returned by submitting a refund claim form to the IEPF.

According to Bhavesh Vora of the Investor Education and Welfare Association, companies should make it a routine to identify shareholders before making such transactions.

With N200 billion in unclaimed dividends, here’s how to get your money through the Securities and Exchange Commission’s e-Dividend Portal.

According to the House of Representatives Committee on Stock Markets and Institutions, unclaimed dividends in the Nigerian capital market totaled N200 billion in 2020.

Unclaimed dividends increased by 26% from N158.44 billion in 2019 to almost N200 billion last year, according to Babangida Ibrahim, chairman of the committee. On this basis, it is apparent that some Nigerian investors have yet to get returns on their billions of naira investments. 

In this post, we’ll walk you through the process of how to claim unclaimed dividends from firms in which you or your family members own stock.

1. Use the SEC’s e-Dividend Portal to submit your application.

To begin, go to the SEC’s e-Dividend site. To get started, go to the SEC’s official website and click on “Unclaimed Dividends Search Portal.”

2. Look for a list of your company’s stock.

Enter your first and last name, or the first and last name of the shareowner, in the search box on the site as directed. Then press “Search.” You may also look for a family member’s complete name.

3. Determine the number of unclaimed dividends you have.

  • The system will provide search results that include your account number, all of the businesses in which you own shares, and the names of each company’s registrars. The list will include stockholders with similar names, but you can easily identify yours by looking up your or a relative’s precise middle name.
  • Make careful to look through the full list to find any overdue dividends.

4. Fill out the e-Dividend Mandate form provided by your registrar.

  • Click the blue-coloured registrar name in the “Registrar Name” column to obtain your Registrar’s e-Dividend Mandate form (s).
  • Fill in all essential information, including your bank name, BVN, bank account number, and other personal data, on the relevant Registrar’s e-mandate forms after downloading. When you’re finished, print the completed form.

5. Claim Dividends by submitting completed paperwork.

  • To register for electronic collection of your unclaimed dividends and subsequent dividends, submit completed e-Dividend Mandated forms to the nearest branch of your bank or Registrar.
  • The required dividends will be credited to your selected bank account at the conclusion of the transaction.

Procedure for shareholders to seek unpaid dividends if they have not been transferred to the IEPF.

MUDS was founded with the goal of assisting investors in recovering unclaimed assets that had been lying dormant for years. There is a disconnect between the investors and the unclaimed investments that belong to them. We exist to bridge the gap between investors and their unclaimed assets for both Indian and international investors, ensuring that the investments reach their rightful owners.

When are the shares, as well as any unclaimed shares and dividends, transferred to the IEPF?

If a firm’s declared dividend is unpaid or unclaimed for seven years, the company is compelled to transfer it to the IEPF. Furthermore, all shares for which a dividend has not been paid or claimed for seven years or more must be transferred to the IEPF by the corporation.

Who has the right to claim the unclaimed shares and dividends that have been transferred to the IEPF Authority?

Any person whose shares, unclaimed dividends, or other amounts transferred to IEPF by the company, such as matured deposits, matured debentures, application money due for refund, or interest thereon, sale proceeds of fractional shares, redemption proceeds of preference shares, etc., may claim dividends/shares and/or apply for refund of amounts transferred from the IEPF Authority by submitting an online application in Web-Form IEPF-5 available on the IEPF website. Any successor, legal heir, or representative of the dead individual may file an application.

Is a PAN required for submitting Web-Form IEPF 5?

Yes, a PAN is required. PAN verification is required for submission of the Web-Form IEPF-5, without which the form cannot be submitted.

Is it necessary to include a cellphone number and an email address when submitting Web-Form IEPF-5?

The claimant must have an active cellphone number and a valid email address in order to submit the form, which needs OTP-based verification.

Is there money in your investment account that hasn’t been claimed? Here’s how to claim dividends and shares:

  1. With billions of dollars in unclaimed funds at various companies and financial institutions, the Investor Education and Protection Fund (IEPF) was established with the goal of refunding shares, unclaimed dividends, matured deposits, debentures, and other securities to investors while also raising awareness.
  2. The Investor Education and Protection Fund Authority (IEPFA) was established by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs in September 2016 under Section 125 of the Companies Act, 2013.
  3. Investors’ money that has been unclaimed for 7 years or more in respect of shares in demat accounts, application money received by companies for allotment of any securities and due for refund, matured debentures/bank deposits, unpaid dividends by companies, interest accrued on debentures/bank deposits/securities, and money of investors recovered from fraudulent companies must all be transferred to IEPF, according to IEPFA provisions.

You cannot collect your shares, unclaimed shares and dividends, matured deposits, or debentures directly from the firm / financial institution if they have been transferred to IEPF.

You may request a refund for unclaimed shares and dividends by completing the procedures below:

Step 1: Create an account on the IEPF website (iepf.gov.in).

Step 2: Complete the new IEPF-5 Online online form.

Step 3: Include a scanned copy of any required papers with the form.

Step 4: Print the auto-generated advance receipt and indemnification bond (visit the IEPF website –> Forms –> WebForms IEPF-5 –> MCA Services)

Step 5: Send the firm all original paperwork.

Step 6: Within 30 days, the company must e-verify the claim.

Step 7: IEPFA will reimburse the shares and money based on the verification report.

Before submitting e-form IEPF-5, make sure you have all of the required papers on hand, since late submission of the documents may result in the e-form being rejected. 

We hope you have understood how to claim dividends in India through the simple process.

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