 from which I've been earning a few thousand dollars each year. At what point do I owe the federal government anything on it? Okay, here's how dividends work. They are taxable every calendar year. So when you receive dividends throughout the year, let's say last year, 2023, you should receive a tax document, a 1099, that would identify the dividend income that you received. And that would be payable when you file your taxes.