Stocks WITHOUT reported dividends in a year

[Jonathan1]

I own a few stocks that sometimes do NOT provide ordinary (and qualified) dividends every year. 

For example, in 2020, ILG and Nokia paid no dividends.  

Is it an allowable practice to leave these stocks in the dividends section and enter 0 in boxes 1A and 1B?

This would likely help me remember to include these stock in the dividend section when I do my 2021 taxes.   Yes, I am aware, I would receive a 1099 for these stocks if there were dividends in 2021. 

Or is it a better practice to simply delete these stocks that appear in the list that show up in the dividends data entry section. 

Thank you. 

[robtm · Accepted solution]

It sounds like you are holding the stocks yourself rather than in a brokerage account. If they were in a brokerage account you would not have to enter the dividends individually, but only as a total of all dividends you received

as shown on the brokerage 1099-div you would receive. However, in your case, it would seem to be ok to just enter 0 for boxes 1a, 1b, and 2a (no capital gains) or you could just delete them for 2020 and reenter them if you do receive a 1099-div for them for 2021.

[Jonathan1]

Yes, I own the stocks directly.

I appreciate your response.