What happens to dividends in a Portfolio you follow

I'm Chris, one of the co-founders of Autopilot. Dividends land in your brokerage account, because that's where the shares are. What happens next depends on your broker and on the Portfolio, so here's how to find out rather than guess.

One thing first, because we're an SEC-registered investment adviser and I have to say it. Autopilot is the app. The actual investment advice comes from Autopilot Advisers, LLC. If you want the full legal version of anything in here, it's on our disclaimer page.

Whose dividends they are

Yours. You own the shares; they're held in your own brokerage account. Autopilot doesn't hold client assets and doesn't receive your dividends. The payment comes from the company to your broker to your account, exactly as it would if you'd bought the shares yourself.

Where your money sits throughout is explained in Where your money actually is when you use Autopilot.

Whether they get reinvested

Two things can decide it, and you should check both rather than assume.

Your brokerage's own dividend reinvestment setting, which you control in their app. If you have automatic reinvestment turned on for the account, that's your broker acting, not us.

And the Portfolio's method, since some strategies are built around income and describe what they do with distributions in their own description. An income-focused Portfolio treats cash from dividends as part of the strategy; a growth-focused one may simply let the cash be redeployed at the next rebalance.

Read the Portfolio's description in the app and check your brokerage's setting. If cash shows up and sits, How Autopilot handles uninvested cash in your account covers why.

The tax part

Dividends are generally taxable in a taxable account in the year you receive them, whether or not they're reinvested. That surprises people who have reinvestment turned on, because no cash ever reached their bank and there's still a tax form.

Your brokerage issues the tax documents, since it holds the account. Autopilot doesn't provide tax advice and neither does this page. The general shape of it is in Autopilot and taxes, and a qualified tax professional is the right person for your own situation.

If you're specifically after income

Some Portfolios are built for it and say so in their descriptions, focusing on cash distributions rather than growth. Those come with their own risks, since higher yields usually mean something, and the descriptions are worth reading closely. Which Portfolios fit that goal is in Is there an app that builds a dividend income Portfolio in my own brokerage.

Frequently asked questions

What happens to dividends in Autopilot?

They're paid into your own brokerage account, because that's where the shares are held. Autopilot doesn't hold client assets and doesn't receive them.

Does Autopilot reinvest dividends?

That depends on your brokerage's reinvestment setting and on the Portfolio's stated method. Check both, since they're separate controls.

Do I get dividends from stocks Autopilot buys?

Yes. You own the shares and the dividends are yours, paid to your brokerage account like any other dividend.

Are dividends taxable when following a portfolio?

In a taxable account they're generally taxable in the year received, even if reinvested. Your brokerage issues the tax documents. Talk to a tax professional about your own situation.

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Since Autopilot Advisers is an SEC-registered investment adviser, we have to put disclaimers on stuff like this. They're below, and the full version is on our disclaimer page.

Disclosures

© Autopilot Holdings Corporation 2026 — All rights reserved. “Autopilot” refers to Autopilot Holdings Corporation and its wholly-owned, and separately managed subsidiaries, including Autopilot Advisers, LLC, an SEC-registered investment adviser. All investing is subject to investment risks, including possible loss of the principal invested, and past performance is not indicative of future results. View our Customer Relationship Summary and other important information at joinautopilot.com/disclaimer.

This information is provided by Autopilot for educational and illustrative purposes only and is not a recommendation, an offer to sell or the solicitation to buy any security. Autopilot relies on information from various sources believed to be reliable, including information from Clients, Pilots and other third parties, but cannot guarantee the accuracy or completeness of that information. Autopilot does not provide tax or legal advice and you are encouraged to consult with professionals before making investment decisions.

Autopilot is not affiliated with, sponsored, or endorsed by the companies listed, described, or featured on its site. Company logos or trademarks used do not imply endorsement and are the property of their respective owners.

Investing involves risk, including the possible loss of principal. Past performance does not guarantee future results. You should carefully consider your investment objectives, risk tolerance, and time horizon before investing through Autopilot.

Autopilot Advisers, LLC is an SEC-registered investment adviser. Registration as an investment adviser does not imply a certain level of skill or training. Additional information about Autopilot is available in our Form ADV Part 2A, available at adviserinfo.sec.gov or joinautopilot.com/adv.

Autopilot provides limited investment advisory services focused on Portfolio selection and suitability assessment. Our services are not intended to replace comprehensive financial planning. We recommend consulting with a qualified financial advisor regarding your complete financial situation.

This content is provided for educational and informational purposes only. It does not constitute investment, legal, or tax advice and should not be relied upon as the basis for any investment decision. You should consult with qualified professionals regarding your specific circumstances.

Autopilot does not provide tax, legal, or accounting advice. You should consult with qualified tax and legal professionals regarding your specific circumstances.

Autopilot does not hold client assets. All investments are held at the brokerage firm you select and connect to Autopilot. Your brokerage firm is responsible for trade execution, custody, and reporting. Autopilot is not responsible for your broker-dealer’s services, fees, or execution quality.

Autopilot’s services depend on technology systems, third-party APIs, and internet connectivity. System outages, API disruptions, or connectivity issues may temporarily affect service availability or trade execution timing.

Client account holdings are designed to track the Portfolio you’ve selected, but your actual holdings and performance may differ from the Portfolio due to execution timing, market conditions, brokerage capacity constraints, fractional share availability, and other factors outside Autopilot’s control.

For Portfolios inspired by publicly disclosed trading activity, there may be a delay between when a Pilot executes a trade and when that trade becomes publicly available and is incorporated into the Portfolio. This timing delay may affect the suitability or performance of trades when executed in client accounts.

Autopilot does not hold client assets and does not receive client dividends. Dividend reinvestment settings are controlled by your brokerage. Autopilot does not provide tax, legal or accounting advice; consult a qualified professional about your circumstances.