Jobs And Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2003 - JGTRRA

A U.S. tax law, passed by Congress on May 23, 2003, that lowered the maximum individual income tax rate on corporate dividends to 15%. The act also reduced the long-term individual income tax rate on capital gains to 15%. The act was signed by President George W. Bush on May 28, 2003, and was intended to amplify the effects of the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001.

The JGTRRA was put forward as part of an effort to jump-start the U.S. economy. The law significantly reduced the amount of tax paid by investors on dividends and capital gains. This development made it much more attractive for public companies to pay cash dividends to shareholders (instead of holding onto their cash and reinvesting it into expanded operations). Thus, after the enactment of the JGTRRA, the number of U.S. companies paying regular dividends increased substantially.