British American Tobacco Regulatory News (BATS)

British American Tobacco p.l.c. (the "Company")

Quarterly Dividends for the year ended 31 December 2018: 

Payment No. 1 - May 2019 (the "May 2019 Dividend")

South Africa Branch Register Finalisation Information

On 28 February 2019, the Company announced that the Board had declared an interim dividend of 203.0p per ordinary share of 25p, payable in four equal quarterly instalments of 50.75p per ordinary share in May 2019, August 2019, November 2019 and February 2020.

The May 2019 Dividend will be payable to shareholders registered on the UK main register and the South Africa branch register on 22 March 2019 (the record date). Due to a recently announced public holiday in South Africa on 8 May 2019, the May 2019 Dividend will be paid on 8 May 2019 to shareholders registered on the UK main register and on 9 May 2019 to shareholders registered on the South Africa branch register.

In accordance with the JSE Limited ("JSE") Listing Requirements, the finalisation information for the May 2019 Dividend relating to shareholders registered on the South Africa branch register is set out in the paragraphs below.

The salient dates and other dividend declaration information announced on 28 February 2019 remain unchanged, apart from the payment date for the May 2019 Dividend for shareholders registered on the South Africa branch register, which is now 9 May 2019.

South Africa Branch Register: Dividend Rate

The British American Tobacco Group reports in sterling, therefore dividends are declared and payable in sterling except for shareholders on the branch register in South Africa whose dividends are payable in rand. A rate of exchange of £:R = 19.04020 as at 7 March 2019 (the closing rate on that date as quoted by Bloomberg), results in an equivalent May 2019 Dividend of 966.29015 SA cents per ordinary share.

South Africa Branch Register: Dividends Tax Information

South Africa Dividends Tax (at a rate of 20%), equivalent to 193.25803 SA cents per ordinary share, will be withheld from the gross May 2019 Dividend paid to shareholders on the South Africa branch register, unless a shareholder qualifies for an exemption. After Dividends Tax has been withheld, the net dividend will be 773.03212 SA cents per ordinary share. The May 2019 Dividend is regarded as a 'foreign dividend' for the purposes of the South Africa Dividends Tax. For the purposes of South Africa Dividends Tax reporting, the source of income for the payment of the May 2019 Dividend is the United Kingdom.

At the close of business on 7 March 2019 (the latest practicable date prior to the date of the declaration of the South African rand equivalent of the May 2019 Dividend), the Company had a total of 2,293,770,950 ordinary shares in issue (excluding treasury shares). The Company held 162,645,590 ordinary shares in treasury giving a total issued share capital of 2,456,416,540 ordinary shares.

British American Tobacco p.l.c. is registered with the South African Revenue Service (SARS) with tax reference number 9378193172.

For the avoidance of doubt, Dividends Tax and the information provided above is of only direct application to shareholders on the South Africa branch register. Shareholders on the South Africa branch register should direct any questions regarding the application of Dividends Tax to Computershare Investor Services Proprietary Limited, contact details for which are given below:

Computershare Investor Services Proprietary Limited

PO Box 61051, Marshalltown 2107, South Africa

tel: 0861 100 634; +27 11 870 8216

email enquiries: web.queries@computershare.co.za

Name of duly authorised officer of issuer responsible for making notification: 

Paul McCrory

Company Secretary

British American Tobacco p.l.c.

11 March 2019

Enquiries:

Investor Relations

Mike Nightingale/Rachael Brierley/John Harney

+44 20 7845 1180/1519/1263

British American Tobacco Press Office+44 (0) 20 7845 2888 (24 hours) | @BATPress