Yes. The United States withholds 15% on dividends paid to a TFSA, and because TFSA income is not taxable in Canada, there is no foreign tax credit to recover it. That 15% is a permanent loss. The same applies to an FHSA, RESP, and RDSP. The Canada-US tax treaty exemption applies only to retirement accounts such as an RRSP, RRIF, and LIRA, where US dividends face 0% withholding. For a US dividend payer, the RRSP is usually the most tax-efficient home.

Eligible Canadian dividends are grossed up by 38% and then offset by a dividend tax credit worth 15.0198% federally plus a provincial credit. The result is a lower effective rate than interest or foreign dividends at the same income. This tool applies the standard gross-up and credit formula using your marginal rate and province. Foreign dividends, including US dividends, get no gross-up or credit and are taxed as ordinary income.

A dividend reinvestment plan buys more shares with each payout instead of paying you cash. Those extra shares pay their own dividends, so income compounds on top of the underlying dividend growth. Turning DRIP off pays you a rising annual cash stream but grows the portfolio more slowly. This tool reinvests the after-tax dividend, since that is the cash actually available to redeploy.

Yield on cost is the current annual dividend measured against what you originally paid, rather than today's market price. As payouts grow, yield on cost climbs even though the current yield on market value may stay flat. It is a useful way to see how a growing dividend rewards patience, though it should not be confused with total return.

No. Dividend yield, dividend growth, and price appreciation are assumptions you set, and real markets do not deliver smooth annual results. Companies can cut dividends. Treat the output as a projection for comparing scenarios and account types, not a forecast. Verify tax treatment for your own situation with a qualified advisor.