There is the unmentioned benefit that if you die your stock receives a step-up in basis while you have no such choice with a qualified dividend. It's fair to sa

There is the unmentioned benefit that if you die your stock receives a step-up in basis while you have no such choice with a qualified dividend. It's fair to say that a capital gain is strictly better tax-wise than a dividend. Qualified dividends are also a nuisance when you are trying to reduce MAGI for various reasonable tax-planning reasons.