Concept:Dividends are paid out of the company’s net profit, which is the profit remaining after all taxes have been deducted.Explanation:A company first calculates its profit for the year.From that profit, it pays income tax to the government.The remaining amount is known as profit after tax.Dividends distributed to shareholders are taken from this profit after tax.Therefore, they cannot come from profit before tax or from the sale of fixed assets.Answer:C. after tax.