2007 Financial statements

Note 10 - Dividends

	2007 US$m	2006 US$m
Rio Tinto plc previous year Final dividend paid (b)	646	442
Rio Tinto plc previous year Special dividend paid (b)	-	1,171
Rio Tinto plc Interim dividend paid (b)	518	417
Rio Tinto Limited previous year Final dividend paid (b)	198	118
Rio Tinto Limited previous year Special dividend paid (b)	-	312
Rio Tinto Limited Interim dividend paid (b)	145	113
Dividends paid during the year	1,507	2,573

	2007 Number of shares (millions)	2006 Number of shares (millions)
Rio Tinto plc previous year Final and Special (b)	1,007.3	1,063.9
Rio Tinto plc Interim (b)	996.7	1,042.7
Rio Tinto Limited previous year Final and Special - fully franked at 30% (b)	285.7	285.7
Rio Tinto Limited Interim - fully franked at 30% (b)	285.7	285.7


Notes	Expand
The dividends paid in 2007 are based on the following US cents per share amounts: 2006 final - 64.0 cents, 2007 interim - 52.0 cents (2006 dividends paid: 2005 final - 41.5 cents, 2006 special - 110 cents, 2006 interim - 40.0 cents). The number of shares on which the Rio Tinto Limited dividends are based excludes those shares held by Rio Tinto plc, in order that the dividends shown represent those paid to public shareholders. The number of shares on which Rio Tinto plc dividends are based excludes those held as treasury shares. In addition, the directors of Rio Tinto announced a final dividend of 84 cents per share on 13 February 2008. This is expected to result in payments of US$1.1 billion (Rio Tinto plc: US$0.8 billion, Rio Tinto Limited US$0.3 billion). The dividends will be paid on 11 April 2008 to Rio Tinto plc shareholders on the register at the close of business on 22 February 2008 and to Rio Tinto Limited shareholders on the register at the close of business on 26 February 2008. The proposed Rio Tinto Limited dividends will be franked out of existing franking credits or out of franking credits arising from the payment of income tax during 2008. The approximate amount of the Rio Tinto Limited consolidated tax group's retained profits and reserves that could be distributed as dividends and franked out of credits, that arose from net payments of income tax in respect of periods up to 31 December 2007 (after deducting franking credits expected to be utilised on the 2007 final dividend declared), is US$7,759 million.