One way to calculate total dividends paid in any given period is to look at net income, and the change in retained earnings. Net income = profits or losses earned a period of time.

These are the three numbers we need to calculate how much it paid in dividends in 2014. The first step is to figure out how much of Costco's earnings it retained in 2014.

Typically, companies calculate retained earnings by subtracting dividends from net income. However, you can reverse this procedure by using retained earnings to figure the dividend payment amount.

Since retained earnings has no connection to net-cash flow, it does not appear on the cash-flow statement that lists all changes in cash and cash equivalents for the period.

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Since dividends are subtracted from net income to calculate retained earnings, they are also listed in the stockholders' equity section of the balance sheet.

And since dividends are subtracted from net income to calculate retained earnings, they are also listed in the stockholders' equity section of the balance sheet.