Dividends become a liability of a corporation:

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Dividends become a liability of a corporation on the date the board of directors declares the dividend. This is the day when the corporation formally announces its decision to pay a dividend to the shareholders. Once declared, the dividend becomes a legal obligation of the corporation to pay to its shareholders, and it is recorded as a liability on the company's balance sheet. The date of record is used to determine which shareholders are entitled to receive the dividend, while the payment date is when the dividend is actually paid out. The issue of cumulative preference share dividends being in arrears is only relevant for a specific type of preferred stock and does not apply to all dividend payments.

Dividends Become a Liability of a Corporation