How much money do you need to buy Google shares?
Less than most people expect. eToro supports fractional shares from 10 USD, so the full per-share price is not a barrier. A smaller budget simply buys a smaller fraction, which tracks the share price and earns the dividend on the same proportional basis.
The live price, the chart and the order button are all on the broker's market page:
NASDAQ trades 2:30pm–9:00pm UK time, Monday to Friday. Orders placed outside those hours are queued for the next open.
What does it cost to buy Google shares?
Four costs apply on eToro, and all of them are visible before you confirm an order:
- Commission: $1 to buy and $1 to sell on real US stock trades. ETFs are commission-free on the platform, but individual stocks are not.
- Spread: the difference between the buy and sell price at any given moment.
- Currency conversion: GOOG is priced in dollars, so a conversion fee applies when your pounds become dollars at the point of purchase, not before, because UK accounts hold GBP as the base currency.
- Withdrawal fee: a flat $5 per withdrawal. On small withdrawals this is proportionally the largest cost on the platform, so fewer, larger withdrawals work out cheaper.
Does Google pay a dividend?
Yes, since 2024, and the first in the company's history. It is small relative to the share price, and Alphabet still returns far more capital to shareholders through buybacks than through the dividend. The current per-share rate is on your broker's dividend tab.
For UK holders, the US withholds 15% of each dividend at source under the UK–US tax treaty, provided a W-8BEN form is on file. eToro submits it automatically. Investors specifically looking for dividend income tend to look elsewhere in this group of stocks; Microsoft, with well over a decade of consecutive annual increases, is the usual comparison.
GOOG vs GOOGL: which one do you buy?
Alphabet has two listed share classes. GOOGL (Class A) carries one vote per share, while GOOG (Class C) carries none. Economically they are identical, with the same claim on earnings, the same dividend, and prices within a fraction of a percent of each other. Because the founders control the company through unlisted super-voting shares, the public vote carries little practical weight either way.
As a retail investor, buy the ticker your broker lists and move on. On eToro that is GOOG.
What tax do you pay on Google shares in the UK?
A standard eToro account is a general investment account, not an ISA, so normal UK tax rules apply (2026/27 figures):
- Capital gains tax: gains above the £3,000 annual exemption are taxed at 18% within the basic-rate band and 24% above it. Gains over the allowance are reported through Self Assessment.
- Dividend tax: dividends above the £500 allowance are taxed at 10.75% (basic rate), 35.75% (higher) or 39.35% (additional). The 15% withheld in the US can be offset against the UK liability through Foreign Tax Credit Relief.
- Stamp duty: none on US-listed shares. The 0.5% SDRT applies to UK-listed stocks such as Rolls-Royce, not to NASDAQ tickers.
This is a summary, not tax advice. For your own situation, check GOV.UK or consult an adviser.
What to consider before buying
Three points that belong in any decision about Alphabet, whenever you read this:
- Advertising still pays for everything. Search and YouTube advertising fund everything else the company does, from the AI models and custom chips to Waymo. Buying Alphabet is, first of all, buying an advertising business.
- AI cuts both ways. Alphabet develops leading models and its own hardware, but AI-driven search alternatives compete directly with the advertising business that funds them.
- Judge the price on a long chart. Before concluding the shares are cheap or expensive, look at the five-year chart rather than the recent months. Short windows distort the picture in both directions.
eToro also runs a sign-up promotion for new clients that credits a chosen real asset to the account after the first deposit. The terms are covered in our eToro sign-up reward article. It has no effect on the buying process above.
If any step looked different when you went through it, let us know in the comments and we will update the guide.