On 12/31/10, Heaton Industries Inc. reported retained earnings of $675,000 on its balance sheet, and it reported that it had $172,500 of net income during the year. On its previous balance sheet, at 12/31/09, the company had reported $555,000 of retained earnings. No shares were repurchased during 2010. How much in dividends did Heaton pay during 2010?
a. $47,381
b. $49,875
c. $52,500
d. $55,125
e. $57,881