UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 FORM N-CSR CERTIFIED SHAREHOLDER REPORT OF REGISTERED MANAGEMENT INVESTMENT COMPANIES Investment Company Act file number 811-21416 John Hancock Tax-Advantaged Dividend Income Fund (Exact name of registrant as specified in charter) 101 Huntington Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02199 (Address of principal executive offices) (Zip code) Susan S. Newton, Secretary 101 Huntington Avenue Boston, Massachusetts 02199 (Name and address of agent for service) Registrant's telephone number, including area code: 617-375-1702 Date of fiscal year end: December 31 Date of reporting period: December 31, 2004 ITEM 1. REPORT TO SHAREHOLDERS. JOHN HANCOCK Tax-Advantaged Dividend Income Fund 12.31.2004 Annual Report [A 2" x 1" John Hancock (Signature)/John Hancock Funds logo in lower, center middle of page. A tag line below reads "JOHN HANCOCK FUNDS."] [A photo of James A. Shepherdson, Chief Executive Officer, flush left next to first paragraph.] CEO CORNER Table of contents Your fund at a glance page 1 Managers' report page 2 Fund's investments page 6 Financial statements page 12 Trustees & officers page 24 For more information page 29 Dear Fellow Shareholders, The stock market advanced for the second straight year, largely on the wings of a strong post-election rally that produced solid returns for the major indexes in 2004. For much of the year, the market was fairly dull, moving mostly sideways as investors worried about higher interest rates, sky-rocketing oil prices, the tight presidential election and the war in Iraq. With the election over and oil prices moderating, investors felt more confident, and the broad Standard & Poor's 500 Index wound up returning 10.88% for the year. The Dow Jones Industrial Average returned 5.40% and a late and strong rally in technology stocks helped the Nasdaq Composite Index move from a negative stance in October to finish the year with a 9.15% return. Despite the Federal Reserve's five hikes in short-term interest rates, bonds still turned in positive results, with the Lehman Brothers Aggregate Bond Index up 4.34%. The way this year has played out in the financial markets serves as a good reminder of why keeping a long-term perspective is such a critical element of successful investing. Getting caught up in the day-to-day twists and turns of the market -- and trying to act on them -- can wreak havoc with your portfolio and derail progress toward meeting your overall financial objectives. Since no one can predict the market's moves, the best way to reach your goals is to stay invested and stick to your plan. Investing should be a marathon, not a sprint. Do not try to time the market, and make sure you work with your investment professional to ensure that your portfolio remains properly diversified to meet your long-term objectives. For example, after several years of dominance, small-cap stocks and value stocks could now represent higher percentages of your portfolio than you may want. If you are comfortable with your financial plan, it becomes easier to ride out the market's daily ups and downs. It could also provide you with a greater chance of success over time. Sincerely, /S/ JAMES A. SHEPHERDSON James A. Shepherdson, Chief Executive Officer This commentary reflects the CEO's views as of December 31, 2004. They are subject to change at any time. YOUR FUND AT A GLANCE The Fund seeks to provide a high level of after-tax total return from divi- dend income and capital appreciation. To meet its objec- tives, the Fund normally invests at least 80% of its assets in dividend- paying common and preferred securities that the Adviser believes are eligible to pay dividends that qualify for U.S. taxation rates applicable to long- term capital gains, which currently are taxed at a maximum rate of 15%. Over the period * Demand for high quality and high income fueled utility and financial common stocks, as well as preferred securities. * Utility stocks performed best, as fundamental improvement lifted the group. * Financial stocks were mixed due to varying conditions among subsectors. [Bar chart with heading "John Hancock Tax-Advantaged Dividend Income Fund." Under the heading is a note that reads "Fund performance from commencement of operations on February 27, 2004 through December 31, 2004." The chart is scaled in increments of 5% with -10% at the bottom and 15% at the top. The first bar represents the fund's 12.85% Net asset value. The second bar represents the fund's -5.47% Market Value. A note below the chart reads "The total return for the Fund is at net asset value with all distributions reinvested. The performance data contained within this material represents past performance, which does not guarantee future results."] Top 10 issuers 2.8% Bank of America Corp. 2.4% NSTAR 2.3% Regions Financial Corp. 2.3% Ameren Corp. 2.2% KeySpan Corp. 2.1% Dominion Resources, Inc. 2.1% Royal Bank of Scotland Group Plc 2.1% DTE Energy Co. 2.1% Progress Energy, Inc. 2.0% KeyCorp. As a percentage of net assets plus the value of preferred shares on December 31, 2004. 1 BY GREGORY K. PHELPS, JAMES K. SCHMIDT, CFA, MARK T. MALONEY, AND LISA A. WELCH FOR THE PORTFOLIO MANAGEMENT TEAM MANAGERS' REPORT JOHN HANCOCK Tax-Advantaged Dividend Income Fund Utility and financial common stocks -- the two primary areas of emphasis of John Hancock Tax-Advantaged Dividend Income Fund -- turned in impressive results from the commencement of operations of the Fund on February 27, 2004 through December 31, 2004. Utility common stocks led the way, fueled by a combination of the group's fundamental improvement -- evidenced by reduced debt levels, improved balance sheets and the sale or closure of money-losing unregulated subsidiaries -- and strong investor demand for high-quality income-producing stocks. Investors' appetite for income also helped financial stocks, although subsector returns were mixed. Regional banks, diversified banks and real estate investment trusts (REITs) all performed well, as investors sought more conservative safe-haven sectors with high dividends and stable earnings throughout much of the period. Regional banks also were bolstered by an upswing in mergers, while the more market-sensitive names, such as trust banks and brokers, struggled until the market's late-year rally. Many insurance stocks were hit hard toward the end of the period by charges of bid rigging and price fixing against the most prominent insurance broker, Marsh & McLennan. The performance of preferred stocks -- a secondary focus of the Fund -- also was quite good during the year, fueled in large measure by favorable supply and demand conditions. "Utility and financial common stocks...turned in impressive results..." Fund performance From its commencement of operations on February 27, 2004 through December 31, 2004, John Hancock Tax-Advantaged Dividend Income Fund returned 12.85% at net asset value and -5.47% at market value. The difference in the Fund's net asset value (NAV) performance and its market performance stems from the fact that the market share price is subject to the dynamics of secondary market trading, which could cause it to trade at a discount or premium to the Fund's NAV share price at any time. 2 Over the same period, the Standard & Poor's 500 Index returned 7.39% and the average closed-end value fund returned 11.29% at net asset value, according to Lipper, Inc. [Photos of Greg Phelps, James Schmidt, Mark Maloney and Lisa Welch flush right at top of page.] Utility stocks shine Many of our utility common stock holdings were our best performers for the period. Among the best was NSTAR, the parent company of Boston Edison. The company's stock benefited from a combination of favorable developments, including the company's decision to increase its dividend and split its stock, and its ability to continue to grow earnings, thanks to good cost controls and robust economic conditions in its service territory. Public Service Enterprise Group also performed well, thanks to a proposed takeover by Exelon Corp., which propelled its stock price higher. The Fund also enjoyed the strong returns posted by ONEOK, a diversified energy company involved in oil and gas production, natural gas processing, gathering, storage and transmission in the mid-continent areas of the United States. It benefited from a well-executed business strategy and its ability to pass on price increases in the wake of higher commodity prices. DTE Energy also performed well, partly because of its attractive dividend and partly due to the favorable resolution of a major utility rate case in its home state of Michigan. Another top gainer was TECO Energy, buoyed by a combination of above-average growth in its customer base and its ability to put the problems associated with its merchant energy plants behind it. "Many of our utility common stock holdings were our best performers for the period." Merger banks boost results Among our financial holdings, Bank of America, which merged with FleetBoston late last year, was one of our top performers. The stock was buoyed by the bank's ability to post solid earnings results, its announcement of a stock split and a large increase in its quarterly dividends. Another merger stock that did well was JPMorgan Chase, which acquired Bank One Corp. Regional bank BB&T also posted strong gains as its above-average loan growth helped it post record profits. On the flip side, headline and regulatory risk worked against Citigroup, which had problems in several of its overseas units. 3 [Table at top left-hand side of page entitled "Top five industry groups 1." The first listing is Electric utilities 31%, the second is Regional banks 15%, the third is Multi-utilities & unregulated power 14%, the fourth is Gas utilities 12% and the fifth is Diversified banks 10%.] Tax-advantaged securities lead preferred stock group Given expectations that the 2003 tax reform bill would be made permanent because of the re-election of President Bush and the larger Republican majority in both the House and Senate, tax-advantaged preferred stocks were in heavy demand and turned in good gains as a result during the period. One example was Southern Union, which benefited from investors' expectations that the company would receive a credit-rating upgrade. In the financial sector, our preferred holdings in Bear Stearns did well thanks to the combination of its attractive dividend and the strong financial performance of the company. [Pie chart at middle of page with heading "Portfolio diversification 1." The chart is divided into three sections (from top to right): Common stocks 76%, Preferred stocks 23% and Short-term investments & other 1%.] Outlook In our view, the late 2004 decline in oil prices and reports of better economic data suggest that the Fed will continue on a measured path to raise short-term interest rates. Although the rate hikes that were enacted throughout 2004 haven't yet hurt the prices of preferred stocks, it's possible that potentially higher long-term interest rates could dampen their performance over the near term. As for utility stocks, we wouldn't be altogether surprised if they are poised for a breather or even a pullback over the short term given their rapid and recent impressive gains. Over the longer term, however, there are a couple of factors we believe will continue to work in favor of both preferred and utility common stocks. Making permanent the recently reduced dividend tax rate and 4 [Table at top of page entitled "Scorecard." The header for the left column is "Investment" and the header for the right column is "Period's performance...and what's behind the numbers." The first listing is Public Service Enterprise followed by an up arrow with the phrase "Takeover by larger utility boosts price." The second listing is Bank of America followed by an up arrow with the phrase "Earnings growth, stock split, dividend hike fuel stock." The third listing is Citigroup followed by a down arrow with the phrase "Regulatory concerns surrounding overseas units hurt equity price."] strong demand from an aging American population potentially more intent on shifting assets to high-quality income-producing securities should provide some support for the group even if long-term bond yields rise. We remain optimistic about the prospects for financial stocks. We expect the group to navigate fairly well in a rising interest rate environment, and may continue to see outperformance from the group if the economic recovery remains sluggish. "Over the longer term...there are a couple of factors we believe will continue to work in favor of both preferred and utility common stocks." This commentary reflects the views of the portfolio management team through the end of the Fund's period discussed in this report. The managers' statements reflect their own opinions. As such, they are in no way guarantees of future events, and are not intended to be used as investment advice or a recommendation regarding any specific security. They are also subject to change at any time as market and other conditions warrant. 1 As a percentage of the Fund's portfolio on December 31, 2004. 5 FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FUND'S INVESTMENTS Securities owned by the Fund on December 31, 2004 This schedule is divided into three main categories: common stocks, preferred stocks and short-term investments. Common stocks and preferred stocks are further broken down by industry group. Short-term investments, which represent the Fund's cash position, are listed last. Issuer Shares Value Common stocks 109.06% $940,012,928 (Cost $863,642,492) Diversified Banks 10.77% 92,806,160 Bank of America Corp. 730,000 34,302,700 Comerica, Inc. 296,000 18,061,920 U.S. Bancorp. 647,000 20,264,040 Wachovia Corp. 230,000 12,098,000 Wells Fargo & Co. 130,000 8,079,500 Electric Utilities 34.94% 301,209,819 Alliant Energy Corp. 50,000 1,430,000 Ameren Corp. 561,100 28,133,554 American Electric Power Co., Inc. 335,500 11,521,070 Black Hills Corp. 454,000 13,928,720 CH Energy Group, Inc. 368,100 17,687,205 Cinergy Corp. 539,100 22,442,733 Consolidated Edison, Inc. 525,100 22,973,125 Empire District Electric, Co. (The) 428,400 9,716,112 Entergy Corp. 10,000 675,900 FPL Group, Inc. 9,000 672,750 Great Plains Energy, Inc. 67,000 2,028,760 NSTAR 538,000 29,202,640 OGE Energy Corp. 884,800 23,456,048 Pinnacle West Capital Corp. 230,000 10,214,300 Progress Energy, Inc. 569,600 25,768,704 Scottish Power Plc, American Depositary Receipt (United Kingdom) 610,000 19,007,600 Southern Co. (The) 593,400 19,890,768 Westar Energy, Inc. 425,000 9,719,750 WPS Resources Corp. 373,000 18,635,080 Xcel Energy, Inc. 775,000 14,105,000 See notes to financial statements. 6 FINANCIAL STATEMENTS Issuer Shares Value Gas Utilities 14.70% $126,728,996 Atmos Energy Corp. 756,200 20,682,070 KeySpan Corp. 647,400 25,539,930 NiSource, Inc. 467,700 10,654,206 Northwest Natural Gas Co. 325,000 10,965,500 Peoples Energy Corp. 557,000 24,480,150 Piedmont Natural Gas Co., Inc. 180,000 4,183,200 Vectren Corp. 689,900 18,489,320 WGL Holdings, Inc. 380,500 11,734,620 Integrated Oil & Gas 0.88% 7,561,440 ChevronTexaco Corp. 144,000 7,561,440 Integrated Telecommunication Services 2.59% 22,337,752 SBC Communications, Inc. 670,000 17,265,900 Verizon Communications, Inc. 125,200 5,071,852 Multi-Utilities & Unregulated Power 18.46% 159,094,773 Dominion Resources, Inc. 385,000 26,079,900 DTE Energy Co. 485,000 20,918,050 Duke Energy Corp. 533,400 13,511,022 Energy East Corp. 396,000 10,565,280 National Fuel Gas Co. 456,000 12,923,040 ONEOK, Inc. 821,100 23,335,662 Public Service Enterprise Group, Inc. 454,700 23,539,819 Puget Energy, Inc. 707,000 17,462,900 SCANA Corp. 257,500 10,145,500 TECO Energy, Inc. 40,000 613,600 Other Diversified Financial Services 2.33% 20,080,698 Citigroup, Inc. 187,000 9,009,660 JPMorgan Chase & Co. 283,800 11,071,038 Regional Banks 21.71% 187,109,550 AmSouth Bancorp. 775,000 20,072,500 BB&T Corp. 495,000 20,814,750 Colonial BancGroup, Inc. (The) 275,000 5,838,250 F.N.B. Corp. 190,000 3,868,400 First Horizon National Corp. 290,000 12,501,900 FirstMerit Corp. 365,000 10,398,850 Hudson United Bancorp. 195,000 7,679,100 KeyCorp 749,000 25,391,100 National City Corp. 505,000 18,962,750 See notes to financial statements. 7 FINANCIAL STATEMENTS Issuer Shares Value Regional Banks (continued) PNC Financial Services Group 370,000 $21,252,800 Regions Financial Corp. 795,000 28,294,050 Susquehanna Bancshares, Inc. 275,000 6,861,250 Whitney Holding Corp. 115,000 5,173,850 Thrifts & Mortgage Finance 2.68% 23,083,740 People's Bank 150,000 5,833,500 Washington Mutual, Inc. 408,000 17,250,240 Credit Issuer, description rating (A) Shares Value Preferred stocks 32.81% $282,808,876 (Cost $282,564,323) Consumer Finance 0.16% 1,391,500 SLM Corp., 6.97%, Ser A BBB+ 24,200 1,391,500 Diversified Banks 3.31% 28,540,850 Abbey National Plc, 7.375%, Depositary Shares, Ser B (United Kingdom) A- 93,100 2,560,250 Royal Bank of Scotland Group Plc, 5.75%, Ser L (United Kingdom) A 1,060,000 25,980,600 Electric Utilities 9.55% 82,262,920 Alabama Power Co., 5.20% BBB+ 276,700 6,709,975 Alabama Power Co., 5.30% (Class A) BBB+ 213,000 5,237,670 Carolina Power & Light Co., $5.44 BB+ 111,493 10,703,328 Connecticut Light & Power Co., $3.24, Ser 68G BBB- 12,500 650,391 Connecticut Light & Power Co., 5.28%, Ser 1967 BBB- 18,294 862,677 Connecticut Light & Power Co., 6.56%, Ser 1968 BBB- 7,224 377,229 Duquesne Light Co., 6.50% BB+ 210,000 11,025,000 Entergy Arkansas, Inc., $1.96 BB+ 150,466 3,771,054 Entergy Arkansas, Inc., 4.56% BB+ 9,388 701,753 Entergy Arkansas, Inc., 4.56%, Ser 1965 BB+ 9,818 733,895 Entergy Arkansas, Inc., $6.08 Ba1 9,808 977,429 Entergy Gulf States, Inc., $7.56 BB 28,422 2,771,145 Entergy Louisiana, Inc., 5.16% Ba1 12,044 1,030,139 Entergy Mississippi, Inc., 4.92% Ba2 7,884 642,793 FPL Group Capital Trust I, 5.875% BBB+ 348,200 8,642,324 Interstate Power & Light Co., 7.10%, Ser C BBB- 20,600 566,500 Interstate Power & Light Co., 8.375%, Ser B BBB- 233,000 7,805,500 Monongahela Power Co., $7.73, Ser L B- 33,143 3,281,157 See notes to financial statements. 8 FINANCIAL STATEMENTS Credit Issuer, description rating (A) Shares Value Electric Utilities (continued) Northern Indiana Public Service Co., 4.50% BB+ 28,863 $2,317,159 Northern Indiana Public Service Co., 4.88% BB+ 7,616 663,068 Ohio Edison Co., 4.56% BB 15,325 1,222,169 Pennsylvania Power Co., 7.75% BB 9,500 955,047 Union Electric Co., $4.50 BBB 10,370 824,415 Wisconsin Power & Light Co., 4.50% BBB 4,600 392,840 Xcel Energy, Inc., $4.08, Ser B BB+ 66,070 5,080,783 Xcel Energy, Inc., $4.56, Ser G BB+ 53,700 4,317,480 Gas Utilities 3.29% 28,384,075 El Paso Tennessee Pipeline Co., 8.25%, Ser A CCC- 300,000 15,271,890 KeySpan Corp., 8.75%, Conv A3 27,500 1,434,675 Southern Union Co., 7.55% BB+ 417,800 11,677,510 Investment Banking & Brokerage 5.09% 43,825,145 Bear Stearns Cos., Inc. (The), 5.49%, Depositary Shares, Ser G BBB 249,800 12,614,900 Bear Stearns Cos., Inc. (The), 5.72%, Depositary Shares, Ser F BBB 126,700 6,566,861 Bear Stearns Cos., Inc. (The), 6.15%, Depositary Shares, Ser E BBB 64,900 3,433,210 Lehman Brothers Holdings, Inc., 5.67%, Depositary Shares, Ser D BBB+ 56,000 2,856,000 Lehman Brothers Holdings, Inc., 5.94%, Depositary Shares, Ser C BBB+ 256,160 13,102,584 Lehman Brothers Holdings, Inc., 6.50%, Depositary Shares, Ser F BBB+ 193,500 5,251,590 Multi-Line Insurance 0.63% 5,457,867 ING Groep N.V., 6.20% (Netherlands) A- 109,100 2,767,867 ING Groep N.V., 7.05% (Netherlands) A- 100,000 2,690,000 Multi-Utilities & Unregulated Power 1.65% 14,207,553 Avista Corp., $6.95, Ser K BB- 40,383 4,174,593 DTE Energy Co., 8.75%, Conv BBB- 187,000 4,875,090 Public Service Electric & Gas Co., 5.05%, Ser D BB+ 12,160 1,082,240 Public Service Electric & Gas Co., 5.28%, Ser E BB+ 21,930 1,995,630 South Carolina Electric & Gas Co., 6.52% Baa1 20,000 2,080,000 Oil & Gas Exploration & Production 4.11% 35,449,232 Anadarko Petroleum Corp., 5.46%, Depositary Shares, Ser B BBB- 50,000 4,978,125 Apache Corp., 5.68%, Depositary Shares, Ser B BBB 50,000 5,239,065 Devon Energy Corp., 6.49%, Ser A BB+ 150,000 15,548,445 Nexen, Inc., 7.35% (Canada) BB+ 359,584 9,683,597 Other Diversified Financial Services 3.46% 29,857,251 ABN AMRO Capital Funding Trust V, 5.90% A 140,000 3,430,000 ABN AMRO Capital Funding Trust VII, 6.08% A 950,000 23,835,500 See notes to financial statements. 9 FINANCIAL STATEMENTS Credit Issuer, description rating (A) Shares Value Other Diversified Financial Services (continued) General Electric Capital Corp., 6.10% AAA 38,100 $998,601 J.P. Morgan Chase Capital XI, 5.875%, Ser K A- 65,000 1,593,150 Reinsurance 0.31% 2,673,440 RenaissanceRe Holdings Ltd., 6.08%, Ser C (Bermuda) BBB+ 112,000 2,673,440 Thrifts & Mortgage Finance 1.25% 10,759,043 Fannie Mae, 4.75%, Ser M AA- 20,000 826,000 Fannie Mae, 5.10%, Ser E AA- 24,300 1,211,963 Fannie Mae, 5.125%, Ser L AA- 124,000 5,303,480 Fannie Mae, 5.375%, Ser I AA- 76,800 3,417,600 Interest Maturity Credit Par value Issuer, description rate date rating (A) (000) Value Short-term investments 2.45% $21,100,000 (Cost $21,098,828) Government U.S. Agency 2.45% 21,100,000 Federal Home Loan Bank, Disc Note 1.00% 01-03-05 AAA $21,100 21,100,000 Total investments 144.32% $1,243,921,804 Other assets and liabilities, net (44.32%) ($381,978,537) Total net assets 100.00% $861,943,267 (A) Credit ratings are unaudited and are rated by Moody's Investors Service where Standard & Poor's ratings are not available. Parenthetical disclosure of a foreign country in the security description represents country of a foreign issuer. The percentage shown for each investment category is the total value of that category as a percentage of the net assets of the Fund. See notes to financial statements. 10 FINANCIAL STATEMENTS PORTFOLIO CONCENTRATION December 31, 2004 (unaudited) This table shows the Fund's investments, aggregated by various industries. Industry distribution Value as a percentage of Fund's total investments - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Consumer finance 0.11% Diversified banks 9.76 Electric utilities 30.83 Gas utilities 12.47 Integrated oil & gas 0.61 Integrated telecommunication services 1.80 Investment banking & brokerage 3.52 Multi-line insurance 0.44 Multi-utilities & unregulated power 13.93 Oil & gas exploration & production 2.85 Other diversified financial services 4.01 Regional banks 15.04 Reinsurance 0.21 Thrifts & mortgage finance 2.72 Short-term investments 1.70 Total investments 100.00% See notes to financial statements. 11 FINANCIAL STATEMENTS ASSETS AND LIABILITIES December 31, 2004 This Statement of Assets and Liabilities is the Fund's balance sheet. It shows the value of what the Fund owns, is due and owes. You'll also find the net asset value for each common share. Assets Investments at value (cost $1,167,305,643) $1,243,921,804 Cash 46,824 Cash segregated for futures contracts 212,500 Dividends receivable 3,028,783 Other assets 3,404 Total assets 1,247,213,315 Liabilities Payable for investments purchased 5,119,389 Payable for futures variation margin 66,405 Payable to affiliates Management fees 18,686 Other 26,024 Other payables and accrued expenses 24,249 Total liabilities 5,254,753 Auction Preferred Shares (APS), at value, unlimited number of shares of beneficial interest authorized with no par value, 15,200 shares issued, liquidation preference of $25,000 per share 380,015,295 Net assets Common shares capital paid-in 798,628,966 Accumulated net realized loss on investments and financial futures contracts (13,297,510) Net unrealized appreciation of investments and financial futures contracts 76,627,106 Distributions in excess of net investment income (15,295) Net assets applicable to common shares $861,943,267 Net asset value per common share Based on 42,077,487 shares of beneficial interest outstanding -- unlimited number of shares authorized with no par value $20.48 See notes to financial statements. 12 FINANCIAL STATEMENTS OPERATIONS For the period ended December 31, 2004 1 This Statement of Operations summarizes the Fund's investment income earned and expenses incurred in operat- ing the Fund. It also shows net gains (losses) for the period stated. Investment income Dividends $45,662,993 Interest 907,585 Total investment income 46,570,578 Expenses Investment management fees 6,854,440 APS auction fees 518,463 Accounting and legal services fees 231,890 Custodian fees 158,982 Miscellaneous 157,359 Professional fees 57,445 Organizational costs 43,000 Transfer agent fees 41,634 Printing 35,841 Trustees' fees 16,696 Registration and filing fees 75 Total expenses 8,115,825 Less expense reductions (1,827,851) Net expenses 6,287,974 Net investment income 40,282,604 Realized and unrealized gain (loss) Net realized loss on Investments (11,617,447) Financial futures contracts (993,926) Change in net unrealized appreciation of Investments 76,616,161 Financial futures contracts 10,945 Net realized and unrealized gain 64,015,733 Distribution to APS (4,363,999) Increase in net assets from operations $99,934,338 1 Commencement of operations period from 2-27-04 through 12-31-04. See notes to financial statements. 13 FINANCIAL STATEMENTS CHANGES IN NET ASSETS This Statement of Changes in Net Assets shows how the value of the Fund's net assets has changed since inception of the Fund. The dif- ference reflects earnings less expenses, any investment gains and losses, distributions, if any, paid to shareholders and the net of Fund share transactions. Period ended 12-31-04 1 Increase in net assets From operations Net investment income $40,282,604 Net realized loss (12,611,373) Change in net unrealized appreciation 76,627,106 Distributions to APS (4,363,999) Increase in net assets resulting from operations 99,934,338 Distributions to common shareholders From net investment income (36,620,037) From Fund share transactions 798,628,966 Net assets End of period 2 $861,943,267 1 Commencement of operations period from 2-27-04 through 12-31-04. 2 Includes distributions in excess of net investment income of $15,295. See notes to financial statements. 14 FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS COMMON SHARES The Financial Highlights show how the Fund's net asset value for a share has changed since the commencement of operations of the Fund. Period ended 12-31-04 1 Per share operating performance Net asset value, beginning of period $19.10 2 Net investment income 3 1.14 Net realized and unrealized gain on investments 1.54 Distributions to APS (0.29) Total from investment operations 2.39 Less distributions to common shareholders From net investment income (0.87) Capital charges Offering costs related to common shares (0.02) Offering costs and underwriting discounts related to APS (0.12) Net asset value, end of period $20.48 Per share market value, end of period $17.99 Total return at market value 4,5 (%) (5.47) 6 Ratios and supplemental data Net assets applicable to common shares, end of period (in millions) $862 Ratio of expenses to average net assets 7 (%) 0.95 8 Ratio of adjusted expenses to average net assets 9 (%) 1.23 8 Ratio of net investment income to average net assets 10 (%) 6.11 Portfolio turnover (%) 42 Senior securities Total value of APS outstanding (in millions) $380 Involuntary liquidation preference per unit (in thousands) $25 Average market value per unit (in thousands) $25 Asset coverage per unit 11 $79,542 1 Commencement of operations period from 2-27-04 through 12-31-04. 2 Reflects the deduction of a $0.90 per share sales load. 3 Based on the average of the shares outstanding. 4 Assumes dividend reinvestment and a purchase at $20.01 per share on the inception date and a sale at the current market price on the last day of the period. 5 Total return would have been lower had certain expenses not been reduced during the period shown. 6 Not annualized. 7 Ratio calculated on the basis of expenses relative to the average net assets of common shares. Without the exclusion of preferred shares, the annualized ratio of expenses would have been 0.69%. 8 Annualized. 9 Ratio calculated on the basis of expenses relative to the average net assets of common shares that does not take into consideration expense reductions during the period shown. Without the exclusion of preferred shares, the adjusted annualized ratio of expenses would have been 0.89%. 10 Ratio calculated on the basis of net investment income relative to the average net assets of common shares. Without the exclusion of preferred shares, the annualized ratio of net investment income would have been 4.42%. 11 Calculated by subtracting the Fund's total liabilities from the Fund's total assets and dividing that amount by the number of APS outstanding as of the applicable 1940 Act Evaluation Date, which may differ from the financial reporting date. See notes to financial statements. 15 NOTES TO STATEMENTS Note A Accounting policies John Hancock Tax-Advantaged Dividend Income Fund (the "Fund") is a diversified closed-end management investment company registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940. Significant accounting policies of the Fund are as follows: Valuation of investments Securities in the Fund's portfolio are valued on the basis of market quotations, valuations provided by independent pricing services or at fair value as determined in good faith in accordance with procedures approved by the Trustees. Short-term debt investments which have a remaining maturity of 60 days or less may be valued at amortized cost, which approximates market value. The Fund determines the net asset value of the common shares each business day. Investment transactions Investment transactions are recorded as of the date of purchase, sale or maturity. Net realized gains and losses on sales of investments are determined on the identified cost basis. Expenses The majority of expenses are directly identifiable to an individual fund. Expenses that are not readily identifiable to a specific fund are allocated in such a manner as deemed equitable, taking into consideration, among other things, the nature and type of expense and the relative sizes of the funds. Organization expense and offering costs Expenses incurred in connection with the organization of the Fund, which amounted to $43,000, have been borne by the Fund. Offering costs of $854,726 related to common shares and offering costs of $396,310 incurred in connection with the preferred shares were charged to the Fund's capital paid-in. Financial futures contracts The Fund may buy and sell financial futures contracts. Buying futures tends to increase the Fund's exposure to the underlying instrument. Selling futures tends to decrease the Fund's exposure to the underlying instrument or hedge other Fund's instruments. At the time the Fund enters into financial futures contracts, it is required to deposit with its custodian a specified amount of cash or U.S. government securities, known as "initial margin," equal to a certain percentage of the value of the financial futures contract being traded. Each day, the futures contract is valued at the official settlement price of the board of trade or U.S. commodities exchange on which it trades. Subsequent payments to and from the broker, known as "variation margin," are made on a daily basis as the market price of the financial futures contract fluctuates. Daily variation margin 16 adjustments arising from this "mark to market" are recorded by the Fund as unrealized gains or losses. When the contracts are closed, the Fund recognizes a gain or loss. Risks of entering into financial futures contracts include the possibility that there may be an illiquid market and/or that a change in the value of the contracts may not correlate with changes in the value of the underlying securities. In addition, the Fund could be prevented from opening or realizing the benefits of closing out financial futures positions because of position limits or limits on daily price fluctuation imposed by an exchange. For federal income tax purposes, the amount, character and timing of the Fund's gains and/or losses can be affected as a result of financial futures contracts. On December 31, 2004, the Fund had deposited $212,500 in a segregated account to cover margin requirements on open financial futures contracts. The Fund had the following financial futures contracts open on December 31, 2004: NUMBER OF APPRECIATION/ OPEN CONTRACTS CONTRACTS POSITION EXPIRATION (DEPRECIATION) - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ U.S. Treasury 10-year Note 125 Short March 05 $43,070 U.S. Treasury 10-year Note 125 Short March 05 (32,125) - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ $10,945 Federal income taxes The Fund qualifies as a "regulated investment company" by complying with the applicable provisions of the Internal Revenue Code and will not be subject to federal income tax on taxable income that is distributed to shareholders. Therefore, no federal income tax provision is required. Dividends, interest and distributions Dividend income on investment securities is recorded on the ex-dividend date or, in the case of some foreign securities, on the date thereafter when the Fund iden ti fies the dividend. Interest income on investment securities is recorded on the accrual basis. Foreign income may be subject to foreign withholding taxes, which are accrued as applicable. The Fund records distributions to shareholders from net investment income and net realized gains, if any, on the ex-dividend date. For the year ended December 31, 2004, the tax character of distributions paid was as follows: ordinary income $40,984,036. As of December 31, 2004, the components of distributable earnings on a tax basis included $2,958,880 of undistributed ordinary income. Such distributions and distributable earnings, on a tax basis, are determined in conformity with income tax regulations, which may differ from accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. Distributions in excess of tax basis earnings and profits, if any, are reported in the Fund's financial statements as a return of capital. Use of estimates The preparation of these financial statements, in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America, incorporates estimates made by management in determining the reported amount of assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses of the Fund. Actual results could differ from these estimates. Note B Management fee and transactions with affiliates and others The Fund has an investment management contract with John Hancock Advisers, LLC (the"Adviser"), a wholly owned subsidiary of John Hancock Financial Services, Inc. Under the investment 17 management contract, the Fund pays a daily management fee to the Adviser at an annual rate of 0.75% of the Fund's average daily net asset value and the value attributable to the Auction Preferred Shares (collectively, "managed assets"). The Adviser has contractually agreed to limit the Fund's management fee to the following: 0.55% of the Fund's average daily managed assets until the fifth anniversary of the commencement of the Fund's operations, 0.60% of such assets in the sixth year, 0.65% of such assets in the seventh year and 0.70% of average daily managed assets in the eighth year. Accord ingly, the expense reductions related to the reduction in the management fee amounted to $1,827,851 for the period ended December 31, 2004. After the eighth year, the Adviser will no longer waive a portion of the management fee. The Fund has an agreement with the Adviser to perform necessary tax, accounting and legal services for the Fund. The compensation for the period amounted to $231,890. The Fund also paid the Adviser the amount of $116 for certain publishing services, included in the printing fees. Mr. James A. Shepherdson is a director and officer of the Adviser, as well as affiliated Trustee of the Fund, and is compensated by the Adviser. The compensation of unaffiliated Trustees is borne by the Fund. The unaffiliated Trustees may elect to defer, for tax purposes, their receipt of this compensation under the John Hancock Group of Funds Deferred Compen sation Plan. The Fund makes investments into other John Hancock funds, as applicable, to cover its liability for the deferred compensation. Investments to cover the Fund's deferred compensation liability are recorded on the Fund's books as an other asset. The deferred compensation liability and the related other asset are always equal and are marked to market on a periodic basis to reflect any income earned by the investments, as well as any unrealized gains or losses. The Deferred Compensation Plan investments had no impact on the operations of the Fund. Note C Fund share transactions This listing illustrates the number of Fund common shares sold, offering costs and underwriting discount charged to capital paid-in and the number of common shares outstanding at the end of the period, along with the corresponding dollar value. Period ended 12-31-04 1 Shares Amount Shares sold 42,077,487 $803,680,0022 Offering cost related to common shares -- (854,726) Offering costs and underwriting discount related to Auction Preferred Shares -- (4,196,310) Net increase 42,077,487 $798,628,966 1 Commencement of operations period from 2-27-04 through 12-31-04. 2 Net of $0.90 per share sales load of the initial offering price of $20.00 per share. 18 Auction preferred shares The Fund issued a total of 15,200 Auction Preferred Shares (3,800 shares of Series M, 3,800 shares of Series W, 3,800 of shares of Series TH and 3,800 shares of Series F) (collectively, the "APS") on May 3, 2004, in a public offering. The underwriting discount of $3,800,000 has been charged to capital paid-in of common shares. Dividends on the APS, which accrue daily, are cumulative at a rate that was established at the offering of the APS and has been reset every 7 days thereafter by an auction (except for the Series TH, which reset its rate on October 28, 2004, at which time the Fund elected a Special Dividend Payment of 182 days for the subsequent distributions). Dividend rates on APS ranged from 1.15% to 2.70% during the period ended December 31, 2004. Accrued dividends on APS are included in the value of APS on the Fund's Statement of Assets and Liabilities. The APS are redeemable at the option of the Fund, at a redemption price equal to $25,000 per share, plus accumulated and unpaid dividends on any dividend payment date. The APS are also subject to mandatory redemption at a redemption price equal to $25,000 per share, plus accumulated and unpaid dividends, if the Fund is in default on its asset coverage requirements with respect to the APS as defined in the Fund's by-laws. If the dividends on the APS shall remain unpaid in an amount equal to two full years' dividends, the holders of the APS, as a class, have the right to elect a majority of the Board of Trustees. In general, the holders of the APS and the common shareholders have equal voting rights of one vote per share, except that the holders of the APS, as a class, vote to elect two members of the Board of Trustees, and separate class votes are required on certain matters that affect the respective interests of the APS and common shareholders. Note D Investment transactions Purchases and proceeds from sales or maturities of securities, other than short-term securities and obligations of the U.S. government, during the period ended December 31, 2004, aggregated $1,554,572,324 and $396,748,061, respectively. The cost of investments owned on December 31, 2004, including short-term investments, for federal income tax purposes, was $1,183,551,089. Gross unrealized appreciation and depreciation of investments aggregated $83,308,596 and $22,937,881, respectively, resulting in net unrealized appreciation of $60,370,715. The difference between book basis and tax basis net unrealized appreciation of investments is attributable primarily to the tax deferral of losses on certain sales of securities. Note E Reclassification of accounts During the period ended December 31, 2004, the Fund reclassified amounts to reflect an increase in accumulated net realized loss on investments of $686,137, and an increase in distributions in excess of net investment income of $686,137. This represents the amounts necessary to report these balances on a tax basis, excluding certain temporary differences, as of December 31, 2004. Additional adjustments may be needed in subsequent reporting periods. These reclassifications, which have no impact on the net asset value of the Fund, are primarily attributable to certain differences in the computation of distributable income and capital gains under federal tax rules versus accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America and book and tax differences in accounting for deferred compensation. The calculation of net investment income per share in the Fund's Financial Highlights excludes these adjustments. 19 AUDITORS' REPORT Report of Deloitte & Touche LLP, Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm To Board of Trustees and the Shareholders of John Hancock Tax-Advantaged Dividend Income Fund We have audited the accompanying statement of assets and liabilities of John Hancock Tax-Advantaged Dividend Income Fund (the "Fund"), including the schedule of investments, as of December 31, 2004, and the related statements of operations, the statement of changes in net assets and the financial highlights for the period from the commencement of operations on February 27, 2004 through December 31, 2004. These financial statements and financial highlights are the responsibility of the Fund's management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements and financial highlights based on our audit. We conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements and financial highlights are free of material misstatement. An audit includes consideration of internal control over financial reporting as a basis for designing audit procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances, but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Fund's internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion. An audit also includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements, assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. Our procedures included confirmation of securities owned as of December 31, 2004, by correspondence with the custodian and brokers; where replies were not received from brokers, we performed other auditing procedures. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion. In our opinion, the financial statements and financial highlights referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of John Hancock Tax-Advantaged Dividend Income Fund as of December 31, 2004, the results of its operations, the changes in its net assets and the financial highlights for the period from the commencement of operations February 27, 2004 through December 31, 2004, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. DELOITTE & TOUCHE LLP Boston, Massachusetts February 18, 2005 20 TAX INFORMATION Unaudited For federal income tax purposes, the following information is furnished with respect to the distributions of the Fund, if any, paid during its taxable year ended December 31, 2004. With respect to the ordinary dividends paid by the Fund for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2004, 97.84% of the dividends qualifies for the corporate dividends-received deduction. The Fund hereby designates the maximum amount allowable of its net taxable income as qualified dividend income as provided in the Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2003. This amount will be reflected on Form 1099-DIV for the calendar year 2004. Shareholders will be mailed a 2004 U.S. Treasury Department Form 1099-DIV in January 2005. This will reflect the total of all distributions that are taxable for the calendar year 2004. 21 Investment objective and policy The Fund's investment objective is to provide a high level of after-tax total return from dividend income and capital appreciation. Under normal market conditions, the Fund will invest at least 80% of its assets (net assets plus borrowings for investment purposes) in dividend-paying common and preferred securities that the Adviser believes at the time of acquisition are eligible to pay dividends which, for individual shareholders, qualify for U.S. federal income taxation at rates applicable to long-term capital gains, which currently are taxed at a maximum rate of 15% ("tax-advantaged dividends"). Tax-advantaged dividends generally include dividends from domestic corporations and dividends from foreign corporations that meet certain specified criteria. The Fund generally can pass the tax treatment of tax-advantaged dividends it receives through to its common shareholders. Dividend reinvestment plan The Fund offers its shareholders a Dividend Reinvestment Plan (the "Plan"), which offers the opportunity to earn compounded yields. Each holder of common shares will automatically have all distributions of dividends and capital gains reinvested by Mellon Investor Services, as Plan Agent for the common shareholders (the "Plan Agent"), unless an election is made to receive cash. Holders of common shares who elect not to participate in the Plan will receive all distributions in cash, paid by check and mailed directly to the shareholder of record (or, if the common shares are held in street or other nominee name, then to the nominee) by the Plan Agent, as dividend-disbursing agent. Shareholders whose shares are held in the name of a broker or a nominee should contact the broker or nominee to determine whether and how they may participate in the Plan. If the Fund declares a dividend payable either in common shares or in cash, non-participants will receive cash and participants in the Plan will receive the equivalent in common shares. If the market price of the common shares on the payment date of the dividend is equal to, or exceeds, their net asset value as determined on the payment date, participants will be issued common shares (out of authorized but unissued shares) at a value equal to the higher of net asset value or 95% of the market price. If the net asset value exceeds the market price of the common shares at such time, or if the Board of Trustees declares a dividend payable only in cash, the Plan Agent will, as agent for Plan participants, buy shares in the open market, on the New York Stock Exchange or elsewhere, for the participants' accounts. Such purchases will be made promptly after the payable date for such dividend and, in any event, prior to the next ex-dividend date after such date, except where necessary to comply with federal securities laws. If, before the Plan Agent has completed its purchases, the market price exceeds the net asset value of the common shares, the average per share purchase price paid by the Plan Agent may exceed the net asset value of the common shares, resulting in the acquisition of fewer shares than if the dividend had been paid in shares issued by the Fund. Each participant will pay a pro rata share of brokerage commissions incurred with respect to the Plan Agent's open market purchases in connection with the reinvestment of dividends and distributions. The cost per share of the shares purchased for each participant's account will be the average cost, including brokerage commissions, of any shares purchased on the open market, plus the cost of any shares issued by the Fund. There will be no brokerage charges with respect to common shares issued directly by the Fund. There are no other charges to participants for reinvesting dividends or capital gain distributions. 22 Participants in the Plan may withdraw from the Plan at any time by contacting the Plan Agent by telephone, in writing or by visiting the Plan Agent's Web site at www.melloninvestor.com. Such withdrawal will be effective immediately if received not less than ten days prior to a dividend record date; otherwise, it will be effective for all subsequent dividend record dates. When a participant withdraws from the Plan or upon termination of the Plan, as provided below, certificates for whole common shares credited to his or her account under the Plan will be issued and a cash payment will be made for any fraction of a share credited to such account. The Plan Agent maintains each shareholder's account in the Plan and furnishes monthly written confirmations of all transactions in the accounts, including information needed by the shareholders for personal and tax records. The Plan Agent will hold common shares in the account of each Plan participant in non-certificated form in the name of the participant. Proxy material relating to the shareholders' meetings of the Fund will include those shares purchased, as well as shares held pursuant to the Plan. The reinvestment of dividends and distributions will not relieve participants of any federal income tax that may be payable or required to be withheld on such dividends or distributions. Participants under the Plan will receive tax information annually. The amount of dividend to be reported on the 1099-DIV should be: (1) in the case of shares issued by the Fund, the fair market value of such shares on the dividend payment date and (2) in the case of shares purchased by the Plan Agent in the open market, the amount of cash used by the Plan Agent to purchase shares in the open market, including the amount of cash allocated to brokerage commissions paid on such purchases. Experience under the Plan may indicate that changes are desirable. Accordingly, the Fund reserves the right to amend or terminate the Plan as applied to any dividend or distribution paid subsequent to written notice of the change sent to all shareholders of the Fund at least 90 days before the record date for the dividend or distribution. The Plan may be amended or terminated by the Plan Agent after at least 90 days' written notice to all shareholders of the Fund. All correspondence or additional information concerning the Plan should be directed to the Plan Agent, Mellon Bank, N.A., c/o Mellon Investor Services, P.O. Box 3338, South Hackensack, NJ 07606-1938 (telephone 1-800-852-0218). Shareholder communication and assistance If you have any questions concerning the Fund, we will be pleased to assist you. If you hold shares in your own name and not with a brokerage firm, please address all notices, correspondence, questions or other communications regarding the Fund to the transfer agent at: Mellon Investor Services 85 Challenger Road Overpeck Centre Ridgefield Park, NJ 07660 Telephone 1-800-852-0218 If your shares are held with a brokerage firm, you should contact that firm, bank or other nominee for assistance. 23 TRUSTEES & OFFICERS This chart provides information about the Trustees and Officers who oversee your John Hancock fund. Officers elected by the Trustees manage the day-to-day operations of the Fund and execute policies formulated by the Trustees. Independent Trustees Name, age Number of Position(s) held with Fund Trustee John Hancock Principal occupation(s) and other of Fund funds overseen directorships during past 5 years since 1 by Trustee Charles L. Ladner, 2 Born: 1938 2004 49 Independent Chairman (since 2004); Chairman and Trustee, Dunwoody Village, Inc. (retirement services) (until 2003); Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, UGI Corporation (public utility holding company) (retired 1998); Vice President and Director for AmeriGas, Inc. (retired 1998); Director of AmeriGas Partners, L.P. (until 1997) (gas distribution); Director, EnergyNorth, Inc. (until 1995); Director, Parks and History Association (since 2001). James F. Carlin, Born: 1940 2004 49 Director and Treasurer, Alpha Analytical Inc. (analytical laboratory) (since 1985); Part Owner and Treasurer, Lawrence Carlin Insurance Agency, Inc. (since 1995); Part Owner and Vice President, Mone Lawrence Carlin Insurance Agency, Inc. (since 1996); Director and Treasurer, Rizzo Associates (engineering) (until 2000); Chairman and CEO, Carlin Consolidated, Inc. (management/investments) (since 1987); Director and Partner, Proctor Carlin & Co., Inc. (until 1999); Trustee, Massachusetts Health and Education Tax Exempt Trust (since 1993); Director of the following: Uno Restaurant Corp. (until 2001), Arbella Mutual (insurance) (until 2000), HealthPlan Services, Inc. (until 1999), Flagship Healthcare, Inc. (until 1999), Carlin Insurance Agency, Inc. (until 1999); Chairman, Massachusetts Board of Higher Education (until 1999). William H. Cunningham, Born: 1944 2004 49 Former Chancellor, University of Texas System and former President of the University of Texas, Austin, Texas; Chairman and CEO, IBT Technologies (until 2001); Director of the following: The University of Texas Investment Management Company (until 2000), Hire.com (until 2004), STC Broadcasting, Inc. and Sunrise Television Corp. (electronic manufacturing) (until 2001), Symtx, Inc. (electronic manufacturing) (since 2001), Adorno/Rogers Technology, Inc. (until 2004), Pinnacle Foods Corporation (until 2003), rateGenius (Internet service) (until 2003), Jefferson-Pilot Corporation (diversified life insurance company) (since 1985), New Century Equity Holdings (formerly Billing Concepts) (until 2001), eCertain (until 2001), ClassMap.com (until 2001), Agile Ventures (until 2001), LBJ Foundation (until 2000), Golfsmith International, Inc. (until 2000), Metamor Worldwide (until 2000), AskRed.com (until 2001), Southwest Airlines (since 2000) and Introgen (since 2000); Advisory Director, 24 Independent Trustees (continued) Name, age Number of Position(s) held with Fund Trustee John Hancock Principal occupation(s) and other of Fund funds overseen directorships during past 5 years since 1 by Trustee William H. Cunningham, Born: 1944 (continued) 2004 49 Q Investments (until 2003); Advisory Director, Chase Bank (formerly Texas Commerce Bank -- Austin) (since 1988), LIN Television (since 2002), WilTel Communications (until 2003) and Hayes Lemmerz International, Inc. (diversified automotive parts supply company) (since 2003). Ronald R. Dion, Born: 1946 2004 49 Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, R.M. Bradley & Co., Inc.; Director, The New England Council and Massachusetts Roundtable; Trustee, North Shore Medical Center; Director, Boston Stock Exchange; Director, BJ's Wholesale Club, Inc. and a corporator of the Eastern Bank; Trustee, Emmanuel College. John A. Moore, 2 Born: 1939 2004 49 President and Chief Executive Officer, Institute for Evaluating Health Risks, (nonprofit institution) (until 2001); Chief Scientist, Sciences International (health research) (until 2003); Principal, Hollyhouse (consulting) (since 2000); Director, CIIT (nonprofit research) (since 2002). Patti McGill Peterson, 2 Born: 1943 2004 49 Executive Director, Council for International Exchange of Scholars and Vice President, Institute of International Education (since 1998); Senior Fellow, Cornell Institute of Public Affairs, Cornell University (until 1998); Former President of Wells College and St. Lawrence University; Director, Niagara Mohawk Power Corporation (until 2003); Director, Ford Foundation, International Fellowships Program (since 2002); Director, Lois Roth Endowment (since 2002); Director, Council for International Educational Exchange (since 2003). Steven Pruchansky, Born: 1944 2004 49 Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Greenscapes of Southwest Florida, Inc. (since 2000); Director and President, Greenscapes of Southwest Florida, Inc. (until 2000); Managing Director, JonJames, LLC (real estate) (since 2001); Director, First Signature Bank & Trust Company (until 1991); Director, Mast Realty Trust (until 1994); President, Maxwell Building Corp. (until 1991). Norman H. Smith, Born: 1933 2004 47 Lieutenant General, United States Marine Corps; Deputy Chief of Staff for Manpower and Reserve Affairs, Headquarters Marine Corps; Commanding General III Marine Expeditionary Force/3rd Marine Division (retired 1991). 25 Non-Independent Trustees 3 Name, age Number of Position(s) held with Fund Trustee John Hancock Principal occupation(s) and other of Fund funds overseen directorships during past 5 years since 1 by Trustee James A. Shepherdson, Born: 1952 2004 49 President and Chief Executive Officer Executive Vice President, Manulife Financial Corporation (since 2004); Director, President and Chief Executive Officer, John Hancock Advisers, LLC (the "Adviser") and The Berkeley Financial Group, LLC ("The Berkeley Group") (holding company); Director, President and Chief Executive Officer, John Hancock Funds, LLC ("John Hancock Funds"); President, Director and Chief Executive Officer, Sovereign Asset Management Corporation ("SAMCorp"); Director, Chairman and President, NM Capital Management, Inc.; President, John Hancock Retirement Services, John Hancock Life Insurance Company (until 2004); Chairman, Essex Corporation (until 2004); Co-Chief Executive Officer, MetLife Investors Group (until 2003); Senior Vice President, AXA/Equitable Insurance Company (until 2000). Principal officers who are not Trustees Name, age Position(s) held with Fund Officer Principal occupation(s) and of Fund directorships during past 5 years since William H. King, Born: 1952 2004 Vice President and Treasurer Vice President and Assistant Treasurer, the Adviser; Vice President and Treasurer of each of the John Hancock funds; Assistant Treasurer of each of the John Hancock funds (until 2001). Susan S. Newton, Born: 1950 2004 Senior Vice President, Secretary and Chief Legal Officer Senior Vice President, Secretary and Chief Legal Officer, SAMCorp., the Adviser and each of the John Hancock funds, John Hancock Funds and The Berkeley Group; Director, Senior Vice President and Secretary, NM Capital Management, Inc. The business address for all Trustees and Officers is 101 Huntington Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02199. The Statement of Additional Information of the Fund includes additional information about members of the Board of Trustees of the Fund and is available, without charge, upon request, by calling 1-800-225-5291. 1 Each Trustee serves until resignation, retirement age or until his or her successor is elected. 2 Member of Audit Committee. 3 Non-independent Trustees hold positions with the Fund's investment adviser, underwriter and certain other affiliates. 26 27 28 For more information The Fund's proxy voting policies, procedures and records are available without charge, upon request: By phone On the Fund's Web site On the SEC's Web site 1-800-225-5291 www.jhfunds.com/proxy www.sec.gov Investment adviser John Hancock Advisers, LLC 101 Huntington Avenue Boston, MA 02199-7603 Custodian The Bank of New York One Wall Street New York, NY 10286 Transfer agent and dividend disburser Mellon Investor Services 85 Challenger Road Overpeck Centre Ridgefield Park, NJ 07660 Transfer agent for APS Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas 280 Park Avenue New York, NY 10017 Legal counsel Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP 60 State Street Boston, MA 02109-1803 Independent registered public accounting firm Deloitte & Touche LLP 200 Berkeley Street Boston, MA 02116-5022 Stock symbol Listed New York Stock Exchange: HTD For shareholder assistance refer to page 23 How to contact us Internet www.jhfunds.com Mail Regular mail: Mellon Investor Services 85 Challenger Road Overpeck Centre Ridgefield Park, NJ 07660 Phone Customer service representatives 1-800-852-0218 Portfolio commentary 1-800-344-7054 24-hour automated information 1-800-843-0090 TDD line 1-800-231-5469 A listing of month-end portfolio holdings is available on our Web site, www.jhfunds.com. A more detailed portfolio holdings summary is available on a quarterly basis 60 days after the fiscal quarter on our Web site or upon request by calling 1-800-225-5291, or on the Securities and Exchange Commission's Web site, www.sec.gov. 29 [A 1 1/2" x 1/2" John Hancock (Signature) logo in upper left hand corner. A tag line below reads "JOHN HANCOCK FUNDS."] 1-800-852-0218 1-800-843-0090 EASI-Line 1-800-231-5469 (TDD) www.jhfunds.com PRESORTED STANDARD U. S. POSTAGE PAID MIS P130A 12/04 2/05 ITEM 2. CODE OF ETHICS. As of the end of the period, December 31, 2004, the registrant has adopted a code of ethics, as defined in Item 2 of Form N-CSR, that applies to its Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer (respectively, the principal executive officer, the principal financial officer and the principal accounting officer, the "Senior Financial Officers"). A copy of the code of ethics is filed as an exhibit to this Form N-CSR. ITEM 3. AUDIT COMMITTEE FINANCIAL EXPERT. Charles L. Ladner is the audit committee financial expert and is "independent", pursuant to general instructions on Form N-CSR Item 3. ITEM 4. PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTANT FEES AND SERVICES. (a) Audit Fees The aggregate fees billed for professional services rendered by the principal accountant(s) for the audit of the registrant's annual financial statements or services that are normally provided by the accountant(s) in connection with statutory and regulatory filings or engagements amounted to $32,850 for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2004, the Fund's first year in operation (commenced operations on February 26, 2005). These fees were billed to the registrant and were approved by the registrant's audit committee. (b) Audit-Related Services There were no audit-related fees during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2004 billed to the registrant or to the registrant's investment adviser (not including any sub-adviser whose role is primarily portfolio management and is subcontracted with or overseen by another investment adviser), and any entity controlling, controlled by, or under common control with the adviser that provides ongoing services to the registrant ("control affiliates"). (c) Tax Fees The aggregate fees billed for professional services rendered by the principal accountant(s) for the tax compliance, tax advice and tax planning ("tax fees") amounted to $2,250 for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2004. The nature of the services comprising the tax fees was the review of the registrant's income tax returns and tax distribution requirements. These fees were billed to the registrant and were approved by the registrant's audit committee. There were no tax fees billed to the control affiliates. (d) All Other Fees The all other fees billed to the registrant for products and services provided by the principal accountant were $4,000 for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2004. There were no other fees during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2004 billed to control affiliates for products and services provided by the principal accountant. The nature of the services comprising the all other fees was related to the principal accountant's report on the registrant's Eligible Asset Coverage. These fees were approved by the registrant's audit committee. (e)(1) See attachment "Approval of Audit, Audit-related, Tax and Other Services", with the audit committee pre-approval policies and procedures. (e)(2) There were no fees that were approved by the audit committee pursuant to the de minimis exception for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2004 on behalf of the registrant or on behalf of the control affiliates that relate directly to the operations and financial reporting of the registrant. (f) According to the registrant's principal accountant, for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2004, the percentage of hours spent on the audit of the registrant's financial statements for the most recent fiscal year that were attributed to work performed by persons who were not full-time, permanent employees of principal accountant was less than 50%. (g) The aggregate non-audit fees billed by the registrant's accountant(s) for services rendered to the registrant and rendered to the registrant's control affiliates for the fiscal year of the registrant were $71,250 for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2004. (h) The audit committee of the registrant has considered the non-audit services provided by the registrant's principal accountant(s) to the control affiliates and has determined that the services that were not pre-approved are compatible with maintaining the principal accountant(s)' independence. ITEM 5. AUDIT COMMITTEE OF LISTED REGISTRANTS. The registrant has a separately-designated standing audit committee comprised of independent trustees. The members of the audit committee are as follows: Charles L. Ladner Dr. John A. Moore Patti McGill Peterson ITEM 6. SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS. Not applicable. ITEM 7. DISCLOSURE OF PROXY VOTING POLICIES AND PROCEDURES FOR CLOSED-END MANAGEMENT INVESTMENT COMPANIES. See attached Exhibit "Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures". ITEM 8. PORTFOLIO MANAGERS OF CLOSED-END MANAGEMENT INVESTMENT COMPANIES. Not applicable. ITEM 9. PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES BY CLOSED-END MANAGEMENT INVESTMENT COMPANY AND AFFILIATED PURCHASERS. Not applicable. ITEM 10. SUBMISSION OF MATTERS TO A VOTE OF SECURITY HOLDERS. (a) There were no material changes to previously disclosed John Hancock Funds - Administration Committee Charter. ITEM 11. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES. (a) Based upon their evaluation of the registrant's disclosure controls and procedures as conducted within 90 days of the filing date of this Form N-CSR, the registrant's principal executive officer and principal accounting officer have concluded that those disclosure controls and procedures provide reasonable assurance that the material information required to be disclosed by the registrant on this report is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the Securities and Exchange Commission's rules and forms. (b) There were no changes in the registrant's internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the registrant's most recent fiscal half-year (the registrant's second fiscal half-year in the case of an annual report) that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant's internal control over financial reporting. ITEM 12. EXHIBITS. (a)(1) Code of Ethics for Senior Financial Officers is attached. (a)(2) Separate certifications for the registrant's principal executive officer and principal accounting officer, as required by Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and Rule 30a-2(a) under the Investment Company Act of 1940, are attached. (b)(1) Separate certifications for the registrant's principal executive officer and principal accounting officer, as required by 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, and Rule 30a-2(b) under the Investment Company Act of 1940, are attached. The certifications furnished pursuant to this paragraph are not deemed to be "filed" for purposes of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, or otherwise subject to the liability of that section. Such certifications are not deemed to be incorporated by reference into any filing under the Securities Act of 1933 or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, except to the extent that the Registrant specifically incorporates them by reference. (c)(1) Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures are attached. (c)(2) Approval of Audit, Audit-related, Tax and Other Services is attached. (c)(3) Contact person at the registrant. SIGNATURES Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Investment Company Act of 1940, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized. John Hancock Tax-Advantaged Dividend Income Fund By: ------------------------------ James A. Shepherdson President and Chief Executive Officer Date: February 17, 2005 Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Investment Company Act of 1940, this report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated. By: ------------------------------ James A. Shepherdson President and Chief Executive Officer Date: February 17, 2005 By: ------------------------------ William H. King Vice President and Treasurer Date: February 17, 2005