SEC Form N filed

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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)

200 Berkeley Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02116

(Address of principal executive offices) (Zip code)

Salvatore Schiavone

Treasurer

200 Berkeley Street

Boston, Massachusetts 02116

(Name and address of agent for service)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: 617-663-4497

Date of fiscal year end: October 31

Date of reporting period: October 31, 2020

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Managed distribution plan

On September 19, 2016, the fund adopted a managed distribution plan (plan). Under the plan, the fund makes monthly distributions of an amount equal to $0.1380 per share, which will be paid monthly until further notice. The fund may make additional distributions (i) for purposes of not incurring federal income tax on investment company taxable income and net capital gain, if any, not included in such regular distributions and (ii) for purposes of not incurring federal excise tax on ordinary income and capital gain net income, if any, not included in such regular monthly distributions.

The plan provides that the Board of Trustees of the fund may amend the terms of the plan or terminate the plan at any time without prior notice to the fund’s shareholders. The plan is subject to periodic review by the fund’s Board of Trustees.

You should not draw any conclusions about the fund’s investment performance from the amount of the fund’s distributions or from the terms of the plan. The fund’s total return at net asset value (NAV) is presented in the “Financial highlights” section of this report.

With each distribution that does not consist solely of net investment income, the fund will issue a notice to shareholders and an accompanying press release that will provide detailed information regarding the amount and composition of the distribution and other related information. The amounts and sources of distributions reported in the notice to shareholders are only estimates and are not being provided for tax reporting purposes. The actual amounts and sources of the amounts for tax reporting purposes will depend on the fund’s investment experience during the remainder of its fiscal year and may be subject to changes based on tax regulations. The fund will send you a Form 1099-DIV for the calendar year that will tell you how to report these distributions for federal income-tax purposes. The fund may, at times, distribute more than its net investment income and net realized capital gains; therefore, a portion of your distribution may result in a return of capital. A return of capital may occur, for example, when some or all of the money that you invested in the fund is paid back to you. A return of capital does not necessarily reflect the fund’s investment performance and should not be confused with yield or income.

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Dear shareholder,

Despite heightened fears over the coronavirus (COVID-19), which sent markets tumbling in the first quarter of the calendar year, global financial markets delivered positive returns for the 12 months ended October 31, 2020. In response to the pandemic-led shock, the U.S. Federal Reserve and the government worked quickly to shore up the economy and equity markets began to rise, particularly large-cap U.S. growth stocks, during the period.

Of course, it would be a mistake to consider this market turnaround a trustworthy signal of assured or swift economic recovery. Economic growth has slowed as the ongoing spread of COVID-19 continues to create uncertainty among businesses and investors. Lockdowns and curfews in certain areas have been reinstated, affecting the level of unemployment and the pace of hiring. Consumer spending also remains far below prepandemic levels.

From an investment perspective, we continue to think that maintaining a focus on long-term objectives while pursuing a risk-aware strategy is a prudent way forward. Above all, we believe the counsel of a trusted financial professional continues to matter now more than ever. Periods of heightened uncertainty are precisely the time to review your financial goals and follow a plan that helps you make the most of what continues to be a challenging situation.

On behalf of everyone at John Hancock Investment Management, I’d like to take this opportunity to welcome new shareholders and thank existing shareholders for the continued trust you’ve placed in us.

Sincerely,

Andrew G. Arnott

President and CEO,

John Hancock Investment Management

Head of Wealth and Asset Management,

United States and Europe

This commentary reflects the CEO’s views as of this report’s period end and are subject to change at any time. Diversification does not guarantee investment returns and does not eliminate risk of loss. All investments entail risks, including the possible loss of principal. For more up-to-date information, you can visit our website at jhinvestments.com.

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John Hancock

Tax-Advantaged Dividend Income Fund

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INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE

The fund seeks to provide a high level of after-tax total return from dividend income and capital appreciation.

AVERAGE ANNUAL TOTAL RETURNS AS OF 10/31/2020 (%)

The blended index is 55% ICE Bank of America Preferred Stock DRD Eligible Index and 45% S&P 500 Utilities Index.

The ICE Bank of America Preferred Stock DRD Eligible Index consists of investment-grade fixed-rate U.S. dollar denominated preferred securities and fixed-to-floating-rate securities. The index includes securities having a minimum remaining term of at least one year, dividend received deduction (DRD) eligible preferred stock and senior debt.

The S&P 500 Utilities Index is a capitalization-weighted index that consists of companies in the S&P 500 Index that are primarily involved in water, electrical power, and natural gas distribution industries.

It is not possible to invest directly in an index. Index figures do not reflect expenses or sales charges, which would result in lower returns.

The performance data contained within this material represents past performance, which does not guarantee future results.

Investment returns and principal value will fluctuate and a shareholder may sustain losses. Further, the fund’s performance at net asset value (NAV) is different from the fund’s performance at closing market price because the closing market price is subject to the dynamics of secondary market trading. Market risk maybe

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augmented when shares are purchased at a premium to NAV or sold at a discount to NAV. Current month-end performance maybe higher or lower than the performance cited. The fund’s most recent performance can be found at jhinvestments.com or by calling 800-852-0218.

PERFORMANCE HIGHLIGHTS OVER THE LAST TWELVE MONTHS

PORTFOLIO COMPOSITION AS OF 10/31/2020 (% of total investments)

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SECTOR COMPOSITION AS OF 10/31/2020 (% of total investments)

A note about risks

As is the case with all exchange-listed closed-end funds, shares of this fund may trade at a discount or a premium to the fund’s net asset value (NAV). An investment in the fund is subject to investment and market risks, including the possible loss of the entire principal invested. There is no guarantee prior distribution levels will be maintained, and distributions may include a substantial return of capital. The value of a company’s equity securities is subject to changes in its financial condition and overall market and economic conditions. Fixed-income investments are subject to interest-rate and credit risk; their value will normally decline as interest rates rise or if an issuer, grantor, or counterparty is unable or unwilling to make principal, interest, or settlement payments. Investments in higher-yielding, lower-rated securities are subject to a higher risk of default. An issuer of securities held by the fund may default, have its credit rating downgraded, or otherwise perform poorly, which may affect fund performance. Liquidity—the extent to which a security may be sold or a derivative position closed without negatively affecting its market value—may be impaired by reduced trading volume, heightened volatility, rising interest rates, and other market conditions. The fund’s use of leverage creates additional risks, including greater volatility of the fund’s NAV, market price, and returns. There is no assurance that the fund’s leverage strategy will be successful. The fund has significant exposure to the utilities and financials sectors. In addition, in volatile market environments the fund could be required to sell securities in its portfolio in order to comply with regulatory or other debt compliance requirements, which could negatively impact the fund’s performance. Focusing on a particular industry or sector may increase the fund’s volatility and make it more susceptible to market, economic, and regulatory risks as well as other factors affecting those industries or sectors. Derivatives transactions, such as hedging and other strategic transactions, may increase a fund’s volatility and could produce disproportionate losses, potentially more than the fund’s principal investment. Cybersecurity incidents may allow an unauthorized party to gain access to fund assets, customer data, or proprietary information, or cause a fund or its service providers to suffer data corruption or lose operational functionality. Similar incidents affecting issuers of fund securities may negatively affect performance.

A widespread health crisis such as a global pandemic could cause substantial market volatility, exchange trading suspensions and closures, and affect fund performance. For example, the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has resulted in significant disruptions to global business activity. The impact of a health crisis and other epidemics and pandemics that may arise in the future, could affect the global economy in ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen at the present time. A health crisis may exacerbate other pre-existing political, social, and economic risks. Any such impact could adversely affect the fund’s performance, resulting in losses to your investment.

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How would you describe the investment backdrop during the 12 months ended October 31, 2020?

Preferred securities and utility common stocks—two of the fund’s biggest areas of emphasis—suffered significant losses for the period, hamstrung by poor performance during late February and throughout March when growing investor anxiety over the COVID-19 pandemic led to extreme global market volatility. April marked the beginning of a robust rebound that persisted throughout the summer, triggered largely by the U.S. Federal Reserve’s (Fed’s) moves to cut interest rates and restore liquidity to financial markets, as well as fiscal stimulus designed to shore up the U.S. economy. Despite that rally, many preferreds and utility commons still haven’t fully recovered, as uncertainty about the path of the coronavirus, the economy, and the November U.S. elections curtailed their gains in the fall.

What elements of the fund’s positioning affected results?

The fund’s overweight in the energy sector detracted from performance. The energy sector performed poorly as investors began to discount future energy demand in light of the forced pandemic-related shutdown of the economy, causing the fund’s overweight in BP PLC to be one of the biggest detractors from relative performance. Midstream energy companies—including fund holding ONEOK, Inc., which processes, stores, and transports oil and gas—were also caught up in the energy sector’s decline. Further detracting from performance were the fund’s partial

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How was the fund positioned at the end of the period?

We believe preferred securities will continue to recover over the next 6 to 12 months given our belief that interest rates will remain low due to the economic impact of the coronavirus and that it will be some time before the Fed decides to raise rates for fear of derailing a recovery. The yields on preferreds looked attractive relative to the 10-year U.S. Treasury bond as of the end of period end. As the economy slowly goes back to normal, we expect these spreads to revert to the historical mean, which will likely provide upside to preferred securities. We’re even more bullish on the outlook for utility common stocks, given our view that their multi-year earnings growth prospects, which are both visible and strong, will catch the attention of the market.

The views expressed in this report are exclusively those of Joseph H. Bozoyan, CFA, and Brad Lutz, CFA, Manulife Investment Management (US) LLC, and are subject to change. They are not meant as investment advice. Please note that the holdings discussed in this report may not have been held by the fund for the entire period. Portfolio composition is subject to review in accordance with the fund’s investment strategy and may vary in the future. Current and future portfolio holdings are subject to risk.