Salary vs Dividend Calculator
Compare how much you keep when paying yourself via salary, dividends, or a combination as a limited company director.
How to Use the Salary and Dividend Comparison
Director pay planning depends on company profit, other income, pension goals, Employment Allowance eligibility, and how much cash the company needs to retain.
Good for
- Comparing all-salary extraction with salary plus dividends
- Understanding Corporation Tax before dividends are paid
- Seeing how other personal income can affect dividend tax bands
Watch for
- Dividends can only be paid from distributable profits
- Employment Allowance, director payroll rules, and pension contributions can change the optimal salary
- Select Scotland if the director is a Scottish taxpayer for salary income tax
- The calculator does not replace company accounts or board dividend paperwork
Speak to an accountant when
- You have multiple shareholders or different share classes
- Your company profit is near Corporation Tax marginal relief bands
- You want to combine salary, dividends, pension contributions, and benefits tax-efficiently
Company Details
The 2026/27 employer NI secondary threshold is £5,000. The best salary is circumstance-specific.
Quick Salary Presets
Salary + Dividend
£45,294
24.5% effective rate
All as Salary
£41,197
£52,826 gross · 31.3% effective rate
In this simplified model, salary plus dividends produces £4,097 more net income than using the same company profit to fund salary and employer NI.
Tax Flow Breakdown
Your Personal Tax
Get Personalised Director Tax Advice
The right extraction plan depends on your full circumstances. Review the contractor-accounting guide before seeking personalised advice.
Read the Contractor GuideUses 2026/27 UK rates and thresholds reviewed on 11 August 2026. Results are estimates only.