Limited company (director salary + dividends)

Corporation tax uses a simplified marginal relief curve; dividend tax applies after the £500 dividend allowance.

Inputs (2025/26, England & Wales / NI)

Scotland uses different income tax bands — not modelled here. Class 2 NI is £0 for self-employed in this illustrative build.

Estimated net (annual)
£56,379
Effective tax + NIC load 17.0%

Breakdown

  • Income tax£0
  • Employee NIC£0
  • Employer NIC£0
  • Class 4 NIC£0
  • Corporation tax£11,040
  • Dividend tax£2,581
  • Total£13,621

Quick comparison

StructureNet annualEffective rate
Limited company (Ltd)£56,37917.0%
PAYE employee£55,17442.7%
Self-employed (sole trader)£51,91125.8%

Sources & limits

Always confirm thresholds on GOV.UK and technical guidance from HMRC. Corporation tax marginal relief is approximated. IR35 / off-payroll rules are not modelled numerically.