Limited Company Director Take-Home
Drag the sliders to model your company's revenue, expenses, salary, and pension. We compute employer NI, corporation tax (with marginal relief), and the salary/dividend split — all to UK 2025/26 rates.
UK 2025/26 rates. Single-director assumption (no Employment Allowance). All distributable profit assumed paid as dividends. Employer pension contributions treated as deductible. Student loan repayments not modelled. For guidance only — not a substitute for professional accounting advice.
How director take-home actually works
- Company turnover minus allowable expenses = profit before director extraction.
- Pay yourself salary - typically up to the personal allowance (£12,570 in 2025/26). Salary is deductible for the company.
- Company pays Corporation Tax on remaining profit (19% under £50K, 25% over £250K, marginal rate 26.5% in between).
- Distribute remaining post-CT profit as dividends. £500 dividend allowance, then 8.75% basic, 33.75% higher, 39.35% additional rate.
- Or keep profit in the company for pension contributions, retained earnings, or future investment.
The 2025/26 optimal mix for typical bands
| Profit band | Optimal salary | Optimal dividends | Recommended pension |
|---|---|---|---|
| £25-50K profit | £12,570 | Fill basic rate band | Whatever's affordable |
| £50-100K profit | £12,570 | Up to £50,270 total income | £10-30K/year via company |
| £100K+ profit | £12,570 | Limited - higher-rate dividends are 33.75% | Max £60K/year via company before higher-rate dividends |
How Take Home helps
Generic calculators give you an answer assuming standard inputs. Your actual situation is more complex:
- You have other income (rental, employment partner, dividends from other shareholdings)
- You have a spouse who could be a shareholder
- You're approaching the £100K personal allowance taper
- You're trying to balance current take-home with retirement readiness
- You have specific cash needs (deposit, school fees, debt)
Take Home models all of this from your connected accounting data and produces a recommendation specific to your situation, updated monthly as things change.
Frequently asked questions
Can I include my spouse?+
Yes - if your spouse is a genuine shareholder doing real work for the company, dividends to them use their personal and dividend allowances. Take Home models this with appropriate guidance on settlements rules.
What about leaving profit in the company?+
Often a great option for higher-earning directors. Retained profit pays Corporation Tax once, then can be used for pension contributions, business investment, or eventual extraction at a lower personal rate. Take Home models the trade-off.
Tell us about your situation. We'll match you with the right specialist.
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