Free Calculator · 2026/27

Limited Company Tax Calculator

Calculate your corporation tax, director salary, dividends and take-home pay using confirmed 2026/27 HMRC rates.

2026/27 HMRC Rates Marginal Relief Dividend Tax
Your Company
£
£
£
Employment Allowance

Sole directors without other employees cannot claim the Employment Allowance.

Take-Home Pay
per year
Total Tax
effective rate
Corporation Tax
CT rate
Tax Breakdown
Corporation Tax Income Tax National Insurance Dividend Tax Take-Home

How Limited Company Tax Works in 2026/27

A UK limited company pays corporation tax on its profits, not on revenue. After deducting business expenses, director salary, employer National Insurance and pension contributions from revenue, the remaining profit is subject to corporation tax. The after-tax profit can then be distributed to the director as dividends.

Corporation Tax Rates 2026/27

Profit BandRate
Up to £50,00019% (small profits rate)
£50,001 – £250,000Marginal relief (~26.5% effective)
Over £250,00025% (main rate)

Optimal Director Salary

Most sole-director companies set the director salary at £12,570 per year — equal to the personal allowance — so no income tax is payable on the salary. Employer NI is due on salary above the secondary threshold of £5,000 at 15%. Some directors prefer a £5,000 salary to eliminate employer NI entirely, though this means not fully using the personal allowance.

Dividend Tax Rates 2026/27

BandRate
Basic rate (up to £50,270)10.75%
Higher rate (£50,271 – £125,140)35.75%
Additional rate (over £125,140)39.35%
Dividend Allowance£500 tax-free

Dividend tax rates increased by 2% from 6 April 2026, narrowing the gap between dividends and salary. However, dividends still attract no National Insurance, making them significantly cheaper than salary for extracting profit.

Who Should Use This Calculator?

This calculator is for UK limited company directors, contractors operating through a personal service company, freelancers considering incorporation, and anyone comparing the tax efficiency of different salary and dividend strategies. If you are comparing a limited company to PAYE employment, use our Ltd vs PAYE Calculator. If you are comparing to sole trading, use our Ltd vs Sole Trader Calculator. For ongoing limited company accounting, see our SME & limited company accountant service.

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