Dividend vs Salary Tax Split Calculator
Compare net take-home from salary versus dividend extraction.
Compare the net cash from extracting profit as salary versus as dividends from a small company. Enter gross profit available and see the result instantly.
What this tool does
Owner-managers face a salary-vs-dividend choice. Enter the gross profit available, salary tax rate, dividend tax rate, and corporation tax rate. The tool shows net cash from each route.
Enter Values
Value is unusually high — please double-check
Value is unusually high — please double-check
Formula Used
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Disclaimer
Results are estimates for educational purposes only. They do not constitute financial advice. Consult a qualified professional before making financial decisions.
50,000 of profit extracted as salary at a 32% combined rate yields 34,000 net. The same profit extracted as dividend (after 25% corporation tax then 33.75% dividend tax) yields 24,844. Salary usually wins for higher rates; dividends sometimes win at lower combined rates due to no payroll tax.
What the result means
Net from each route is shown. The difference indicates the better extraction strategy at these rates. Real-world planning involves multi-year smoothing and other considerations.
A worked example
Try the defaults: gross profit available of 50,000, salary combined rate of 32%, dividend rate of 33.75%, corporation tax rate of 25%. The tool returns 34,000.00. You can adjust any input and the result updates as you type — no submit button, no reload. That's the real power here: seeing how sensitive the output is to one or two assumptions.
What moves the number most
The result responds to Gross Profit Available, Salary Combined Rate, Dividend Rate, and Corporation Tax Rate. Two inputs usually tip the answer one way or the other. Identify which ones matter most by flipping each value past a round threshold and watching whether the winning option changes.
The formula behind this
Salary route applies the personal combined rate to gross profit. Dividend route applies corporation tax first, then personal dividend rate to the post-corp amount. The higher net is the better route at these rates. Everything the calculator does is shown in the formula box below, so you can check the math against your own spreadsheet if you want.
Using this in pay negotiations
Knowing the exact figure behind a headline rate gives you specific numbers to anchor to in conversations about pay. "The difference is £X per month after tax" lands harder than "a couple of grand a year". Concrete numbers move decisions.
What this doesn't capture
Tax bands, pension contributions, student-loan deductions, and benefits-in-kind sit outside this calculation. The figure is the headline; your actual position depends on local tax rules and personal circumstances. Pair with a dedicated take-home calculator for the full picture.
The better route on these numbers nets the figure shown above.
Inputs
This example uses typical values for illustration. Adjust the inputs above to match a specific situation and see how the result changes.
Sources & Methodology
Methodology
Salary route applies the personal combined rate to gross profit. Dividend route applies corporation tax first, then personal dividend rate to the post-corp amount. The higher net is the better route at these rates.
References
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does salary often win?
Mixed approach?
What about employer pension?
Cross-border?
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