Free tool
Sole Trader vs Ltd Company Take-Home Calculator
Drag the sliders to see exactly how much you keep under each business structure at your revenue level. 2025/26 UK income tax, NI, corporation tax, and dividend tax rates.
Your numbers
£
£15k£250k
£
£0£60k
Assumptions: 2025/26 UK tax rates. Single director Ltd with optimal £12,570 salary + all retained profit as dividends. No spouse shareholder, no pension contributions, no other income. Results for guidance only.
Better structure
Sole Trader wins by £1,021
At £75,000 revenue and £8,000 expenses, sole trader status leaves you with £1,021 more in your pocket each year.
Sole Trader
WinnerProfit£67,000
Income tax− £14,232
Class 4 NI− £2,597
Class 2 NI− £179
Take-home£49,992
Effective tax rate25.4%
Limited Company
Gross profit£67,000
Salary (director)£12,570
Employer NI− £479
Corporation tax− £13,488
Dividends£40,463
Dividend tax− £4,063
Take-home£48,971
Effective tax rate26.9%
Want this modelled with your real numbers?
The calculator above assumes an optimal single-director Ltd with no pension contributions, no spouse shareholder, and all retained profits drawn as dividends. Real take-home depends on your actual income mix, pension strategy, spouse's tax position, and whether you cross the £100k cliff edge. We model all of it on a free 15-minute call.