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As a director you’re legally separate from your limited company, even if you’re also the owner. This means that you’re not allowed to simply keep the profits for yourself in the same way that a sole trader can.

Instead, you’ll need to decide how much to pay yourself. The most tax-efficient way to take an income from your own limited company is normally through a combination of a low salary (in the same way as any other employee) and dividend payments. In this article we’ll go over:
 

Taking a salary and dividends

National Insurance and what it means for directors

Employer and employee National Insurance thresholds and rates

Optimal salary for sole directors

Tax efficient salaries for two or more directors

If you’re a director, you’re technically an employee of your own limited company. This is an important point, because it means you’re both an employee and an employer – of yourself! But why does it matter?

Employers and employees both pay National Insurance Contributions (NICs) on salary payments, but not on dividends. In that respect it might make sense to pay yourself a smaller salary and make up for it with dividend payments.

But the good thing about taking a salary is that it means you have regular income throughout the year which, because directors are ‘office holders’, can be below minimum wage without breaking any rules.

So how much should you pay yourself from your own company? Paying yourself as a company director is actually a bit of a balancing act in order to be as tax efficient as possible. To get the balance right it’s useful to consider:

Sit tight, and we’ll talk you through director’s salaries, and what the optimum amount to pay yourself is. We know it can be confusing, so get an instant quote online if you need more help!
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The thresholds for paying employer’s and employee’s NI are at different levels, so this has an impact on the amount of salary that you take.

If you take a salary from the business and it’s higher than the National Insurance threshold (the point at which you start paying National Insurance) for both employers and employees:

It basically means you’re paying National Insurance twice on the same money – which isn’t very tax efficient at all!

The National Insurance thresholds for the 2023/24 and 2024/25 tax years are shown in our table below for both employers and employees. The threshold for employers to start paying National Insurance is actually lower, so they start paying NI before employees do. You can also view these figures in our tax rates article.

This table can seem a bit confusing because the Secondary Threshold (when employers start paying NI) is actually lower than the Primary Threshold (when employees start paying NI). We’re including this because it shows where each threshold starts and ends, which is useful when it comes to working out the optimal director’s salary.
 

Weekly Threshold
2023/24
Annual Threshold
2023/24
Weekly Threshold
2024/25
Annual Threshold
2024/25
Lower Earnings Limit (LEL): Earnings below this limit don’t incur NI or accrue NI benefits such as qualifying payments towards their State Pension.

Earnings above this limit and up to the Primary Threshold don’t incur NI, but will earn NI ‘credits’ and accrue NI benefits.

£123 £6,396 £123 £6,396
Primary Threshold: The point at which employees start paying NI on earnings above the threshold:

2023/24
6th Apr – 5th Jan: 12%
6th Jan – 5th Apr: 10%
2024/25: 8%
£242 £12,570 £242 £12,570
Secondary Threshold: On salary payments above this threshold employers pay NICs at a rate of:

2023/24: 13.8%
2024/25: 13.8%
£175 £9,100 £175 £9,100
Upper Earnings Limit (UEL): Earnings you receive above the UEL incur NI at:

2023/24: 2%
2024/25: 2%
£967 £50,270 £967 £50,270

Optimising your director’s salary to qualify for the State Pension

Taking a salary which is higher than the Lower Earnings Limit (£6,396 per year in 2024/25) allows directors to build up qualifying years for their State Pension.

If your salary is above the Lower Earnings Limit but below the Primary Threshold (£12,570 for the 2024/25 tax year) then you’ll accrue all the benefits of National Insurance, without actually paying it. This will affect how much State Pension you are entitled to once you pass state retirement age.

Can I use the tax-free Personal Allowance on my director’s salary?

Yes, you can. The Personal Allowance is the amount you are allowed to earn before you have to start paying income tax. In 2024/25 the allowance is £12,570, so you only pay tax on the part of your income which is above that threshold amount.

For example

If you earn £14,000 in a year, you’ll only pay income tax on £1,430 of it.

£14,000 (salary) – £12,570 (tax free Personal Allowance) = £1,430. The amount subject to income tax is £1,430.

This year the Primary Threshold (when you start paying National Insurance as an employee) is the same amount at the tax free personal allowance.

So, if you take a salary from your limited company which is below the Primary Threshold, you won’t pay tax or NI on it as an employee.

Paying tax on dividends

It’s worth noting that although they’re not subject to National Insurance, dividends are subject to tax, but at a different rate to normal income tax.

The good news is that there is also a separate dividend tax allowance that you can use on top of the Personal Allowance. Unfortunately the threshold to start paying dividend tax is reducing, so you’ll start paying it on more of your dividend income. You can also use our free online dividend tax calculator to work out how much you’ll need to pay.
 

Tax Year Dividend Allowance
2023/24 £1,000
2024/25 £500

 

Read our article to learn more about Paying Tax on Dividends.

Are salaries an allowable expense for Corporation Tax?

A limited company pays Corporation Tax on the profit that it makes throughout the year. Claiming tax relief on allowable expenses reduces the amount of profit, therefore reducing the amount of Corporation Tax which the company pays.

Salaries are an allowable expense, so if you’re a company director then paying yourself a salary from the business can help you lower your Corporation Tax bill.

How does the National Insurance Employment Allowance affect director’s pay?

Thanks to the Employment Allowance, the optimum salary for a company director also depends on how many other people there are in the business.

In 2024/25 eligible employers can use the Employment Allowance to claim up to £5,000 in order to cover the costs of employer’s National Insurance.

To be eligible, employers must have at least 1 employee or 2 directors on the payroll, and the directors must not have another company that is claiming the Employment Allowance already.

This means that sole directors can’t claim the allowance, which is why the optimum salary is a bit different for them.

2024/25 Director’s salaries – How much should I pay myself from my limited company?

Considering all the taxes and allowances together, the most tax-efficient salary for a limited company director depends on whether you’re a sole director, or there are more people in the business.

The most efficient salary for sole directors is a bit more complicated because you can’t claim the Employment Allowance if you’re the only person in the business.

The optimum salary that you take depends on your circumstances, but as a very broad guide you have two options, each with their own considerations. You might pay yourself a director’s salary of £12,570, or you could go with the lower amount of £9,100.

Taking a salary of £12,570 (£1,047.50 per month)

A sole director taking a salary at this level will incur National Insurance on their wages, but this is offset against the tax relief they can claim against Corporation Tax.

Take a salary of £9,100 (£758.33 a month)

Taking a slightly lower salary as a sole director can mean there’s more money left for dividends at the end of the year.

Having at least one employee, or 2 or more directors, on the company payroll means that you’re eligible to claim the Employment Allowance, so you can take a higher salary and still be tax efficient.

The most efficient salary for 2 or more directors in 2024/25 is

£12,570

 
This is because two or more directors can take an annual salary up to the Primary Threshold without needing to pay employee’s National Insurance, and then claim the £5,000 Employment Allowance to cover the portion of employer’s National Insurance they would otherwise incur.

What if I have another source of income?

The optimum amount for director’s payroll takes advantage of the Personal Allowance (£12,570). If you are already using it up because you have other income from elsewhere, then director’s payroll becomes PAYE payroll, and subject to tax and NI as normal.

What happens if I start a company but don’t take a director’s salary straight away?

If you register a limited company but wait a few months before taking a wage, you can backdate your optimum salary to the incorporation date and still remain tax efficient as long as you’re still in the same financial year.

If a director joins the business later on, the National Insurance threshold is pro-rated from the date that the director is appointed, regardless of when the salaries actually start being paid.

This means you can pro-rate the salary based on when the director started, rather than when payroll was set up, or when the company was incorporated.

Find out more about our online accounting services for directors and limited companies. Call 020 3355 4047, or get an instant online quote.

About The Author

Elizabeth Hughes

A content writer specialising in business, finance, software, and beyond. I'm a wordsmith with a penchant for puns and making complex subjects accessible. Learn more about Elizabeth.

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Muhammad Mushtaq Vohra
Muhammad Mushtaq Vohra
31st May 2021 4:27 pm

Can director take pay annually? This to avoid going on the payroll monthly.

Muhammad Mushtaq Vohra
Muhammad Mushtaq Vohra
1st June 2021 2:49 pm

Many thanks for coming back. I tried to contact on the phone number given but they were not able to connect on it. Whats your direct line number?
What I am trying to understand that being a director can I take money as one lump sump(equivalent to Personal Allowance), as I am not registered as PAYE. Do I must be registered for PAYE?

Ali Lawrence
Ali Lawrence
16th January 2022 5:17 pm

If I am the sole director of a company and pay myself and another employee through PAYE, can the company then claim the employment allowance?

Mike
Mike
19th January 2022 1:34 pm

What if there is another source of income that falls already within the higher taxpayer rate?

Check12
Check12
7th February 2022 5:29 am

If a director receives £9k salary from their company and also works elsewhere as an employee. Can they inform HMRC that the company earnings should be accounted for first before all other earnings? Does this effectively mean all the employer contributions (tax, NI) are paid by the external employer rather than the directors own company?

Trish
Trish
3rd February 2022 4:34 pm

Hey Elizabeth. I am currently the sole director of my company but retiring Dec 31st 2022, and planning to gift 70 % (majority shares) to my daughter. I have 2 questions. 1) if the company has £100 , 000 profit, is it correct that the company would then pay me £30,000 per year ( salary and dividend) leaving my daughter being paid £70K ( made up of salary and dividend) In order to protect my interest what type of shares should we both have. should my daughter decide to see the sell the business ( which dependant on price, I… Read more »

jodie
jodie
18th February 2022 11:30 am

if you have another employee isnt it better to go up to 12570 instead of 9880 due to the saving corp tax at 19% over the 13.25% ers NI?

Eva Lily
Eva Lily
24th February 2022 9:35 am

Hi there,

This year I have been taking a full £30k salary as a director. Can you change this mid year to the £9.1k, obviously only two months left of tax year? What implications would this have? Would the tax get reimbursed?

Thanks

Ann
Ann
17th March 2022 12:09 pm

Hi there,
This is really helpful post. If I am the sole director but have two employees should I be on primary or secondary threshold? Does it depend on total employer NI payment in the year?
Thank you

Nicole
Nicole
25th March 2022 9:16 am

With the latest NI changes announced earlier this week what would be the most efficient salary for 2022/2023 for a company with 2 or more Company Directors. Also when should this salary come into effect – would it be from April or should it be delayed to July when the revised rates come into force. Kind regards Nicole

Nicole
Nicole
4th April 2022 10:24 am

Thanks very much Elizabeth, your update has been a great help. Kind regards Nicole

Jason Brookes
Jason Brookes
26th March 2022 8:48 pm

I’m about to start a limited company with two directors paying each £11,908 annually. Then dividend payments quarterly. However, one director is in receipt of a pension. How does this effect things?

Joe Mac
Joe Mac
29th May 2022 9:49 pm

Re the director’s “other income source” …if it is a pension am I right in thinking that it won’t affect the NI payment threshold re a salary from their business? (I am below state pension age)

Last edited 1 year ago by Joe Mac
Hema
Hema
1st April 2022 9:18 pm

Is the best salary for a company with one director and one other staff member (typically the spouse) also £11,908?

Ian
Ian
6th April 2022 2:56 pm

Hello, I am a sole director of my company (no other staff). I also have a rental portfolio that generates an income. Please can you confirm if the £9,100 annual salary would be the tax efficient rate? What would be the rate if not, or does it not matter whatsoever? For my annual self assessment tax return, will i end up paying all the shortfall in national insurance because it wasn’t taken out of my salary? Would i be paying national insurance regardless on the property income in any event, within my self assessment? Or is this only now being… Read more »

Ben
Ben
6th April 2022 4:15 pm

For a sole director, isn’t it better to pay £11,908 instead of £9,100 as there is £110 better position from Corporation Tax saving to paying Employers NI?

Nick
Nick
7th April 2022 10:20 am

Hi,

Where there are two directors of a ltd company based in Scotland, both employed elsewhere, one paying higher rates tax but taking no salary from the ltd company, the other a lower rate tax payer and taking around £8k salary from the ltd company, what changes need to be made for 2022/3 to be most tax efficient?

Neil Smith
Neil Smith
7th April 2022 12:10 pm

Great article. Thank you.
We are a two director led company so it looks like paying ourselves each £11,908 over the year is the right thing to do but does that mean a lower salary for the early part of the tax year and then I increase it in July when the NI changes happen?

Maggie
Maggie
10th April 2022 7:20 am

Hi,

Will I be eligible for the employment allowance if I’m a sole director but have employees? The above information only mentions 2 directors on payroll.

Thanks,
Maggie

Brian Hurd
Brian Hurd
12th April 2022 12:33 am

Hi. Really great post. I have two separate Limited businesses where I am a Director (completely separate one is retail the other construction). I am on the payroll for both. I claim the NIC allowance for the retail co as I have 4 other employees – but do not pay myself enough in this company to participate in the benefit (ie my pay is below the Employer NI threshold) In the construction company myself and my wife are directors and we claim the NIC allowance – and we pay ourselves over the Employer NI threshold. Is that ok ? –… Read more »

Cathrine partridge
Cathrine partridge
12th April 2022 12:33 pm

This was a very useful article. Thank you.
For a company paying two directors and paying £11908 for the year is it best to pay a monthly amount of £823 until July and then £1047.50 thereafter or divide the yearly amount by 12 and pay £992.33 ever month or does it not make any difference due to directors averaging?
Many thanks

Cathrine partridge
Cathrine partridge
13th April 2022 1:20 pm

Many thanks, I appreciate your quick response.

Damon
Damon
6th June 2022 2:02 pm

I’m due to leave the military and will receive an EDP payment each month. This will currently be below the LEL national insurance limit. So in this instance would I pay myself even less of a salary to top it up to to receive all the benefits of the national insurance and top it up with dividend payments?

Ross Hayward
Ross Hayward
8th June 2022 8:46 pm

What new responsibilities do I have once I sign up for directors payroll? I think you are then classed as an employer even if you are the only person in the business.

LESLEY
LESLEY
10th June 2022 11:14 am

i have just recently set up a Limited Company, I will be showing my self as having a Salary of £9100, how can i take my dividends out, can this be on a monthly basis?

Matt
Matt
22nd June 2022 12:40 pm

Hi. I am the sole director of my company but I work elsewhere also. Would I be able to pay myself a very minimal amount of say £50 a week so I don’t pay NI or income tax on the amount but also be able to claim the total amount over the year against my Corporation Tax? Many thanks in advance.

Arindom Aich
Arindom Aich
18th August 2022 12:00 am

Hello Elizabeth,
Please can you help.
I am already full time employed with higher tax bracket.
I want to do some extra work as limited company.
My wife is a homemaker and no source of income so want us both to be Directors but because paying myself will have major tax implications, want to pay her and not me.
Is that allowed, as I will be the one working.
Can I get some help with a discussion and actual figures to see if it’s beneficial at all?
Please email me or call me.
Regards
Arindom

Steven Smith
Steven Smith
3rd October 2022 3:54 pm

Hi I set up my limited company mid year and prior to that was a sole trader. I earned about 18k to this point of the year before I switched. Should I just pay myself your recommended directors’ salary pro rata for the rest of the year or is there a more efficient thing to do for this situation?
Thanks

Sab
Sab
31st October 2022 1:16 pm

Hi I formed a Ltd company back in Feb 2022 but to date have not paid myself a salary or any dividends. What is the most tax efficient amount to pay as a salary so I am not paying double paying tax/ NI. I do have some additional dividend income and rental income of about £11k a year. I am unsure as to what the best amount is and whether I can back date the salary amount?

Thank you
Sam

Virginia
Virginia
22nd November 2022 10:23 pm

I just registered my LTD company and I am very new to all of the PAYE, tax and other accountancy bits. As a sole director with no other employees do I still have to register on PAYE to pay myself a salary and NI ? Thank you

Nicola Tenannt
Nicola Tenannt
25th November 2022 8:30 am

Hi Elizabeth, if you have a limited company with only 2 directors (no other employees) on the Payroll and the Payroll was started in Month 7, would you pay them a monthly salary of £992 (£11908/12) or £1985 (11908/6) please? They have no other income except dividends from the company at year end. Thank you in advance.

Nicola Tennant
Nicola Tennant
26th January 2023 4:03 pm

Thank you so much.

Nick Jennings
Nick Jennings
8th December 2022 11:03 am

Hi Elizabeth, A really useful piece. My situation is that I have a limited company with myself as director and one employee earning £400 / month. I’ve always understood that I cannot claim employers NI allowance as my other employee is below the LEL. Is this correct? Up until now I’ve always paid myself the low wage / dividend route up to the start of higher rate tax but as I’ve now reached the state retirement age but am continuing to work. Will it be better for me to now pay myself more and let my company pay the employers… Read more »

Nick Jennings
Nick Jennings
8th December 2022 11:36 am

Hi Elizabeth, A really useful piece. I am director of a limited company with one other employee. I always believed that as my employee was paid £400 / month (below the SEL) that I couldn’t claim the employers NI allowance? Up until now I’ve paid myself the “one director” wage, plus then topped up my earnings to just under the higher rate tax limit with dividends. I’ve now reached the state retirement age and as a result I don’t pay NI contributions so I’ve got two questions: 1) If I increase my employee to the SEL, say another £360/ month,… Read more »

Helen
Helen
25th January 2023 4:49 pm

Hi this is a great article. I’m a solo director of my ltd company. If I’m planning on having a baby and wanting to claim maternity allowance, what salary would be better for me to ensure I’ve made the minimum contributions to claim? Many thanks

Nicola Tennant
Nicola Tennant
26th January 2023 3:59 pm

Hi Elizabeth, thank you again for such a helpful article. Can I ask please how it is best to pay a Director monthly who is on a Tax Code of W1/M1 and only started Payroll half way through the year. If I pro-rate the salary, will he incur income tax to pay? Thank you.

Naomi
Naomi
31st January 2023 10:30 am

This is such a helpful post – the best I have come across. I work in marketing and help people start businesses so I know a lot already, but this is the bit that always stumps me. Thanks so much for making this so clear and with figures we can use.

Ramila
Ramila
10th February 2023 4:19 pm

This is a really great article, thank you! I am a sole director and have been paying myself exactly £758/month (rather than £758.33 per month – I hope this doesn’t have any negative impact?). No other earnings. I have an employee who I have been paying £600 per month. Will I automatically get NI credits as a director or do I need to fill in any forms and submit to HMRC? I am trying to ensure I have no gaps in my NI record for the full state pension. Thank you

Ramila
Ramila
13th February 2023 12:04 pm

Thank you so much for your reply, much appreciated!

Fei Peng
Fei Peng
1st March 2023 10:51 pm

Hi Elizabeth, my wife and I own an SPV. There is no employee in this company, if I decide to take £758.33 monthly and my wife takes nil through the director payroll rather than the PAYE payroll, how can the HMRC know that I take this £758.33 per month as my salary, and credit my NI? Thanks!

Matthew
Matthew
15th March 2023 7:36 pm

My company is likely to make between 500to700k profit in the 24/25 year if the profit is going to be taxed at 25% on that figure is it not more tax efficient for the 3 directors to take the max wage below the 40% personal threshold to reduce the company’s corp liability and reduce the overall tax position for the company if you view personal and corporate tax as the same thing. Which they are as both come out of my ability to grow my company.

Ryan Smith
Ryan Smith
21st March 2023 2:38 pm

Hey, if I am employed by another company full time at 31k a year. Then I start my own ltd company, for the first year can I not pay myself anything from my new company and keep the money in the business. So I avoid paying the 40% tax charge. Then from my second year in my new company when I plan to go full time, then take a salary.

Bianca
Bianca
22nd March 2023 2:24 pm

Hi Elizabeth, your article is really helpful. I am new to this and I have set up a LTD last month and it is only myself who is the director although I will be working together with my husband who is self employed. How will I have to pay him through the company? Through PAYE just like I do for myself? Thanks in advance!

David
David
12th April 2023 5:03 pm

Does the £12,570 allowance change if there is a benefit in kind? For example if benefit kind is is £97.89 per month, should the annual salary be redured to £11,395? Thank you

Karina
Karina
20th April 2023 8:06 pm

This is all so confusing 😩
If there are two directors in the business, husband and wife (she has a little income from elsewhere), I understand he will be fine on 12,570 as this is his only income. But can she also be on 12,570 on the business payroll or should it be less because of her other income? They will be claiming EA

Vasileios Karydis
Vasileios Karydis
17th September 2023 9:13 pm

I have a limited company, where I am the single Director and only employee, holding 100% of the shares. There are no no other employees or associate parties. The company is a closed company. I am the only shareholders and participant and driver of the company and its revenues. If the company makes contribution to the Director SIPP account only; and the SIPP pension account is fully in the name of the Director, will those contributions be an allowable expense with full corporate tax relief. if yes, will it be subject to the 60K Annual limit (if pre-tax corporate profits… Read more »

David
David
13th October 2023 9:43 am

Hi – this is really informative postso thank you for sharing your knowledge! I run a business that is made up of just two directors. We both currently draw a total income of £3650 per month each and we’d like to this to increase to £4000 p/m each in 2024. Currently this is made up of PAYE and dividends (at the moment the PAYE element is £793 each P/M and the rest is taken as dividend which is £2857 P/M each). Your article seems to suggest increasing the PAYE element to £1047.50 each P/M and then toping that up with a dividend… Read more »

Dave
Dave
28th December 2023 11:15 am

Hi, this is a great article. I’m looking at starting a ltd business as a side hustle. It probably won’t generate enough to be my main business. As the sole director, would I be able to not pay myself but pay any earnings into a pension? Either monthly or quarterly?

mark
mark
15th March 2024 6:06 pm

I have a limited company and the Accountancy Partnership manages my accounts. For the next financial year I need to decide what salary the two company directors (my wife and I) should take. My wife has no other source of income so i believe it will be best for her to take a salary just below the tax threshold of £12,500 approx. For me it is more complicated as I receive an income from a defined benefit pension (the income from my pension was £33,922 for this financial year but could increase by 5% for next financial year to £35.618… Read more »

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