Is your remuneration strategy still tax-efficient in 2025/26?

Business owners who pay themselves through a combination of salary and dividends should revisit their remuneration strategy this tax year.

With Income Tax thresholds frozen until 2028 and a lower dividend allowance rate of £500, a strategy that once worked may now cost more than it saves.

How should you be paid as a director?

A salary of £12,570 uses the full Personal Allowance and qualifies you for National Insurance (NI) credits without triggering personal Income Tax or employee NICs.

This regular salary combined with dividends, where payable, and a generous pensions scheme, could help you to reduce the amount of Income Tax that you are liable to pay.

If your company qualifies for Employment Allowance, which has now increased to £10,500, even employer NICs can be mitigated.

Lower salaries of around £6,500 may suit directors with other sources of NIC credits or pension plans, while avoiding employee contributions altogether.

Dividends

You need to remember that any dividend income above £500 will be taxed at the dividend tax rate of 8.75 per cent, 33.75 per cent or 39.35 per cent, depending on your marginal rate of Income Tax – basic, higher and additional, respectively.

While dividend tax rates remain lower than Income Tax rates, the reduced allowance – introduced in the last few years – means higher effective rates for many than they have previously experienced in the past.

However, a carefully planned director’s remuneration strategy, which incorporates dividends, can still help to minimise an individual’s annual tax bill.

When dividends cannot be paid to directors

Your company’s profitability and your shareholding will determine how much dividends you can pay yourself, as dividends can only be paid from retained profits after Corporation Tax.

As long as you have made profits in the past, and those accumulated profits exceed any accumulated losses, then distributable reserves exist to pay dividends.

If these conditions are not met, then you may be limited to drawing a normal salary.

Setting your remuneration strategy

A blend of salary and dividends remains one of the most popular ways for directors to pay themselves, but achieving the most tax-efficient approach now involves carefully adjusting your income to reduce the amount of earnings that fall within higher tax bands.

You should speak to an experienced tax adviser to ensure your strategy aligns with the latest thresholds, minimises your tax liabilities, and allows you to keep more of your income.

Could you be paying less tax with a smarter remuneration strategy? Contact us today for tailored advice.