Limited company vs sole trader
The company advantage is smaller than it used to be.
For years the answer was simple: incorporate and pay yourself in dividends. Three changes have quietly closed most of that gap. Corporation tax rose to 25% on larger profits, employer National Insurance went to 15% on salary above just £5,000, and in April 2026 both main dividend rates rose by two percentage points.
Your figures
Everything you bill clients, before any costs or tax.
Software, insurance, equipment, travel. Costs both structures would pay.
Only applies to the company. £12,570 uses your whole personal allowance without triggering employee National Insurance.
Accountancy for statutory accounts and the corporation tax return, payroll, confirmation statement. A sole trader avoids these.
Staying a sole trader leaves you better off by
£1,974
a year, after all tax and running costs
Sole trader
Better£54,811
in your pocket
- Taxable profit
- £75,000
- Income tax
- −£17,432
- Class 4 NI
- −£2,757
- In your pocket
- £54,811
Limited company
£52,837
in your pocket
- Company running costs
- −£1,200
- Salary taken
- £12,570
- Employer NI
- −£1,136
- Corporation tax
- −£12,175
- Dividends paid
- £47,919
- Dividend tax
- −£7,652
- In your pocket
- £52,837
2026/27 rates for England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Assumes a single director with no other employees, all profit after tax taken as dividends, and no other income. Employment Allowance is not applied, because a company whose only employee is a sole director cannot claim it.
What actually changed
April 2026. The ordinary dividend rate rose from 8.75% to 10.75%, and the upper rate from 33.75% to 35.75%. The additional rate stayed at 39.35% and the allowance stayed at £500. Because a company owner takes most of their income as dividends, a two point rise lands almost entirely on them.
Why the salary figure matters. Salary is deductible against corporation tax, so paying yourself more shifts income out of a 19% to 25% charge. But salary above £5,000 attracts employer National Insurance at 15%, and above £12,570 it attracts employee National Insurance and income tax too. £12,570 is the usual landing spot. Move the slider and watch the total swing either side of it.
Tax is not the only consideration. A limited company is a separate legal person, which limits your personal liability and can matter for winning larger contracts. It also brings statutory accounts, a corporation tax return, a confirmation statement, payroll, and a public record at Companies House. If the calculator shows a few hundred pounds between the two, that is smaller than the value of your own time. Speak to an accountant before restructuring.