Optimum Director Salary and Dividends 2024/25
The Most Tax-Efficient Pay Structure for High-Income Company Directors
If you are a Limited Company director earning £100,000+ in profits, how you pay yourself matters more than ever.
The optimum director salary and dividends 2024/25 is not guesswork. The right structure can save thousands in Income Tax and National Insurance while protecting allowances and pension thresholds.
At Protax Consultants, we design the most tax-efficient director salary and dividend structure for ambitious business owners across London and the UK.
- ACCA Chartered Accountants
- Director Payroll Specialists
- Strategic Tax Planning for 2024/25 & 2025/26
High-Income Directors (£100k+) – Advanced Planning
If your total income exceeds £100,000, we also review:
- Personal Allowance tapering
- Dividend band interaction
- Pension contribution optimisation
- Spousal share transfers
- Additional rate tax exposure
- Timing of dividend declarations
At this level, even small structural changes can create meaningful savings.
What Is the Optimum Director Salary and Dividends 2024/25?
The best directors’ salary and dividend levels depend on:
- Whether your company claims the Employment Allowance
- Your total personal income
- Dividend Allowance limits
- Student Loan status
- Pension planning
- Child Benefit thresholds
- Spouse shareholding
For 2024/25, the general framework is:
Sole Director (No Employment Allowance)
- Salary: approx. £9,100
- Dividends: Remaining profit
Director with Employment Allowance
- Salary: approx. £12,570
- Dividends: Remaining profit
For high-income directors (£100k+), precision is critical. Crossing the £100,000 threshold reduces your Personal Allowance and increases your effective tax rate to 60% between £100k and £125k.
We calculate your optimum salary dividend for directors based on your full financial position, not a generic template.
Director Salary vs Dividend – Which Is Better?
Many directors ask:
- Dividend or salary for directors?
- What is better: a director’s salary vs a dividend?
- Can a director take dividends without a salary?
For most Limited Company director salary dividends planning, the answer is:
Low Salary + Dividends
Why Not Take Full Salary?
A full PAYE salary:
- Triggers Income Tax
- Triggers Employee NIC
- Triggers Employer NIC
- Reduces overall efficiency
Why Use Dividends?
Dividends:
- Are taxed at lower rates
- Do not attract National Insurance
- Require sufficient retained profits
However, the Dividend Allowance is only £500 (2024/25), which makes structured planning essential.
For directors earning over £100k, the salary vs dividend balance becomes even more important to avoid unnecessary higher-rate exposure.
Director Payroll Services & Compliance
Strategy must be supported by correct documentation.
You cannot simply transfer money and label it dividends. HMRC requires a formal procedure.
We provide full director payroll services, including:
- Monthly Payroll (RTI)
Accurate salary reporting to HMRC. - Dividend Minutes & Vouchers
Legally declared dividend documentation. - Corporation Tax Coordination
Ensuring salary is deducted correctly for CT efficiency. - Personal Tax Reporting
Correct calculation of salary and dividend tax paid by directors.
While tools like a director salary dividend calculator or Xero director salary and dividend estimates can provide guidance, they cannot assess your complete financial picture.
Compliance protects you from reclassification or enquiry risk.
What About 2025/26?
We do not plan for one tax year in isolation.
We structure remuneration with 2025/26 thresholds and future changes in mind. Forward planning prevents reactive restructuring later.
Why Directors Choose Protax
- ACCA Chartered expertise
- Specialists focus on high-income directors
- Strategic, not generic advice
- Full payroll + dividend compliance
- Local Wimbledon office with UK-wide support
We are not a calculator. We are tax planners.