Limited Company Tax on £85,000 Profit (2026/27)

On £85,000 company profit, the director takes home ££58,251/year (££4,854/month) in 2026/27, paying ££15,143 corporation tax and ££26,749 in total across all taxes. Assumes £12,570 director salary, England/Wales rates, all post-tax profit taken as dividends.

Open in calculator Guides Salary vs dividends Corporation tax rates
Corporation tax
£15,143
21.24% effective
Director take-home
£58,251
£4,854/month
Total tax
£26,749
all sources
Effective rate
31.47%
of gross profit

Full tax breakdown

Item Amount Note
Gross company profit £85,000
Director salary −£12,570 deductible
Employer NI −£1,136 15% on salary above £5,000
Taxable profit £71,294
Corporation tax −£15,143 21.24% effective
Post-tax profit (= dividends available) £56,151
Director salary (personal) £12,570
Personal tax on salary −£0 IT / −£0 NI
Dividends received £56,151
Dividend tax −£10,470
Director take-home £58,251/yr £4,854/mo

Assumes England/Wales tax rates, £12,570 director salary, no pension contributions, no other personal income, all post-tax profit taken as dividends. Use the full calculator to model your specific position.

Marginal relief applies. Taxable profit of ££71,294 falls between the £50,000 and £250,000 thresholds. The effective corporation tax rate is 21.24% — between the 19% small profits rate and 25% main rate. Each additional £1 of taxable profit in this band is taxed at an effective marginal rate of 26.5p.

Frequently asked questions

How much corporation tax on £85,000 profit?

After deducting a £12,570 director salary and ££1,136 employer NI, taxable profit is ££71,294. Corporation tax on this is ££15,143 at an effective rate of 21.24%. The gross profit of £85,000 is not directly subject to corporation tax — only the amount remaining after allowable deductions.

What is the most tax-efficient way to extract £85,000 from a limited company?

The standard approach for 2026/27 is a director salary of £12,570 (no income tax, minimal employer NI) with remaining post-tax profit taken as dividends. On £85,000 gross profit, this produces a take-home of ££58,251. Adding company pension contributions can reduce the corporation tax bill and build tax-free savings simultaneously. Use the calculator to model alternatives.

Does the small profits rate or marginal relief apply at £85,000?

Marginal relief applies. Taxable profit of ££71,294 falls between £50,000 and £250,000. The effective rate of 21.24% is blended between 19% and 25% using the marginal relief formula.

What is the overall effective tax rate on £85,000 limited company profit?

The combined effective rate — employer NI (££1,136), corporation tax (££15,143), income tax on salary (££0), employee NI (££0) and dividend tax (££10,470) — is 31.47% of the £85,000 gross profit. Total tax: ££26,749.

Other profit levels

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