UNDERSTAND YOUR NUMBERS

Outside IR35: Salary, Dividends & Reserves

Understand how turnover becomes personal cash and why company reserves are not spendable take-home.

Tax year 2026/27 · Last verified · Methodology · Official sources

Follow company money

Revenue meets allowable expenses, qualifying employer pension, salary and employer NI. Corporation Tax applies to profit. Dividends require distributable profits.

Keep reserves separate

Retained profits remain company money. Further personal tax may arise on extraction.

Review with an accountant

VAT, losses, capital allowances and accounting periods can change outcomes. Automatic salary search is a model comparison, not personalised extraction advice.

Use the relevant calculator

Worked example: £600/day

220 billable days give £132,000 revenue. These figures use the same engine as your comparison.

Inside IR35

£74,423 annual cash

£121,848 cash-equivalent salary

Outside IR35

£78,666 annual cash

£133,093 cash-equivalent salary

Make it yours

England, no loans or other income. Inside: assignment rate, no margin, levy or pension. Outside: £3,000 expenses, Personal Allowance salary, no pension or retained profit. Salary comparison: 5% employee and employer pension.

Compare with your salary

How this calculation works

Revenue is day rate multiplied by billable days. The shared engine applies payroll taxes inside IR35 and company plus personal taxes outside IR35. Equivalent salary and rate solvers match cash, cash plus pension or economic value.

Important assumptions

Annual estimates, England by default, no other income or student loan. Illustrations use £3,000 company expenses, no opening reserves and a 12-month accounting period. Pension, gross benefits and retained profit are not spendable cash.

Follow company money

Revenue meets allowable expenses, qualifying employer pension, salary and employer NI. Corporation Tax applies to profit. Dividends require distributable profits.

Keep reserves separate

Retained profits remain company money. Further personal tax may arise on extraction.

Review with an accountant

VAT, losses, capital allowances and accounting periods can change outcomes. Automatic salary search is a model comparison, not personalised extraction advice.

Frequently asked questions

Is revenue the same as take-home?

No. Employment costs, expenses and taxes can apply before money reaches you. Pension and retained profit are separate.

Can this decide IR35 status?

ContractorMoney.co.uk does not determine IR35 employment status. We model financial consequences after you select a status.

Sources and review

Tax year 2026/27 · Last verified · Methodology · Official sources

ContractorMoney.co.uk does not determine IR35 employment status. Use HMRC's official status guidance. Estimates only, not tax, financial, legal, accounting or investment advice. Read the limitations.

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