01/05/2026
💜Are you a director of a Limited company?💜
So you wonder if you're paying yourself correctly?
🔵SALARY (PAYE)
This is a wage paid by the company to you as a director/employee.
💫processed through payroll
💫 Income Tax and National Insurance may apply
💫counts as an allowable business expense for the company
💫gives you a regular, predictable income
🔵DIVIDENDS
Dividends are payments to shareholders from company profits (after Corporation Tax).
💫you can only take dividends if the company has enough profit
💫 they’re not “wages” and aren’t run through payroll
💫they’re usually taken in addition to a salary
💫 paperwork matters (dividend vouchers/minutes) and timing matters
So which is better?
There isn’t one answer for everyone, many directors use a mix of salary + dividends based on profits and personal circumstances.
If you’re taking money out of your Limited Company and you’re not sure whether it should be PAYE, dividends, or a combination, it’s worth getting advice now — it’s much easier to set it up right than fix it later.