Free tools · 2026/27 tax year

Contractor tax calculators

Quick, accurate estimates for UK limited company contractors, built and checked by an ICAEW qualified chartered accountant. Pick a calculator below and enter your numbers to see your full results instantly.

Contractor take-home pay calculator

Estimates your annual take-home from a limited company, using the tax-efficient default of a £12,570 director's salary with the remaining profit drawn as dividends.

Roughly 220 after holidays, gaps and admin.
e.g. software, accountancy, equipment. Company pension contributions are handled separately.

Salary vs dividend optimiser

Shows the tax-efficient split for a single-director company in 2026/27, and how much you save versus drawing everything as salary.

Company income less business expenses, before paying yourself.

Corporation tax estimator

Calculates your 2026/27 corporation tax, including marginal relief on profits between £50,000 and £250,000. Assumes a 12-month period and no associated companies.

VAT: Flat Rate vs Standard

Compares how much VAT you'd keep (or save) under the Flat Rate Scheme versus reclaiming input VAT on the Standard scheme.

The 16.5% rate applies only where the business meets the limited-cost business test: spending on relevant goods under 2% of VAT-inclusive turnover, or under £1,000 a year. Many service contractors do, but check it against your own figures.
Used to estimate input VAT you could reclaim on the Standard scheme.

These calculators assume your engagement is outside IR35. If you're inside IR35, your actual take-home will be materially lower, because the engagement is taxed broadly as employment income at source. They give estimates for the 2026/27 tax year using rest-of-UK rates (England, Wales & Northern Ireland), for a single-director limited company with no associated companies. Scottish Income Tax rates and thresholds differ and are not modelled. The personal allowance taper (£1 reduction per £2 of income between £100,000 and £125,140) is modelled; everything else in this list is not: student loan and postgraduate loan repayments, the High Income Child Benefit Charge, employer pension contributions and salary sacrifice, secondary employment income, spouse/second-shareholder income, and other personal circumstances. They are not personal tax advice. For figures tailored to your situation, get in touch.