Free calculator · UK 2026/27 rates
Principal Extraction Calculator
Compare partnership (sole trader) versus limited company profit extraction as a dental principal. Enter your practice profit, any pension contribution, and whether you are an active NHS Pension Scheme member. The calculator highlights which structure comes out ahead on tax alone and flags the NHS Pension consideration.
Principal Extraction Calculator
Compare partnership (sole trader) versus limited company profit extraction as a dental principal. Enter your practice profit, any pension contribution, and whether you are an active NHS Pension Scheme member. The calculator highlights which structure comes out ahead on tax alone and flags the NHS Pension consideration.
For Ltd-co: this is an employer contribution. For partnership: personal contribution.
Indicative UK 2026/27 model. Partnership = sole trader for tax purposes for a single principal. Ltd-co assumes £12,570 director salary plus balance as dividend, £2,500 admin cost, no Employment Allowance. Does NOT cost the NHS Pension accrual loss from incorporation.
Sense-check your figure with a specialist dental accountant
Calculators give you a solid starting point, but the final number depends on your NHS Pension status, prior-year reliefs, and how different taxes interact in your specific structure. A short conversation with a dental-specialist accountant puts a firm figure on it, with no obligation.
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Get the profit extraction model
Sole trader or partnership vs limited company on the same profit, after income tax, NIC, corporation tax and dividend tax. The NHS Pension trap made explicit.
| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Your figures (edit the blue cells) | Comparison | |||||||||
| 2 | Practice profit | £120,000 | Net cash (partnership) | £76,732 | |||||||
| 3 | Active NHS Pension member | Yes | Total tax (partnership) | £43,268 | |||||||
| 4 | Net cash (limited company) | £72,279 | |||||||||
| 5 | Total tax and admin (Ltd) | £47,721 | |||||||||
| 6 | Sole trader or partnership keeps £4,210 more, and preserves NHS Pension accrual | ||||||||||
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How this works
The partnership model treats the principal as a sole trader: profit after any pension contribution is subject to income tax (standard 2026/27 bands) and Class 2/4 NI.
The limited company model pays a £12,570 director salary (at the NI primary threshold), deducts employer NI, runs the remaining profit through corporation tax (19% small profits rate, 25% main rate, marginal relief between £50,000 and £250,000), then extracts the net-of-CT amount as dividends.
Critical: this model does NOT value the NHS Pension accrual loss for incorporated principals. For an NHS-active principal with 10 or more years of service ahead, the lost pension accrual on the dividend portion can outweigh the headline tax saving. The actuarial pension position needs separate modelling.
Worked example: a principal extracts £150,000 of practice profit with no additional pension contribution. As a sole trader (partnership), income tax at 2026/27 rates on £150,000 is £53,703 (the personal allowance is fully tapered away at this income; the £150,000 taxable is charged 20% on the £37,700 basic band, 40% on the £87,440 higher band to £125,140, and 45% on the £24,860 above); Class 4 NI is £4,257; Class 2 NI is £179. Net take-home is approximately £91,861. Through a limited company (£12,570 salary plus dividends, employer NI of £1,136 on the salary, corporation tax of approximately £32,368 on the remaining profit, dividend tax of approximately £29,612, and £2,500 admin cost), net take-home is approximately £84,384. The partnership route is worth roughly £7,477 more in pure tax terms. For an NHS-active principal, the loss of pension accrual on the £103,926 dividend further widens the gap against incorporation.
Frequently asked
- Does incorporation always save tax for a dental principal?
- At high profit levels the limited company route does save income tax. However, the saving must be weighed against the loss of NHS Pension accrual on the dividend income. For a principal 10 to 15 years from retirement, the accrual loss can be worth more than the tax saving, making partnership the better outcome overall.
- What is the Employment Allowance position for a dental practice?
- The Employment Allowance (£10,500 from 2025/26) reduces the practice's employer NI bill. A sole-director company cannot claim it, but if the practice employs at least one other person (such as a nurse or receptionist) and the director is not the only employee, the practice may qualify. The claim is worth verifying with an accountant.
- What pension contributions are included in this model?
- The calculator allows a pension contribution input. For partnerships this is treated as a personal pension contribution (deductible from taxable income). For the Ltd-co it is treated as an employer contribution (deductible before corporation tax). NHS Pension contributions for active members are not separately modelled; they affect the effective tax rate materially.
Get the full picture
Every figure here is modelled on standard 2026/27 thresholds. Your actual position depends on your NHS Pension status, prior-year usage, other income, and how decisions interact. Take the free practice health check to get a personalised view.