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.

Free calculator · UK 2025/26 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.

Calculator

Principal Extraction Calculator

Practice profit available for extraction (£)

Pension contribution (£/yr)

For Ltd-co: this is an employer contribution. For partnership: personal contribution.

I am an active NHS Pension Scheme member

On tax alone, partnership is worth £4,520 more

£91,233

Partnership preserves NHS Pension accrual on full profit. Ltd-co accrues only on the £12,570 salary.

Partnership net (after tax and NI)£91,233

Partnership total tax£58,768

Limited company net (after all tax and admin)£86,712

Limited company total tax and admin£63,288

Difference£4,520

Indicative UK 2025/26 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.

How this works

The partnership model treats the principal as a sole trader: profit after any pension contribution is subject to income tax (standard 2025/26 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.

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 2025/26 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.

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