Calculator · Excel + PDF

The Limited Company Decision Calculator.

Sole-trader vs limited-company vs salaried, modelled side by side.

What this Calculator is for

The question 'should I run my private practice through a limited company?' is one of the most common in UK medical-tax forums. The answer is not universal — it depends on absolute income level, the split between private and NHS earnings, the timing of when income is needed personally, the pension position, and the post-April-2026 dividend rate environment.

The user enters their expected private income, NHS income, expense profile, and personal cash needs. The Calculator models the three structural alternatives and produces a like-for-like comparison of net annual income, multi-year wealth accumulation, and structural flexibility.

What's inside

5 sheets in a single Excel file, plus an accompanying PDF user guide.

Inputs — expected private income, NHS income, expense profile, cash needs
Assumptions — UK 2026/27 tax, NI, corporation tax, and dividend parameters
Three-path comparison — sole-trader, limited-company, salaried
Multi-year view — how the comparison evolves over 5 years
Methodology — what the Calculator includes and what to discuss with your accountant

How it reads

"The case for a limited company is most commonly framed as a tax-saving exercise. Under the post-April-2026 dividend rate regime, the headline tax saving for a high-income clinician is materially smaller than it was three years ago, and it sometimes disappears entirely. The structural case for a limited company — separation of risk, retained-earnings flexibility, succession planning — often survives the tax-arithmetic shift."

— from the PDF user guide, Reading the comparison

Who it's for

Consultants launching private lists. The structural decision is best made before the first invoice is issued.
GPs setting up private work alongside the NHS contract. The interaction with NHS pension and the £100,000 taper is non-trivial.
Clinicians weighing the structural decision before incorporating. The decision is hard to reverse cleanly once made.

What's not in this Calculator

It is a tool, not regulated advice. It does not provide personalised financial, legal, or tax recommendations. Those require a qualified professional who knows your full circumstances. The calculator's purpose is to make those conversations substantive rather than passive.

It focuses on UK clinical practice specifically — the regulatory and commercial environment of the UK.

What's related

Reading a Private P&L Without Flinching — the Guide that builds financial literacy for reading your own private practice accounts. £39.
The Locum vs Substantive Calculator — if the question is whether to do private work at all. £49.