Directors of small companies
Salary, dividends and pension worked out for this year's rates, not last year's. Dividend tax rose in April 2026, so an old split can quietly cost you.
More businesses than any other district in Hertfordshire, and some of the highest resident earnings in the East of England. In St Albans, tax is about planning, not just filing.
St Albans district has more than 8,000 businesses, the most in Hertfordshire, and nearly a quarter of them are in professional, scientific and technical work, the highest share in the county. Self-employment runs above the national rate. Then there are the commuters: residents earn well above what people working in the district earn, because so many of them travel into London.
Put those together and you get two kinds of tax question. Directors of small consultancies asking how to pay themselves. And employees on good salaries who have picked up rental income, shares or a side business, and suddenly have a Self Assessment problem.
Between £100,000 and £125,140 of income, you lose £1 of personal allowance for every £2 you earn. That works out at an effective 60% income tax rate across the band, and crossing £100,000 can also cost you tax-free childcare. Plenty of commuter households drift into it without noticing.
The fixes are not exotic. Pension contributions, salary sacrifice, gift aid and the timing of bonuses or dividends can all pull income back below the line. We look at your whole picture and tell you what is actually worth doing.
Three situations where an hour of advice is usually worth more than the fee.
Salary, dividends and pension worked out for this year's rates, not last year's. Dividend tax rose in April 2026, so an old split can quietly cost you.
Rental income, share sales, foreign income or a side business on top of a PAYE salary. We pull it together, claim what you are owed and file on time.
St Albans is the least affordable place to buy outside London, so gains on a second home or former residence can be large. We work out the capital gains tax and any private residence relief, and report within the 60-day window.
We are based in Bushey, a short drive away, and work around commuter hours, early mornings and Saturdays included. Fixed monthly fees, agreed up front.
See everything we do, or how our fixed monthly fees work.
Usually by reducing your adjusted net income, most often through pension contributions or salary sacrifice. Gift aid donations count too. We work out how much you would need to contribute to get back below £100,000 and what it actually saves you.
If your rental income is over £1,000 a year, or you have income HMRC isn't collecting through your tax code, yes. Once property and self-employment income together pass the Making Tax Digital threshold, quarterly updates apply as well.
For most single-director companies in 2026/27 it is still a modest salary topped up with dividends, often with employer pension contributions for money you don't need now. The right mix depends on your profit and other income, so we work it out each year.
If you sell a UK residential property and there is capital gains tax to pay, you must report it and pay within 60 days of completion. Miss it and penalties and interest follow, so talk to us before you complete.
We also work with clients in Radlett and Hemel Hempstead, and across Harpenden, London Colney and Wheathampstead.
Book a free 30-minute consultation and see what your tax position could look like with some proper planning.
Tap what you need and we will point you the right way.