Dividend Tax Rates 2026/27
| Band | Rate | Tax on £120,000 | You Keep |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tax-free allowance | 0% | First £500 tax-free | |
| Basic rate | 8.75% | £10,456 | £109,544 |
| Higher rate | 33.75% | £40,331 | £79,669 |
| Additional rate | 39.35% | £47,023 | £72,977 |
The rate depends on your total income (salary + dividends). Dividends use up your remaining basic rate band after salary. This is why Ltd company directors pay themselves a low salary (£12,570) and take the rest as dividends — it's more tax-efficient. See our salary vs dividends guide.
Dividend Tax on £120,000
Dividends in the UK are taxed differently to employment income. The first £500 is tax-free (the Dividend Allowance), and above this the rates are 8.75% (basic), 33.75% (higher) and 39.35% (additional). No National Insurance is due on dividends. These are the 2025/26 rates and thresholds — frozen to 2028 — so the same figures apply for 2026/27. Note the table above shows each band applied to the whole amount; in reality £120,000 spans several bands, as the next section shows.
If Dividends Are Your Only Income
With £120,000 of dividend income, almost all of your personal allowance has been tapered away: dividends count towards adjusted net income just like salary. With no other income, your personal allowance is tapered from £12,570 down to £2,570 (you lose £1 of allowance per £2 of income above £100,000). Spreading £120,000 across the bands, the realistic bill is about £30,164 — an effective rate of 25.1%, leaving you £89,836. Earning the same £120,000 as salary would leave just £76,157 after income tax and National Insurance, so taking it as dividends keeps about £13,679 more — the main reason owner-directors favour distributions. Either way, this income is roughly 3.1× the UK median full-time salary of £39,039 (ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, April 2025).
How Dividend Tax Interacts with Your Salary
Dividend income sits on top of your employment income for tax purposes. If you also draw a salary, it stacks underneath the dividends and pushes more of them into the 33.75% and 39.35% bands — even a £12,570 director's salary moves the whole dividend slice up the ladder. Because dividends also count towards the £100,000 personal-allowance taper, the effective marginal rate on dividends between £100,000 and £125,140 rises well above the headline 33.75% — see our £100k tax trap guide.
Tax-Efficient Dividend Planning
At this level, planning matters more than allowances. Pension contributions extend your basic-rate band and reduce adjusted net income, pulling dividends down the rate ladder. Dividend-paying investments held in an ISA are exempt from dividend tax entirely (up to £20,000 can be added per year). Married couples can split shareholdings so both partners' bands and £500 allowances are used. Company owners can also retain profits or time distributions across tax years to avoid stacking too much into the 39.35% band — our high-earner tax tips cover the details.
£120,000 Dividend Tax FAQs
How much tax will I pay on £120,000 of dividends?
It depends on your tax band. Taxed entirely at the basic rate you'd pay £10,456, at the higher rate £40,331, and at the additional rate £47,023. If dividends were your only income, the realistic bill is about £30,164 (25.1% effective), because the amount is spread across the bands.
Do I pay National Insurance on dividends?
No. Dividends are exempt from National Insurance — one reason company directors often take a small salary plus dividends. You pay only dividend tax at 8.75%, 33.75% or 39.35% depending on your band.
What is the dividend allowance for 2025/26?
£500. The first £500 of dividend income is tax-free each year. On £120,000 of dividends that shelters less than 1% of the total, so the allowance makes little practical difference at this level.
Do dividends count towards the £100,000 personal allowance taper?
Yes. Dividends form part of your adjusted net income, so income above £100,000 removes £1 of personal allowance per £2. With £120,000 of dividends, your allowance falls to about £2,570.