Paying yourself from abroad
The two routes are salary through PAYE and dividends from post-tax profit. Most non-resident directors use a mix, chosen around National Insurance and home.
Short answer
A non-resident director can be paid a salary through the company's PAYE scheme, take dividends from retained profit, or both. Salary usually triggers UK PAYE and possibly National Insurance; dividends carry no UK withholding tax but must come from distributable reserves.
Written and reviewed by Waqas Sagar Member of ICAEW, Fellow of ACCA, Fellow of AAT, a double graduate and entrepreneur at heart, helping startups grow and serving thousands of businesses nationwide with an excellent team. Published by LimitedCompany.Accountants, 12 London Road, Morden, London SM4 5BQ. Reviewed 12 September 2026 against 2026/27 UK rates and current Companies House and HMRC guidance.
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QuickBooks PartnerCertified ProAdvisor100+ yearsCombined team experienceFully insuredUp to £2m indemnityA non-resident director can be paid a salary through the company's PAYE scheme, take dividends from retained profit, or both. Salary usually triggers UK PAYE and possibly National Insurance; dividends carry no UK withholding tax but must come from distributable reserves.
Choosing the mix
Getting the money abroad
Salary is deductible against corporation tax and can build UK National Insurance credits, but it needs a PAYE scheme, a payslip each period, and Real Time Information submissions to HMRC even when you never set foot in the UK.
Dividends need no payroll and no UK withholding, but they only come from profit after corporation tax, need a board resolution and voucher, and cannot legally be paid if the company has insufficient reserves.
Whichever route you choose, the company still needs to move sterling to a foreign bank account, which means factoring in currency conversion and transfer costs when deciding how often to pay yourself.
Your home country will generally tax whatever you receive, salary or dividend, so the UK mechanics are only half the decision; get a view on the destination country treatment before fixing a policy.
Our fixed monthly packages for a UK limited company start at £89 plus VAT and run to £169 and £289 plus VAT as bookkeeping, VAT, payroll and reporting are added. One-off filings are sold at fixed prices, and the Companies House fees we pay for you are charged at cost with no VAT added. Overseas owners are quoted on exactly the same published prices as UK-resident clients.
Rates, thresholds and deadlines here reflect the 2026/27 UK position and current Companies House and HMRC guidance. Check GOV.UK, or ask us, before relying on them for your own company.
Primary references
Local help
We work with company directors across London and Surrey from our office at 12 London Road, Morden, London SM4 5BQ. Pick your area, or send the form below and we will call you back.
Frequently asked
Yes, provided the company has distributable reserves, though it forfeits UK NI credits and pension-related salary benefits.
No, the company can pay a foreign account, but check the additional bank charges and any exchange control rules in your country.
It affects PAYE reporting frequency and cash flow but not the underlying tax treatment.
Keep bank statements, sales and platform reports, purchase invoices, payroll records, VAT workings, finance agreements and Companies House correspondence. We confirm the exact list at onboarding and identify gaps before a filing deadline becomes urgent.
The fee depends on transaction volume, record quality, VAT and payroll requirements, historic catch-up and the level of reporting needed. We agree a fixed scope and price before technical work starts, with published packages available on our fees page.
Yes. We request professional clearance, collect the prior records and authorities, check the next Companies House and HMRC deadlines, and give you one clear handover list. The process is normally completed remotely.
Yes. We work through secure cloud records, scheduled reviews and digital approvals, while keeping a named team available by phone, video call and email. Clients can also visit our Morden office by appointment.
We regularly work with Xero, QuickBooks, FreeAgent, Sage and connected sales or expense apps. The right setup depends on transaction volume, integrations and the reports you need, not simply the software brand.
The relevant calendar may include annual accounts, Corporation Tax payment and return dates, confirmation statements, VAT returns, payroll submissions and Self Assessment. We map the dates from your company year end and registrations.
Yes. You can ask a straightforward initial question without charge. Calculations, filings, written advice, planning and HMRC correspondence are scoped and quoted before work begins.
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