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Salary, dividend, pension contribution or leave it in the company. We put each route in euro for your figures, then model retirement relief and entrepreneur relief years before you sell or hand over.
Your role, roughly what the company makes and what you want from it. No accounts needed at this stage.
Tax relief, contribution limits and the right plan differ between the three.
Stored securely, never sold. Used only to come back to you about your request.
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A director can take money as salary, as a dividend, as a company pension contribution, or leave it in the company. Each is taxed differently, and on the same €100,000 of profit the gap between the best and the worst route is more than €58,000.
A plan sets the salary you need, routes what you do not need into your pension within Revenue limits, and keeps in the company only what the business should hold.
For an owner-director whose income is already above €70,044, so paying income tax at 40% and USC at 8% at the margin, with Class S PRSI at 4.35% from 1 October 2026. A director on Class A PRSI also costs the company employer PRSI of 11.4% on salary above €552 a week. Figures are rounded and illustrative.
| Route | Tax in the company | Tax in your hands | What you end up with |
|---|---|---|---|
| Salary | None, salary is deductible | Income tax 40%, USC 8%, PRSI 4.35%: €52,350 | €47,650 in your pocket |
| Dividend | Corporation tax at 12.5%: €12,500 | 52.35% of €87,500: €45,806 | €41,694 in your pocket |
| Pension contribution | None, the contribution is deductible | None going in | €100,000 in a fund in your name |
| Retained in the company | Corporation tax at 12.5%: €12,500 | None until it leaves | €87,500 still in the company |
A company contribution to your pension is deducted from profit, is not a benefit in kind, and has no income tax, PRSI or USC taken from it. Through a PRSA, the company can pay up to 100% of your salary each year with no benefit in kind. A master trust allows funding based on your salary and service, which for a long-serving director can be more.
The fund grows without tax. At retirement, a quarter of a personal pension fund can come out as a lump sum, the first €200,000 tax free, and the rest is taxed as income when drawn.
Profit left in a trading company pays 12.5% corporation tax and stays available to the business, which is right for working capital and a reserve. It goes wrong when cash sits for years earning interest or rent. Passive income is taxed at 25%, and a close company pays a 20% surcharge on after-tax investment and rental income it does not distribute within 18 months of the year end.
Close service companies, such as consultancies and professional practices, also pay a 15% surcharge on half of their undistributed trading income.
The conditions for both reliefs must be met years before a sale or handover. Capital gains tax is 31% for disposals from 7 October 2026.
| Retirement relief | Entrepreneur relief | |
|---|---|---|
| Age | 55 or over; you do not have to retire | Any age |
| Handover to a child | Relief on up to €10 million aged 55 to 69, €3 million from 70 | 10% on the first €1.5 million of lifetime gains |
| Sale to anyone else | Full relief up to €750,000 aged 55 to 69, €500,000 from 70 | 10% on the first €1.5 million of lifetime gains |
| Ownership | Shares in your family company held for 10 years | At least 5% of the shares, held for 3 years |
| Working | A working director for 10 years, 5 of them full time | At least half your time in the company for 3 of the last 5 years |
Ciarán owns all of an engineering company in Carlow that makes €300,000 a year before his pay. He takes a salary of €100,000, has €800,000 on deposit in the company and wants to stop at 62, selling to his management team or handing over to his daughter.
What the model showed:
Figures are illustrative. Every plan is built on the client's own numbers.
Your role, the company and what you want from it. The form takes two minutes.
Salary, dividends, the accounts and your pensions.
Year by year, with the tax on each in euro.
With a senior advisor, alongside your accountant, with tax specialists where needed.
The pension and any company investments, with the paperwork handled.
So the contribution lands in the right accounting period.
We (Richie and Nickey) received excellent pension advice that was clear, honest, and tailored to my situation. Everything was explained in a way we could easily understand, and we felt confident making decisions about my future. Highly professional service and very reassuring throughout the process.
They made setting up a company pension on a deadline extremely easy and stress free. You can tell they understand the products inside out. Very approachable, great availability for support with instant and clear answers.
True Wealth was super efficient in locating my UK pension. They were very professional and responsive in dealing with the relevant pension organization. I would highly recommend True Wealth.
Thank you for the several calls to advise me. Great client attention! Eimear is fantastic! I had my pension sorted and a few insurances arranged. All the best.
Excellent service. Always there if I had any questions, would recommend without hesitation. A 5 star service. Thank you everyone.
Straight answers with the figures. If yours is not here, a senior advisor answers it in your review.
For money you need now, usually a salary set at the right level. For money you do not need before retirement, usually a company pension contribution. Dividends are often the dearest route because the profit is taxed in the company first.
Into a PRSA, up to 100% of your salary from the company each year with no benefit in kind. Into a master trust, an amount based on your salary, service and existing pensions under Revenue's funding rules, which can be more.
No. Despite the name, you do not need to stop working. You must be 55 or over and meet the ownership and working conditions.
The standard rate of capital gains tax fell from 33% to 31% for disposals on or after 7 October 2026. Entrepreneur relief stays at 10% on up to €1.5 million of lifetime gains, the limit that applies from 1 January 2026.
Ten years out is not too early. Retirement relief needs ten years of ownership and ten years as a working director, five of them full time, so the clock starts long before the sale.
Sources checked 7 October 2026.
Two minutes on the form. A senior advisor is in touch with your figures in euro.