For many business owners, the phrase Tax Freedom Day may sound abstract, but it is a concept that is becoming increasingly relevant.
This year, Tax Freedom Day in the UK fell on 11 June, meaning that for the first 162 days of 2025, every penny earned by the average taxpayer effectively went to the Government in the form of tax.
That is nearly six months of work before seeing a single pound of earnings in your own pocket, and for business owners, the picture may be even more severe.
What is Tax Freedom Day, and why is it later than ever?
Tax Freedom Day, calculated by the Adam Smith Institute using data from the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR), marks the theoretical point in the year when the average person has earned enough to cover their total tax bill, from Income Tax and National Insurance, to VAT, Corporation Tax, and other deductions.
In 2009, Tax Freedom Day fell on 18 May. Before the pandemic, it was in late May. This year, it is in mid-June, a delay of nearly three weeks.
If current trends continue, some forecasts suggest it could reach the end of June by 2030, with taxation swallowing over 50 per cent of net income.
Why are business owners particularly affected?
The tax burden is rising across the board, but business owners are feeling the squeeze from multiple directions:
- Frozen thresholds – Income Tax and National Insurance bands have been frozen until 2028, dragging more income into higher tax brackets. This so-called fiscal drag disproportionately affects growing businesses and directors drawing a mix of salary and dividends.
- Higher Corporation Tax – Companies with profits over £250,000 are taxed at 25 per cent, up from 19 per cent just a few years ago.
- Dividend Tax increases – The tax-free dividend allowance has been slashed from £5,000 in 2017 to just £500 in 2025–26, meaning more of your retained profits are taxed on extraction.
- Rising compliance and reporting costs – From Making Tax Digital to changes in IR35, the admin burden is growing, and it is costing time and money.
When combined, these changes mean many business owners are losing a larger slice of their profits to HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC), while the headline tax rates alone do not tell the full story.
More changes to come?
With the Autumn Budget on the horizon, further tax changes cannot be ruled out.
Rachel Reeves has already signalled that increased public spending will require new revenue, and business owners are a natural target.
If you are concerned about how rising tax pressures are affecting your take-home income, we can help by reviewing your current strategy and identifying more efficient ways to extract profit. Contact us today for assistance.