Directors Payroll

I think I must be missing something. I always thought that you pay a Director just above the LEL for NI so that they make small contributions then, given that there are sufficient profits, take the remainder of earnings as dividends.
What I don't understand is that I have recently taken on Payroll & BookKeeping for a new client and the 2 directors currently take £4000pa as salary. Surely this doesn't cover them for NI credits and is just a nominal amount for no real benefit.
Please, am I missing the point? Please could somebody explain this to me once and for all as its driving me mad lol!
Thanks in anticipation
What I don't understand is that I have recently taken on Payroll & BookKeeping for a new client and the 2 directors currently take £4000pa as salary. Surely this doesn't cover them for NI credits and is just a nominal amount for no real benefit.
Please, am I missing the point? Please could somebody explain this to me once and for all as its driving me mad lol!
Thanks in anticipation

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Comments
Current optimum salary is £602.33 per month.
Hi Monsoon
I thought the optimum was £589.33 a month? Just under the £7072 NI threshold.
Hi,
I am not sure about it. But I am making a wild guess. I think your directors are coming from different angle to benefits. Would you mind to ask them why do they want to pay themselves so low salary? Sometimes, they instruct you after talking to their so called friend regarding benecits.
I think your cleint is living in a council housing/ rented housing and claiming housing benefit. Most importantly, I think they are worried about Child Tax Credit. If they pay themselves more than certain amount of money, they will loose a proportion of child tax credit and ...
Please keep up updated on this. It looks another interesting case.
Regards,
MSB
I think their previous bookkeeper or current accountant have come up with the figure and, from what I understand, its been the same for some time. Maybe it was once the optimum figure!? I will get to the bottom of it though as it certainly isn't the most effective way of accounting for earnings.
Also, what implications could it have for my client in the long run if they've not been paying NI?
Thanks for your help