Take-Home Pay Calculator UK 2026/27
See what actually lands in your bank account after income tax, National Insurance, pension and student loan.
- 2026/27 rates
- Scotland included
- Bonus, dividends & Child Benefit
- Free, no sign-up
Add bonus, dividends, Child Benefit and more
Salary sacrifice for things like cycle-to-work, per year.
Benefits such as a company car or private medical, per year, if not already in your tax code. Donations are what you gave, per year.
Leave as 1257L if unsure. Supports numbered codes, K codes, 0T, BR, D0, D1 and NT. Find yours on your payslip.
| Year | Month | Week | Day |
|---|
How your take-home pay is worked out
Your employer takes income tax and National Insurance from your pay before it reaches your bank account. Pension contributions, student loan repayments and salary sacrifice come off as well. This calculator follows the same steps payroll does, using 2026/27 rates (6 April 2026 to 5 April 2027).
Income tax: England, Wales and Northern Ireland
| Taxable income | Rate |
|---|---|
| Up to £12,570 (Personal Allowance) | 0% |
| £12,571 to £50,270 | 20% |
| £50,271 to £125,140 | 40% |
| Over £125,140 | 45% |
Your Personal Allowance shrinks by £1 for every £2 of adjusted net income over £100,000, and is gone completely at £125,140.
Income tax: Scotland
| Income above Personal Allowance | Rate |
|---|---|
| First £3,967 | 19% |
| Next £12,989 (to £16,956) | 20% |
| Next £14,136 (to £31,092) | 21% |
| Next £31,338 (to £62,430) | 42% |
| Next £62,710 (to £125,140) | 45% |
| Over £125,140 | 48% |
Savings interest and dividends are taxed at UK-wide rates, even in Scotland.
National Insurance
Most employees (letter A) pay 8% on earnings between £12,570 and £50,270 a year, and 2% above that. Other letters pay different rates, and letter C (over State Pension age) pays none. National Insurance is not charged on savings, dividends or taxable benefits.
Savings interest and dividends
Savings interest can be tax-free up to £5,000 if your other income is low (the starting rate), plus a Personal Savings Allowance of £1,000 for basic-rate taxpayers or £500 for higher-rate taxpayers. Dividends have a £500 allowance, then are taxed at 10.75%, 35.75% or 39.35% depending on your band.
Student loan thresholds
| Plan | You repay 9% above |
|---|---|
| Plan 1 | £26,900 |
| Plan 2 | £29,385 |
| Plan 4 | £33,795 |
| Plan 5 | £25,000 |
| Postgraduate (6%) | £21,000 |
Child Benefit and the High Income Charge
Child Benefit is £27.05 a week for your first child and £17.90 for each extra child in 2026/27. If your adjusted net income is over £60,000, you repay 1% of it for every £200 above that, and all of it at £80,000. The calculator shows both the benefit and the charge.
Which pension option should I choose?
Workplace (net pay): the contribution comes out before income tax, so you get tax relief straight away, but National Insurance is still charged on it. Salary sacrifice: your pay is reduced before tax, National Insurance and student loan are worked out, so it usually saves the most. Personal (relief at source): you pay from taxed income and the provider claims 20% back; higher-rate relief is applied by widening your tax bands, which this calculator does.
Take-home pay at common UK salaries (2026/27)
The table shows what you keep from popular salaries in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. It is the quickest way to answer questions like "how much is £30,000 after tax?" without typing anything in. For your own figure, including pension, student loan or a different tax code, use the calculator at the top of the page.
| Salary | Income tax | National Insurance | Take-home a year | a week | a month |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| £20,000 | £1,486 | £594 | £17,920 | £345 | £1,493 |
| £25,000 | £2,486 | £994 | £21,520 | £414 | £1,793 |
| £30,000 | £3,486 | £1,394 | £25,120 | £483 | £2,093 |
| £35,000 | £4,486 | £1,794 | £28,720 | £552 | £2,393 |
| £40,000 | £5,486 | £2,194 | £32,320 | £622 | £2,693 |
| £45,000 | £6,486 | £2,594 | £35,920 | £691 | £2,993 |
| £50,000 | £7,486 | £2,994 | £39,520 | £760 | £3,293 |
| £60,000 | £11,432 | £3,211 | £45,357 | £872 | £3,780 |
| £70,000 | £15,432 | £3,411 | £51,157 | £984 | £4,263 |
| £80,000 | £19,432 | £3,611 | £56,957 | £1,095 | £4,746 |
| £100,000 | £27,432 | £4,011 | £68,557 | £1,318 | £5,713 |
| £125,000 | £42,432 | £4,511 | £78,057 | £1,501 | £6,505 |
| £150,000 | £53,703 | £5,011 | £91,286 | £1,756 | £7,607 |
Every row uses the standard 1257L tax code, National Insurance letter A, no pension and no student loan, and is rounded to the nearest £1.
Take-home pay in Scotland
Scotland sets its own income tax rates and bands, so the same salary leaves a different amount in your pocket. National Insurance is the same everywhere in the UK. The last column shows how much more or less a Scottish taxpayer keeps than someone in England on the same pay.
| Salary | Income tax | National Insurance | Take-home a year | a month | Compared with England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| £20,000 | £1,446 | £594 | £17,959 | £1,497 | +£40 a year |
| £25,000 | £2,446 | £994 | £21,559 | £1,797 | +£40 a year |
| £30,000 | £3,451 | £1,394 | £25,155 | £2,096 | +£35 a year |
| £35,000 | £4,501 | £1,794 | £28,705 | £2,392 | -£15 a year |
| £40,000 | £5,551 | £2,194 | £32,255 | £2,688 | -£65 a year |
| £45,000 | £6,882 | £2,594 | £35,524 | £2,960 | -£396 a year |
| £50,000 | £8,982 | £2,994 | £38,024 | £3,169 | -£1,496 a year |
| £60,000 | £13,182 | £3,211 | £43,607 | £3,634 | -£1,750 a year |
| £70,000 | £17,382 | £3,411 | £49,207 | £4,101 | -£1,950 a year |
| £80,000 | £21,732 | £3,611 | £54,657 | £4,555 | -£2,300 a year |
| £100,000 | £30,732 | £4,011 | £65,257 | £5,438 | -£3,300 a year |
| £125,000 | £47,607 | £4,511 | £72,882 | £6,074 | -£5,175 a year |
| £150,000 | £59,634 | £5,011 | £85,355 | £7,113 | -£5,931 a year |
On a £30,000 salary a Scottish taxpayer keeps £35 more a year than someone in England. On £50,000 they keep £1,496 less, and on £100,000 they keep £3,300 less, because Scotland's higher bands start lower and add extra rates.
Hourly rate to yearly take-home pay
If you are paid by the hour, choose "per hour" in the calculator and enter the hours you work each week. The table below assumes 37.5 hours a week for 52 weeks a year, with no pension or student loan, in England, Wales or Northern Ireland. Working fewer hours or taking unpaid leave lowers every figure in proportion, although you also pay less tax and National Insurance.
| Hourly rate | Pay before tax a year | Take-home a year | a week | a month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| £12 | £23,400 | £20,368 | £392 | £1,697 |
| £13 | £25,350 | £21,772 | £419 | £1,814 |
| £14 | £27,300 | £23,176 | £446 | £1,931 |
| £15 | £29,250 | £24,580 | £473 | £2,048 |
| £16 | £31,200 | £25,984 | £500 | £2,165 |
| £18 | £35,100 | £28,792 | £554 | £2,399 |
| £20 | £39,000 | £31,600 | £608 | £2,633 |
| £22 | £42,900 | £34,408 | £662 | £2,867 |
| £25 | £48,750 | £38,620 | £743 | £3,218 |
| £30 | £58,500 | £44,487 | £856 | £3,707 |
| £40 | £78,000 | £55,797 | £1,073 | £4,650 |
| £50 | £97,500 | £67,107 | £1,291 | £5,592 |
Hourly pay is turned into a yearly amount by multiplying by weekly hours and 52 weeks. Overtime, shift pay and unpaid leave will change your real payslip.
What a pension contribution really costs you
Paying into a pension reduces your take-home pay by less than the amount that goes into the pot, because you get tax relief. How much less depends on how the contribution is taken. The example below is a £40,000 salary paying 5% of qualifying earnings (earnings between £6,240 and £50,270), which is £1,688 a year.
| Option | Goes into your pension | Take-home a year | Cost to your take-home |
|---|---|---|---|
| No pension | £0 | £32,320 | £0 |
| Workplace (net pay) | £1,688 | £30,969 | £1,350 |
| Salary sacrifice | £1,688 | £31,104 | £1,215 |
| Personal (relief at source) | £1,688 | £30,969 | £1,350 |
Salary sacrifice leaves you £135 a year better off than a workplace net pay scheme here, because National Insurance is not charged on the sacrificed pay. A workplace net pay scheme and a personal pension (relief at source) cost the same at the basic rate of tax.
Before you choose salary sacrifice: it lowers your contractual salary. That can affect mortgage applications, life cover based on salary and some statutory payments, and your pay cannot fall below the National Minimum Wage. Ask your employer whether they share their own National Insurance saving with your pension.
Tax traps that change your take-home pay
Tax is not charged at one flat rate on everything you earn, so a pay rise is rarely worth the headline amount. The table shows how much of an extra £1,000 you keep at different levels of pay in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, with no pension or student loan.
| Your pay now | You keep of the next £1,000 | Taken in tax and NI |
|---|---|---|
| £20,000 | £720 | 28% |
| £30,000 | £720 | 28% |
| £45,000 | £720 | 28% |
| £50,000 | £618 | 38.2% |
| £60,000 | £580 | 42% |
| £100,000 | £380 | 62% |
| £110,000 | £380 | 62% |
| £125,140 | £530 | 47% |
| £150,000 | £530 | 47% |
The £50,000 row crosses the £50,270 higher-rate line part-way through the extra £1,000, so it falls between the 28% and 42% rates.
The £100,000 trap
Once your adjusted net income passes £100,000 you lose £1 of Personal Allowance for every £2 you earn. That works out as an effective 60% income tax rate, plus 2% National Insurance, so of an extra £1,000 you keep only £380. The loss stops at £125,140 when the allowance is gone. Pension contributions and Gift Aid donations reduce adjusted net income and can bring you back under £100,000.
The Child Benefit charge
Child Benefit is not taxed as you receive it, but if you or your partner have adjusted net income above £60,000 you repay 1% of the benefit for every £200 over that figure. For example, with two children and an income of £65,000 you receive £2,337 a year in Child Benefit and repay £584 of it (25%), leaving you £1,753 a year better off than if you had not claimed. At £80,000 you repay the lot.
Fiscal drag
The Personal Allowance and tax bands are currently frozen and are set to stay that way until April 2031. When pay rises with inflation but the thresholds do not, more of your income falls into the 20% and 40% bands. This is called fiscal drag, and it lowers your real take-home pay even when your salary goes up.
Legal ways to increase your take-home pay
- Check your tax code. A wrong code is one of the most common reasons for paying too much or too little tax. If your code ends in W1 or M1 (an emergency code), tell your employer or HMRC the details they are missing.
- Use salary sacrifice if your employer offers it. It saves National Insurance as well as income tax, which is worth £135 a year on the pension example above.
- Claim Marriage Allowance. If one of you earns less than the Personal Allowance and the other is a basic-rate taxpayer, the lower earner can transfer part of their allowance to cut the household tax bill.
- Give through Gift Aid. Higher-rate taxpayers can claim back the extra tax relief on donations, and donations lower your adjusted net income.
- Shelter savings and investments. Use ISAs so interest and gains are not taxed, and use your Personal Savings Allowance and dividend allowance before they are wasted.
- Claim work expenses. If your employer requires you to buy something for work and does not reimburse you, you may be able to claim tax relief on it from HMRC.
- Claim Child Benefit even if you opt out of payments. If the charge would cancel the benefit, you can still claim and choose not to receive it, which protects National Insurance credits.
- Check your student loan plan. Repayments should stop once the balance is cleared or the loan is written off, so make sure your employer has the right plan on record.
Tax codes and National Insurance letters explained
Reading your tax code
Your tax code tells your employer how much of your pay is tax-free. For a code made of numbers and a letter, multiply the number by 10 to get your tax-free allowance for the year. The standard code, 1257L, means £12,570.
| Code | What it means |
|---|---|
| 1257L | The standard code with a £12,570 Personal Allowance |
| S before the code | You pay Scottish income tax rates |
| C before the code | You pay Welsh income tax rates, which currently match England |
| M or N | Marriage Allowance: M receives 10% of a partner's allowance, N gives it away |
| K codes | You have untaxed income or benefits that add to your taxable pay |
| BR | All income taxed at the basic rate, often used for a second job |
| D0 and D1 | All income taxed at the higher rate (D0) or additional rate (D1) |
| 0T | No Personal Allowance, so tax is charged from the first pound |
| NT | No tax is taken |
| W1 or M1 at the end | Emergency basis: each pay period is taxed on its own, so you may overpay until HMRC corrects it |
National Insurance letters
The letter on your payslip decides your National Insurance rate. Most people are on letter A.
| Letter | Who it is for | On £12,570 to £50,270 | Above £50,270 |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | Most employees | 8% | 2% |
| B | Married women with a reduced-rate election | 1.85% | 2% |
| C | Over State Pension age | 0% | 0% |
| H | Apprentices under 25 | 8% | 2% |
| J | Deferred, because you pay National Insurance in another job | 2% | 2% |
| M | Under 21 | 8% | 2% |
| V | Veterans in their first civilian job | 8% | 2% |
| Z | Under 21 and deferred | 2% | 2% |
Payslip terms in plain English
- Gross pay
- Your pay before anything is taken off.
- Net pay or take-home pay
- What reaches your bank account after tax, National Insurance, pension, student loan and any other deductions.
- PAYE
- Pay As You Earn, the system your employer uses to take income tax and National Insurance straight from your wages.
- Personal Allowance
- The amount of income you can earn each year before paying income tax. It is £12,570 for most people and shrinks above £100,000.
- Adjusted net income
- Your total taxable income minus certain reliefs such as pension contributions and Gift Aid. It decides whether you lose Personal Allowance or pay the Child Benefit charge.
- Qualifying earnings
- The slice of your pay between £6,240 and £50,270 that workplace pension auto-enrolment minimums are usually based on.
- Salary sacrifice
- An agreement to give up part of your salary in return for a benefit such as a pension contribution, so it is taken before tax and National Insurance.
- Net pay arrangement
- A workplace pension method where contributions are taken before income tax, but after National Insurance.
- Relief at source
- A pension method where you pay from taxed income and the provider adds 20% tax relief to your pot.
- Fiscal drag
- The way frozen tax thresholds pull more of your income into higher tax bands as wages rise.
Frequently asked questions
How much is £30,000 a year after tax?
On a £30,000 salary in England, Wales or Northern Ireland, with the standard 1257L tax code, no pension and no student loan, you take home £25,120 a year, which is about £2,093 a month or £483 a week. Income tax is £3,486 and National Insurance is £1,394.
How much is £40,000 a year after tax?
On £40,000 you take home £32,320 a year, which is about £2,693 a month or £622 a week, after £5,486 income tax and £2,194 National Insurance. This assumes the 1257L tax code, no pension and no student loan.
How much is £50,000 a year after tax?
On £50,000 you take home £39,520 a year, which is about £3,293 a month or £760 a week, after £7,486 income tax and £2,994 National Insurance. This assumes the 1257L tax code, no pension and no student loan. In Scotland the figure is £38,024 a year.
How much is £15 an hour after tax?
At £15 an hour for 37.5 hours a week, your pay before tax is £29,250 a year and you take home £24,580 a year, which is about £2,048 a month or £473 a week. This assumes the 1257L tax code, no pension and no student loan. Enter your own hours in the calculator by choosing "per hour".
What is the difference between gross pay and net pay?
Gross pay is what you earn before any deductions. Net pay, also called take-home pay, is what reaches your bank account after income tax, National Insurance, pension contributions, student loan repayments and other deductions.
What is a tax code and where do I find mine?
A tax code tells your employer how much tax-free pay you get. It is printed on your payslip and on letters from HMRC. Most people have 1257L, which gives the standard £12,570 Personal Allowance.
What is an emergency tax code?
An emergency tax code ends in W1 or M1. Payroll uses it when it does not have your full details, for example at a new job without a P45. Each pay period is taxed on its own, so you can pay too much tax for a while. HMRC normally corrects it, and any overpayment comes back through your pay or as a refund.
Does a bonus get taxed more heavily?
A bonus is taxed at the same rates as the rest of your pay. It can look heavier in the month you receive it because it counts as extra income that month and may push part of your pay into the next tax band.
Do I pay National Insurance on pension contributions?
On a workplace net pay pension and a personal pension, yes. Only salary sacrifice removes the contribution before National Insurance is calculated.
Is salary sacrifice worth it?
It usually costs you less take-home pay than other pension types because it also saves National Insurance. On a £40,000 salary paying 5% of qualifying earnings, salary sacrifice costs £1,215 a year in take-home pay against £1,350 for a workplace net pay pension. It lowers your contractual salary, which can matter for mortgages and some statutory payments, so check with your employer first.
Why do I lose my Personal Allowance above £100,000?
The Personal Allowance reduces by £1 for every £2 of adjusted net income over £100,000, and is gone completely at £125,140. In that range the effective income tax rate is 60%, plus 2% National Insurance. Pension contributions and Gift Aid donations lower adjusted net income and can reduce the effect.
How does Scottish income tax change my take-home pay?
Scotland has its own income tax bands and rates, while National Insurance is the same across the UK. Compared with England, a Scottish taxpayer keeps £35 more a year on £30,000, £1,496 less on £50,000 and £3,300 less on £100,000. Choose Scotland in the calculator for your own figure.
Does Child Benefit affect my take-home pay?
Child Benefit is paid to you tax-free, but if your adjusted net income goes over £60,000 you repay part of it through the High Income Child Benefit Charge, which is collected through tax. Pension contributions and Gift Aid donations can lower the income that charge is based on.
Why is my payslip different from the calculator?
This is a close estimate. Your real payslip can differ because of your exact pay dates, benefits in kind, other income, an emergency tax code or an adjusted tax code. Always check against your payslip or HMRC.
Rates and thresholds for the 2026/27 tax year, last reviewed 17 October 2026. The Autumn Budget is on 28 October 2026, and this page will be updated if any rates change. Check gov.uk for official figures. This calculator is for guidance only and is not financial advice.