UK take-home pay calculator
Work out what you actually get paid after Income Tax, National Insurance, pension and student loan, by year, month and week.
Not sure how your pension is paid? Check your payslip: if the pension comes off before tax it's net pay or salary sacrifice, and if your provider adds tax relief it's relief at source. Workplace schemes like NEST use relief at source.
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How this calculator works
It turns your pay into a yearly salary (monthly pay times 12, weekly pay times 52, or hourly pay times your weekly hours times 52), then works out each deduction for the 2026/27 tax year, which runs from 6 April 2026 to 5 April 2027.
- Income Tax. You get a tax-free Personal Allowance of £12,570. Above that, tax is charged in bands. In England, Wales and Northern Ireland that's 20%, 40% and 45%. Scotland has six bands, from 19% to 48%. If you earn over £100,000, your Personal Allowance shrinks by £1 for every £2 above £100,000, so it's gone completely at £125,140.
- National Insurance. Employees pay Class 1 National Insurance of 8% on earnings between £12,570 and £50,270 a year, and 2% above that. It's the same everywhere in the UK.
- Pension. With relief at source, your contribution comes out of your pay after tax and your pension provider claims 20% basic rate tax relief from HMRC, so a 5% contribution only costs you 4% of your pay. With a net pay arrangement, the contribution comes out before Income Tax, so you get relief at your top rate straight away, but you still pay National Insurance on it. With salary sacrifice, you agree to a lower salary and your employer pays the difference into your pension, so you save Income Tax, National Insurance and student loan repayments on it.
- Student loans. You repay 9% of your earnings above your plan's threshold (Plan 1 £26,900, Plan 2 £29,385, Plan 4 £33,795, Plan 5 £25,000). A Postgraduate Loan is 6% of earnings above £21,000, on top of any other plan.
- Tax codes. If you leave the tax code empty, we use the standard 1257L and take off the Personal Allowance taper ourselves. If you type a different code from your payslip, such as 1100L, K475, BR, D0 or an S code for Scotland, we use it exactly as written.
The figures are yearly totals divided into months and weeks. Your payslip may differ by a few pence, because payroll works out each pay period separately and rounds as it goes.
Tips to check your take-home pay
- Check your tax code. It's on your payslip and in the HMRC app. A wrong code is the most common reason for paying too much tax, and HMRC will refund overpaid tax once it's fixed.
- Higher rate taxpayer with relief at source? Your provider only claims 20% relief. You can claim the extra 20% or 25% through a Self Assessment tax return or by contacting HMRC.
- Earning just over £100,000? Between £100,000 and £125,140 every extra £1 you earn costs you a 60% tax rate (67.5% in Scotland) because of the allowance taper. Paying more into your pension can bring your income back below £100,000.
- Ask about salary sacrifice. If your employer offers it, it can save you National Insurance as well as tax, though it can lower your salary-based benefits such as mortgage borrowing or some maternity pay.
Frequently asked questions
Which tax year does this use?
The 2026/27 tax year, from 6 April 2026 to 5 April 2027, using HMRC's published rates and thresholds and the Scottish Government's Scottish Income Tax bands. We update it each April when the new rates start.
How do I know if I pay Scottish Income Tax?
It depends on where you live, not where you work. If your main home is in Scotland you pay Scottish Income Tax, and your tax code starts with an S. National Insurance and student loan repayments are the same across the UK.
What does the tax code 1257L mean?
The number is your tax-free allowance divided by 10, so 1257L means £12,570, the standard Personal Allowance. A K code means you have untaxed income or benefits worth more than your allowance, so tax is charged on extra pay. BR means all your pay is taxed at the basic rate, often used for a second job.
Why is my pay over £100,000 taxed so heavily?
Your Personal Allowance is reduced by £1 for every £2 of income above £100,000, until it reaches zero at £125,140. Losing that allowance on top of the 40% rate gives an effective rate of 60% on pay in that range. Pension contributions through net pay or salary sacrifice reduce the income that counts.
Does it include my employer's pension contribution?
No. Only your own contribution affects your take-home pay, so that's what the calculator uses. Your employer's contribution goes into your pension on top. Some workplace schemes take the percentage from part of your pay only (called qualifying earnings), so your actual deduction may be a little lower.
Which student loan plan am I on?
Plan 1 is usually for students in England or Wales who started before September 2012, or in Northern Ireland. Plan 2 is for English or Welsh students who started between September 2012 and July 2023. Plan 4 is for Scottish students. Plan 5 is for English students starting a course from August 2023. You can check yours in your Student Loans Company online account.
Is this financial advice?
No. It's an estimate to help you understand your pay. Things like benefits in kind, other income, tax refunds, or a mid-year change of job can change what you take home.
Results are estimates for illustration only and aren't financial or tax advice. They assume a regular salary for the whole tax year, standard Class 1 National Insurance (category A) and no other income. Figures for the 2026/27 tax year from GOV.UK and gov.scot.