See what you really take home, and check you’re paying the right tax.
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Updated for 2026/27
UK take-home pay calculator 2026/27
Check how much salary you keep after Income Tax, National Insurance, pension and student loan deductions. Compare monthly and annual take-home pay for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Your net salary is not a single calculation: it is the result of several deductions applied in a specific order. Understanding each one helps you plan more accurately and spot errors on payslips.
Income tax and Personal Allowance
Everyone gets a tax-free Personal Allowance: £12,570 for 2026/27 in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Income above that is taxed at 20% (basic), 40% (higher) or 45% (additional). Scotland uses six bands, from 19% to 48%. Your tax code adjusts the effective allowance, so a non-standard code can significantly change your monthly net.
National Insurance contributions
Employee NI is charged at 8% on earnings between £12,570 and £50,270, then 2% above that. Unlike income tax, NI has no personal allowance-equivalent deduction for Scotland, it applies UK-wide. For most people on salaries between £20k and £50k, NI is the second-largest deduction after income tax.
Pension contributions and salary sacrifice
Workplace pension contributions reduce gross pay. With salary sacrifice, the pension deduction happens before tax and NI are calculated, which can meaningfully increase take-home versus a standard net-pay arrangement. The auto-enrolment minimum is 5% from the employee and 3% from the employer on qualifying earnings.
Student loan repayments
Student loan repayments are income-contingent, not debt-based. Plan 1 repayments start when earnings exceed £26,900; Plan 2 at £29,385; Plan 4 (Scotland) at £33,795; Plan 5 at £25,000. Repayments are 9% of income above the threshold (6% above £21,000 for Postgraduate Loans). The plan type materially changes the monthly deduction, especially for salaries between £25k and £50k.
Estimated monthly and annual net pay for England using default PAYE assumptions (tax code 1257L, no student loan, no pension). Income tax rates: 20% basic, 40% higher, 45% additional.
Gross salary
Monthly net
Annual net
Effective rate
£20,000
£1,493
£17,920
10.4%
£25,000
£1,793
£21,520
13.9%
£30,000
£2,093
£25,120
16.3%
£35,000
£2,393
£28,720
17.9%
£40,000
£2,693
£32,320
19.2%
£50,000
£3,293
£39,520
21.0%
£60,000
£3,780
£45,357
24.4%
£75,000
£4,505
£54,057
27.9%
£100,000
£5,713
£68,557
31.4%
£125,000
£6,505
£78,057
37.6%
England only. 2026/27 HMRC rates. No pension, student loan or benefit-in-kind adjustments. Use the calculator to tailor to your situation.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
How is take-home pay calculated?
Take-home pay starts with gross salary, then PAYE income tax is applied by tax band after your Personal Allowance and tax code settings. National Insurance is calculated separately using NI thresholds and rates. Student loan repayments are then added based on your selected plan threshold and rate, and pension deductions are applied according to your contribution setting and salary sacrifice choice. The final net figure is what remains after all deductions. This calculator uses 2026/27 rules as an estimate and is best used with assumptions that match your own payslip setup.
Does this calculator support Scottish tax rates?
Yes. Scottish income tax uses different bands and rates from England, Wales and Northern Ireland, so region selection materially changes the estimate for many salaries. Scotland has six income tax bands for 2026/27: starter (19%), basic (20%), intermediate (21%), higher (42%), advanced (45%) and top (48%). National Insurance remains largely UK-wide for employees, which means the main regional difference comes from income tax. If comparing offers across regions, run both versions with identical loan and pension settings.
What is salary sacrifice and does it affect my take-home?
Salary sacrifice is an arrangement where you agree to receive a lower gross salary in exchange for a non-cash benefit, most commonly pension contributions. Because the sacrifice reduces your gross pay before tax and NI are applied, you pay less income tax and NI than you would with a standard employee pension contribution. For a basic-rate taxpayer sacrificing 5% of a £40,000 salary (£2,000), that is about £160 a year less employee NI (8% of £2,000) than paying the same amount into a net pay arrangement, on top of the same income tax relief.
What is take-home pay on a £50,000 salary?
On a £50,000 salary in England, Wales or Northern Ireland in 2026/27, take-home pay is about £39,520 a year (£3,293 a month): income tax is £7,486 (20% of the £37,430 above the £12,570 personal allowance) and employee National Insurance is £2,994 (8% of the same £37,430). That assumes tax code 1257L, no pension and no student loan. In Scotland the same salary takes home slightly less because of the 21% and 42% bands.
How much National Insurance do I pay as an employee?
In 2026/27 employees pay Class 1 National Insurance at 8% on earnings between £12,570 and £50,270 a year and 2% on earnings above £50,270. Payroll works it out per pay period (for example £1,048 to £4,189 a month for the 8% band), and NI is the same in every UK nation.
How accurate are these calculations?
These calculations are designed for planning and use official thresholds and rates for the stated tax year. Real payroll can still differ due to non-standard tax codes, taxable benefits, irregular bonuses, prior-period adjustments, or multiple employments. The best way to improve accuracy is to match your tax code, region, loan plan and pension settings to your real payroll profile. Use this tool for structured comparison and budgeting, then validate final figures against your employer payslip.
Why is my monthly pay different from what the calculator shows?
Common reasons include: a non-standard tax code (your employer may have applied a cumulative adjustment or emergency code), pension treatment that differs from the setting you chose, a bonus or irregular payment in the relevant month, benefits-in-kind such as private health or company car that add to your taxable pay, or an attachment of earnings order. If the difference is consistent month-to-month, check your tax code on the HMRC app or a recent P60.
What is the 60% tax trap and does it affect me?
When gross salary falls between £100,000 and £125,140, the Personal Allowance tapers at £1 for every £2 earned above £100,000. This effectively creates a 60% marginal income tax rate in that band (40% tax + 20% extra because allowance is lost). If your salary is in this range, pension salary sacrifice contributions can be used to bring adjusted net income below £100,000 and recover the full allowance. Use the full calculator at the £100k–£125k range to model this.
Is this financial advice?
No. This site provides informational estimates to help with salary planning and scenario comparison. It does not provide personal tax advice, investment advice or regulated financial guidance. For decisions that depend on your full personal circumstances, rely on official HMRC resources and, where appropriate, qualified professional advice.
Sources and methodology
Built on published UK tax-year rates and thresholds
Not financial advice or payroll processing. Use as a planning tool, then confirm against employer payroll for exact treatment.
Figures reviewed for the 2026/27 tax year (last updated July 2026). Source: GOV.UK.
Every figure is checked against current HMRC and GOV.UK guidance and reviewed for the 2026/27 tax year. We explain the numbers in plain English with worked examples. Editorial standards · About us
