P60 Explained, What It Shows and How to Check It
Written and reviewed by James Whitfield · Updated for 2026/27 · Editorial standards · Methodology
What a P60 is, how to read every line, and what to do when the figures look wrong.
Quick answer (2026/27)
A P60 is the end-of-year certificate your employer must give you by 31 May, showing your total pay, income tax and employee National Insurance for the tax year to 5 April1. The pay figure is gross (before tax and NI) but after salary-sacrifice or net-pay pension deductions, and it includes overtime and bonuses. A £40,000 salary on tax code 1257L all year should show £5,486 tax and £2,194.40 NI for 2026/27.
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Who this guide helps
- Employees comparing calculator results with a payslip
- People checking why net pay changed without a salary change
- Job movers who need a clear baseline before comparing offers
What this guide covers
- What a P60 is and when you get one
- Reading the P60: what each figure means
- How to check if your P60 looks right
At-a-glance examples (2026/27)
Typical default outputs for quick context.
What a P60 is and when you get one
Your employer must give you a P60 by 31 May each year. It is a summary of your total pay and deductions for the tax year that just ended on 5 April. If you have more than one job, you should get a P60 from each employer. The document is used by HMRC, mortgage lenders, benefits assessors, and yourself when completing a Self Assessment tax return.
The P60 is not a receipt for a refund or a bill for more tax, it is purely a summary. HMRC reconciles PAYE automatically and will send a P800 if they calculate that you overpaid or underpaid. If you receive a P800 notice, check the P60 figures match what HMRC has on record before taking any action.
Since around 2020, many employers issue digital P60s through payroll portals. These carry the same legal weight as paper copies. If you cannot find yours, check your payroll portal first, then contact your HR or payroll department. HMRC also holds income and tax information in your Personal Tax Account, though the granularity is less than a full P60.
- Issued by 31 May each year for the tax year just ended.
- Covers 6 April to 5 April, a full UK tax year.
- One P60 per employer; check all if you held multiple jobs.
- Available digitally through most modern payroll portals.
Reading the P60: what each figure means
The key figures are total pay, total tax deducted, and National Insurance contributions. 'Total pay' is your gross earnings in the tax year from that employer: salary, overtime, bonuses and any benefits your employer taxes through payroll. Most taxable benefits, such as a company car, are reported on a P11D instead. 'Total tax' is the income tax your employer deducted under PAYE across all pay periods. This should match what you would expect based on your gross pay and tax code.
Employee NI contributions appear separately. You will see the letter of your NI category alongside the amount paid. The figure is the total employee NI deducted in the year, it does not affect whether your National Insurance record is complete, but if you made no contributions despite earning above the primary threshold, something may need checking.
The 'tax code in use at 5 April' line tells you the final code your employer applied. If this does not match what you expected (for example, you should have had 1257L but the P60 shows a lower number or a K code), it is worth investigating with HMRC, as an incorrect year-end code can mean you were over or under-taxed throughout the year.
- Total pay: your full gross employment income for the year.
- Total tax: income tax deducted by your employer under PAYE.
- NI contributions: employee NI paid, split by category where relevant.
- Tax code at 5 April: the final code used, compare with what you expected.
How to check if your P60 looks right
The simplest check is to enter your P60 gross total into a take-home pay calculator and compare the estimated income tax against the figure on your P60. Allow for rounding and for any period during the year where your tax code was different. If the numbers match within a small margin, the P60 is almost certainly correct.
A common mismatch occurs when someone changed job mid-year without a P45, spent time on emergency tax, or had a tax code adjustment that did not filter through cleanly. In these cases the end-of-year reconciliation through PAYE should have sorted most of it, but a discrepancy of more than £50–100 is worth querying with HMRC.
Mortgage applications almost always ask for the last two or three P60s as income evidence. Make sure you retain copies for at least four years, the same period HMRC can go back for self-assessment purposes. A missing P60 is not catastrophic since HMRC holds a copy, but retrieving one from a previous employer you no longer work for can be slow.
- Cross-check P60 tax against a calculator using the same gross pay.
- Mid-year job changes and emergency tax can cause legitimate discrepancies.
- Differences over £100 are worth querying with HMRC.
- Keep P60s for at least 4 years, needed for mortgage applications.
Related pages on this site
Use the calculator for practical scenarios
2026/27 factual reference points
Current tax-year thresholds used across this guide and calculator.
NI thresholds
- Primary threshold: £12,570
- Upper earnings limit: £50,270
- Rates: 8% then 2%
Student loan plans
- PLAN1: threshold £26,900, rate 9%
- PLAN2: threshold £29,385, rate 9%
- PLAN4: threshold £33,795, rate 9%
- PLAN5: threshold £25,000, rate 9%
- Postgraduate: threshold £21,000, rate 6%
Frequently asked questions
What is a P60?+
A P60 is a summary of your pay and deductions from one employer for a whole tax year (6 April to 5 April). Your employer must give it to you by 31 May if you are still working for them on 5 April. It shows total pay, income tax deducted, employee National Insurance and your final tax code.
Is the pay on a P60 gross or net?+
Gross: it is pay before income tax and National Insurance. It is after any pension contributions made through salary sacrifice or a net pay arrangement, so it can be lower than your contractual salary. Taxable benefits such as a company car usually appear on a P11D instead, unless your employer payrolls them.
Where is overtime on a P60?+
Overtime is not shown separately. It is included in the total pay figure along with salary, bonuses and commission. Your payslips show the overtime breakdown.
How do I check my P60 is correct?+
Compare the total pay with the year-to-date gross on your last payslip of the tax year, then run that figure through a take-home calculator with your tax code. For 2026/27, £40,000 on tax code 1257L for the full year should show £5,486 income tax and £2,194.40 National Insurance. A big gap usually means a tax code change, emergency tax or a job change during the year.
What if I have lost my P60?+
Ask your employer for a copy or a statement of earnings. You can also see your income and the tax paid for previous years in your HMRC personal tax account, which most lenders accept alongside payslips.
Do I get a P60 if I left my job during the year?+
No. If you left before 5 April you get a P45 instead, which shows your pay and tax up to your leaving date. You only get a P60 from the employer you were working for on 5 April.
Related guides
Sources & references
OfficialThe rates, thresholds and rules on this page are drawn from the official UK government sources below, using the confirmed 2026/27 figures. Each link opens the relevant HMRC or GOV.UK page in a new tab.
- PAYE forms: P45, P60 and P11D www.gov.uk/paye-forms-p45-p60-p11d
- Tax codes: what they mean www.gov.uk/tax-codes
- Income Tax rates and Personal Allowances www.gov.uk/income-tax-rates
- National Insurance rates and categories www.gov.uk/national-insurance-rates-letters
- Personal tax account: sign in or set up www.gov.uk/personal-tax-account
Verified against published UK government guidance for 2026/27.