Free payslip check · 2026/27

Am I paying the right tax?

Enter the tax code and figures from your payslip. We'll explain your code in plain English, work out the tax PAYE should take, and show whether you may be overpaying or underpaying.

Printed near your name or National Insurance number on your payslip. Like 1257L, S1257L, C1257L, BR, 0T, K475 or 1257L M1.

How often you're paid

Total pay before deductions: 'Gross pay' or 'Total payments'. For example 2,450.00

The 'Tax' or 'PAYE' line under deductions, not National Insurance. For example 285.40

The date you were paid, which tells us the week or month of the tax year. Leave blank for today.

+ Year-to-date figures, pension and student loan (more accurate)

In the year-to-date (YTD or TD) box: 'Taxable pay' or 'Gross for tax'. If only 'Gross pay' is shown, use that.

In the same box: 'Tax' or 'Tax paid', including this payslip

Your pension line this period. Only needed for relief at source or net pay

Is this your only job or pension?
Company car, medical cover or other work benefits?
Did you start this job after 6 April?

Free. No sign-up. We don't keep your figures.

How the check works

  1. Your code, decoded. The number times 10 is your tax-free pay for the year; the letters and prefixes (S for Scotland, C for Wales, K, BR, 0T, W1/M1) change how it's used.
  2. The tax PAYE should take. We follow HMRC's own payroll tax-table rules, so a correct payslip should match to the penny. With your year-to-date figures we use the normal cumulative method: tax due on all your pay so far, less tax already paid. Without them, we work out this pay period on its own (Week 1 / Month 1).
  3. The difference. We compare it with what was taken and flag codes that often go wrong: emergency codes, BR or 0T on a main job, K codes and codes that don't match where you live.

Rates and bands are HMRC's for 2026/27 (and 2025/26 for earlier payslips), the same as our take-home calculator. It's an estimate: only HMRC can confirm your tax code.

Common tax codes at a glance

1257LThe standard code: £12,570 tax-free pay a year
S1257L / C1257LThe same, taxed at Scottish or Welsh rates
1257L W1 / M1 / XEmergency code: tax on this period's pay only
BR, D0, D1All pay taxed at one rate, no allowance (usually a second job)
0TNo tax-free allowance on this job
K codesSomething is added to your pay before tax; tax can't be more than half your pay

Official sources (checked 25 October 2026)