Take-Home Pay Calculator
What's My Take-Home Pay?
Calculate your take-home pay after tax, National Insurance, and other deductions. Updated for the 2026/27 tax year.
Income Details
Your results
Enter your income details and click calculate to see your take-home pay breakdown.
Understanding Take-Home Pay
What's actually left after tax
How your take-home pay is calculated
Your employer pays your gross salary, then HMRC takes income tax and National Insurance before the money reaches you. Other deductions like pension contributions and student loan repayments come off too, depending on your situation.
Gross salary
Your full pay before any deductions. The number on your contract or job offer.
Tax & NI deducted
Income tax and National Insurance are calculated on your taxable income and collected via PAYE.
Other deductions
Pension contributions, student loan repayments, and any salary sacrifice benefits reduce the final figure further.
Decoding your payslip
Every payslip contains the same core lines — here's what they each mean.
Marriage Allowance
If one partner earns below £12,570 and the other is a basic-rate taxpayer, you can transfer £1,260 of personal allowance — saving up to £252 a year.
- Must be married or in a civil partnership
- Lower earner applies via GOV.UK — backdatable up to 4 years
- Not available if either partner pays higher or additional rate tax
Pension contributions
How your contributions are taken affects both your take-home pay and how much tax relief you get.
- Salary sacrifice reduces gross pay before tax and NI, saving the most
- Relief at source takes contributions after tax, then adds 20% basic rate relief automatically
- Higher and additional rate taxpayers can claim extra relief via self-assessment
Salary sacrifice & benefits
Salary sacrifice schemes let you give up part of your gross pay in exchange for a benefit — reducing your taxable income, income tax, and NI in one go.
- Cycle to Work — spread the cost of a bike and save 28–42% depending on your tax band
- Electric car lease — company EV schemes attract very low benefit-in-kind tax (2% in 2026/27)
- Pension — the most common scheme; saves both employee and employer NI contributions
- Childcare vouchers — legacy scheme; new claimants should use Tax-Free Childcare instead
The £100k trap
Earn over £100,000 and your personal allowance starts to be withdrawn — £1 for every £2 above the threshold. By £125,140 it's gone entirely, creating an effective marginal rate of 60% on income in that band.
Below £100k
Full £12,570 personal allowance applies. Effective higher rate is 40%.
£100k–£125,140
Allowance tapers away. Effective marginal rate hits 60% — 40% tax plus 20% from lost allowance.
Above £125,140
No personal allowance. 45% additional rate applies. Pension contributions can bring ANI back below £100k.
Adjusted net income
Adjusted net income is your total taxable income minus reliefs like pension contributions and Gift Aid. HMRC uses it to decide several thresholds:
- £60,000+ triggers the High Income Child Benefit Charge
- £100,000+ withdraws the personal allowance at £1 per £2 — pushing the effective marginal rate to 60%
- Pension contributions reduce ANI and can restore both allowances
The Numbers
Tax Rates and Thresholds (2026/27)
England, Wales & NI
- • Personal Allowance: £12,570
- • Basic Rate: 20% (£12,571 to £50,270)
- • Higher Rate: 40% (£50,271 to £125,140)
- • Additional Rate: 45% (over £125,140)
Scotland
- • Personal Allowance: £12,570
- • Starter Rate: 19% (£12,571 to £16,537)
- • Basic Rate: 20% (£16,538 to £29,526)
- • Intermediate Rate: 21% (£29,527 to £43,662)
- • Higher Rate: 42% (£43,663 to £75,000)
- • Advanced Rate: 45% (£75,001 to £125,140)
- • Top Rate: 48% (over £125,140)
National Insurance
- 8% on earnings between £12,570 and £50,270 per year
- 2% on earnings above £50,270 per year
- No NI contributions on earnings below £12,570
Student Loan Thresholds
- Plan 1: 9% of income above £26,900
- Plan 2: 9% of income above £29,385
- Plan 4 (Scotland): 9% of income above £33,795
- Plan 5: 9% of income above £25,000
- Postgraduate Loan: 6% of income above £21,000
Pension Contributions
- Qualifying Earnings: Contributions based on qualifying earnings (£6,240–£50,270)
- Gross Earnings: Contributions based on total earnings
- Relief at Source: Contributions taken after tax with basic rate relief added automatically
- Salary Sacrifice: Contributions taken before tax and NI calculations
Tax Codes
Your tax code tells your employer how much income is tax-free. Most employees are on 1257L, representing the £12,570 personal allowance.
- L — standard personal allowance
- M / N — Marriage Allowance transfer (M receives, N gives)
- BR — all income taxed at basic rate (e.g. second job)
- K — negative allowance, e.g. untaxed benefits in kind
- S / C — Scottish / Welsh rates apply
- W1 / M1 — emergency non-cumulative code; tax calculated per period only
- NT — no tax to be deducted
Educational guidance only — not financial or tax advice. Figures use 2026/27 rates and assume a standard tax code. Actual take-home pay depends on your specific tax code, benefits in kind, and individual circumstances. Speak to a qualified adviser or check your payslip for precise figures.
Want to See Your Pension Projections?
Use our pension calculator to see how your contributions could grow over time and plan for your retirement.
Calculate Pension GrowthUnderstand where your salary really goes
Read the take-home pay guide for a clearer breakdown of tax bands, National Insurance, pension deductions and payslip basics.