How to use this UK take-home pay calculator
- Your pay: enter an annual salary, or an hourly rate and hours a week.
- Where you pay tax: England, Wales or Northern Ireland, or Scotland.
- Pension contribution: the percentage of your salary you pay into a workplace pension.
- Student loan: choose your plan, if you have one.
- Tax code: most people have 1257L; you can enter the code from your payslip.
You'll see your take-home pay and every deduction (Income Tax, National Insurance, pension and student loan) by year, month and week, using the 2026/27 rates.
How take-home pay is worked out
Worked example
With a Plan 2 student loan, you'd also repay (£35,000 − £29,385) × 9% = £505.35 a year, leaving £26,814.25. In Scotland, the same salary without a pension pays £4,501.07 of Income Tax, compared with £4,486 in England.
Income Tax bands for 2026/27
England, Wales and Northern Ireland
| Band | Taxable income | Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Personal Allowance | Up to £12,570 | 0% |
| Basic rate | £12,571 to £50,270 | 20% |
| Higher rate | £50,271 to £125,140 | 40% |
| Additional rate | Over £125,140 | 45% |
Scotland
| Band | Taxable income | Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Personal Allowance | Up to £12,570 | 0% |
| Starter rate | £12,571 to £16,537 | 19% |
| Basic rate | £16,538 to £29,526 | 20% |
| Intermediate rate | £29,527 to £43,662 | 21% |
| Higher rate | £43,663 to £75,000 | 42% |
| Advanced rate | £75,001 to £125,140 | 45% |
| Top rate | Over £125,140 | 48% |
National Insurance is the same across the UK.
The £100,000 tax trap
Above £100,000, your Personal Allowance shrinks by £1 for every £2 you earn, until it's gone at £125,140. On a salary of £110,000, the allowance falls to £7,570, and you pay £33,432 of Income Tax.
Pension contributions reduce your adjusted net income. Paying 10% (£11,000) into a pension on that £110,000 salary restores the full allowance and cuts Income Tax to £27,032. Your take-home pay falls by only £4,600, even though £11,000 goes into your pension.
Tips to keep more of your pay
- Check your tax code. An incorrect code is a common reason for paying too much tax.
- Use your workplace pension. Contributions get tax relief, and many employers add their own contributions.
- Ask about salary sacrifice. If your employer offers it, pension contributions can also save National Insurance.
- Claim allowable expenses. Some work-related costs, such as uniform cleaning or professional fees, can be claimed from HMRC.
- Compare offers by take-home pay. Use the calculator to see what a raise or new job means in your pocket each month.
Understanding your payslip
Your payslip shows your gross pay for the period, then each deduction: Income Tax under PAYE, National Insurance, pension contributions and any student loan repayment. It also shows your tax code and your year-to-date totals. Checking these against this calculator is a good way to spot an incorrect tax code or a missing pension contribution early.
Salary sacrifice explained
With salary sacrifice, you agree to a lower salary and your employer pays the difference into your pension. Because your salary is lower, you pay less Income Tax and less National Insurance, so it can be more efficient than the net pay arrangement this calculator assumes. Some employers also pass on part of their own National Insurance saving. A lower salary can affect things like mortgage applications and some benefits, so check the details with your employer before signing up.
Comparing job offers
When comparing two job offers, compare take-home pay rather than gross salary. Differences in pension contributions, salary sacrifice schemes, location (Scotland or the rest of the UK) and student loan repayments can make two similar salaries feel quite different each month. Run each offer through the calculator and compare the monthly take-home figures side by side.
When your circumstances change
Your take-home pay changes when your salary, pension percentage, tax code or student loan plan changes, and the rates themselves usually change each April at the start of the tax year. Rerun the calculator after a pay rise, a new job or a change to your pension so your budget stays based on what actually reaches your account.
What this calculator doesn't include
The calculator works out yearly figures and divides them by 12 or 52; payroll calculates each pay period separately, so payslips can differ by small amounts. It assumes your pension is deducted before tax under a net pay arrangement, and doesn't include salary sacrifice, benefits in kind, bonuses, Marriage Allowance, Blind Person's Allowance, Child Benefit charges or more than one job. Rates are for the 2026/27 tax year from gov.uk.