Take-Home Pay Calculator (UK, 2026/27)
Work out your pay after income tax, National Insurance, pension and student loan. Updated for the 2026/27 tax year, including Scottish rates.
| Per year | £28,719.60 |
|---|---|
| Per month | £2,393.30 |
| Per 4 weeks | £2,209.20 |
| Per week | £552.30 |
| Per day | £110.46 |
| Per hour | £14.73 |
| Deduction | Per year | Per month | % of gross |
|---|---|---|---|
| Income tax | £4,486 | £374 | 12.8% |
| National Insurance | £1,794 | £150 | 5.1% |
| Take-home pay | £28,720 | £2,393 | 82.1% |
England, Wales and Northern Ireland income tax rates applied. Personal Allowance used: £12,570.
How your take-home pay is worked out
Your take-home pay (also called net pay) is your gross salary minus income tax, employee National Insurance, any pension contributions and any student loan repayments. This calculator uses the official 2026/27 rates and applies them to your annual pay.
Income tax
You pay no tax on the first £12,570 you earn (the Personal Allowance). Income above that is taxed in bands. These are the 2026/27 rates for England, Wales and Northern Ireland:
| Band | Income | Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Basic rate | £12,570 to £50,270 | 20% |
| Higher rate | £50,271 to £137,710 | 40% |
| Additional rate | £137,711 and over | 45% |
If you earn between £100,000 and £125,140 you lose £1 of Personal Allowance for every £2 over £100,000, which gives an effective 60% rate on that slice of income.
Scottish income tax
Scotland has its own bands. For 2026/27:
| Band | Income | Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | £125,141 and over | 48% |
National Insurance
Employees pay Class 1 National Insurance of 8% on earnings between £12,570 and £50,270 a year, and 2% on anything above that. It is the same in every part of the UK.
Student loan repayments
You repay a percentage of income above a threshold, taken through payroll. The thresholds are:
| Plan | Yearly threshold | Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Plan 1 | £26,900 | 9% |
| Plan 2 | £29,385 | 9% |
| Plan 4 (Scotland) | £33,795 | 9% |
| Plan 5 | £25,000 | 9% |
| Postgraduate loan | £21,000 | 6% |
Pensions
There are three common ways a workplace pension is paid, and they affect your pay differently:
- Net pay: contributions come out before income tax, so you save tax at your highest rate but still pay National Insurance on the full amount.
- Salary sacrifice: your salary is reduced, so you save both income tax and National Insurance.
- Relief at source: you pay from your take-home pay and the pension provider adds 20% tax relief. Higher-rate taxpayers benefit from a wider basic-rate band.
What this calculator does not include
It is a close estimate rather than a payslip. It assumes the standard tax code (1257L), a single job, and ignores things like benefits in kind, the Marriage Allowance, Gift Aid, the High Income Child Benefit Charge, bonuses taxed at different times, and tax-code adjustments. Scottish rates for incomes above £100,000 are approximate. For exact figures, check your payslip or your HMRC personal tax account.
Sources: GOV.UK: Income Tax rates and Personal Allowances, GOV.UK: National Insurance rates, GOV.UK: Scottish Income Tax, GOV.UK: Student loan repayments. Figures last checked on 8 October 2026.
Frequently asked questions
How much is £30,000 a year after tax?
On a £30,000 salary in England, Wales or Northern Ireland you take home about £25,120 a year (£2,093 a month) in 2026/27, after £3,486 income tax and £1,394 National Insurance. This assumes no pension, student loan or other deductions.
How much is £50,000 a year after tax?
On £50,000 you take home about £39,520 a year (£3,293 a month) in 2026/27, after £7,486 income tax and £2,994 National Insurance.
What is the tax-free Personal Allowance for 2026/27?
The standard Personal Allowance is £12,570. It is reduced by £1 for every £2 of adjusted net income over £100,000, and disappears completely at £125,140.
Do Scottish taxpayers pay more income tax?
Scotland sets its own income tax bands and rates, with six bands instead of three. Scottish taxpayers earning more than about £33,500 pay more than those elsewhere in the UK, while those on lower incomes can pay slightly less. Choose “Scotland” in the calculator to see your figure. National Insurance is the same across the UK.
Does paying into a pension increase my take-home pay?
It reduces your take-home pay, but by less than the amount you pay in, because pension contributions are made before income tax is worked out (or have tax relief added). With salary sacrifice you also save National Insurance. Use the pension options in the calculator to see the effect.
What does the tax code 1257L mean?
1257L is the standard tax code for 2026/27. The number (1257) is your tax-free allowance divided by ten (£12,570), and the letter L means you get the standard Personal Allowance. If your code is different, HMRC has adjusted your allowance, so your real take-home pay may differ from this estimate.
Related guides
More from UK Answers
- Salary after tax tables
- Hourly rate tables
- Tax year comparison
- Pay rise
- Redundancy pay
- Holiday entitlement
Figures are for the 2026/27 tax year from official sources and are estimates for guidance only, not financial or legal advice. Printed from ukanswers.co.uk.