UK Take-Home Pay Calculator

For the 2025/26 tax year, every UK taxpayer gets a tax-free Personal Allowance of £12,570. If your adjusted net income exceeds £100,000, this allowance is reduced by £1 for every £2 earned above that threshold, disappearing entirely at £125,140 — which is why very high earners effectively pay a 60% marginal rate in that band. Above the Personal Allowance, England, Wales and Northern Ireland apply a 20% basic rate up to £50,270, a 40% higher rate up to £125,140, and a 45% additional rate beyond that. Scotland sets its own bands with six rates ranging from 19% to 48%, generally resulting in slightly higher tax for middle and higher earners than the rest of the UK.

National Insurance is calculated separately: employees pay nothing on the first £12,570, 8% on earnings between £12,570 and £50,270, and 2% on anything above that. Unlike Income Tax, NI doesn't have a Personal Allowance taper — it's a flat threshold system. Workplace pension contributions made via salary sacrifice reduce both your taxable income and your NI-able earnings, which is why increasing pension contributions can meaningfully boost your take-home pay relative to the amount saved, especially if it also protects your Personal Allowance from the £100,000 taper.

Note: This calculator assumes a standard tax code with no additional benefits-in-kind, student loan repayments, or Scottish starter/intermediate band edge cases beyond what's modeled. For a precise figure, check your payslip or HMRC's official calculator.