How to work out your take-home pay
- Enter your salary per year, month, week or hour (with your weekly hours).
- Choose England, Wales or Northern Ireland, or Scotland, which has its own income tax bands.
- Add your workplace pension percentage and its type. Most schemes use relief at source; salary sacrifice also saves National Insurance.
- Select your student loan plan if you are repaying one, and tick postgraduate loan if you have that too.
- Read your take-home pay per year, month and week, with income tax, National Insurance, loans and pension shown separately.
UK income tax and National Insurance 2026/27
Everyone gets a personal allowance of £12,570, which is reduced by £1 for every £2 of income over £100,000 and disappears at £125,140. In England, Wales and Northern Ireland the next £37,700 is taxed at 20% (basic rate), income up to £125,140 at 40% (higher rate) and anything above at 45%. Scotland has six bands for 2026/27: 19% starter (to £16,537), 20% basic (to £29,526), 21% intermediate (to £43,662), 42% higher (to £75,000), 45% advanced (to £125,140) and 48% top rate.
Employee Class 1 National Insurance is 8% on earnings between £12,570 and £50,270 a year and 2% above that, the same across the UK. Student loans are repaid at 9% of income above the threshold for your plan: Plan 1 £26,900, Plan 2 £29,385, Plan 4 £33,795 and Plan 5 £25,000, plus 6% above £21,000 for postgraduate loans. For example, a £35,000 salary in England with no pension or loan pays £4,486 income tax and £1,794.40 NI, leaving £28,719.60 a year, or £2,393.30 a month.
Figures use the standard 1257L tax code and annual thresholds; your payslip can differ slightly because employers calculate tax and NI each pay period, and because of benefits in kind, bonuses or an emergency tax code. Rates and thresholds are from HMRC's rates and thresholds for employers 2026 to 2027 and the Scottish Government's published bands, checked on 20 October 2026.
How much tax do I pay on £30,000?
In England, Wales or Northern Ireland: £3,486 income tax and £1,394.40 National Insurance, leaving £25,119.60 a year (£2,093.30 a month) before pension or student loan.
What is the 60% tax trap?
Between £100,000 and £125,140 you lose £1 of personal allowance for every £2 earned, so each extra £1 costs 40p tax plus 20p from the lost allowance: an effective 60% rate, plus 2% NI.
Does salary sacrifice save National Insurance?
Yes. Your salary is reduced before tax and NI, so you save both. Relief at source and net pay schemes only save income tax.
Are the Scottish rates different?
Yes, for income tax only. Scottish taxpayers have six bands from 19% to 48%. National Insurance and student loan thresholds are the same across the UK.