UK salary calculator 2026/27
Enter your salary to see your take-home pay after income tax, National Insurance, pension contributions and student loan repayments for the 2026/27 tax year. A £35,000 salary leaves you with £28,720 a year, or £2,393.30 a month, in England.
How your take-home pay is worked out
Three deductions come off almost every UK payslip. Income tax is charged on pay above your Personal Allowance of £12,570. National Insurance is 8% of what you earn between £12,570 and £50,270, and 2% above that. If you have a student loan, you repay 9% of income over your plan's threshold. A workplace pension usually comes off too.
For a £50,000 salary in England that adds up to £7,486 of income tax and £2,994 of National Insurance, leaving £39,520 (£3,293.30 a month). That is 79.0% of the gross salary.
Income tax bands 2026/27
| 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% |
If you live in Scotland, different bands apply to your salary; see the Scottish income tax calculator. Above £100,000 your Personal Allowance shrinks, which creates an effective 60% rate (the £100k tax trap).
National Insurance
| Earnings | Employee (Class 1) | Self-employed (Class 4) | Employer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Up to £12,570 a year | 0% | 0% | 0% up to £5,000, then 15% |
| £12,571 to £50,270 | 8% | 6% | 15% |
| Over £50,270 | 2% | 2% | 15% |
Student loans
| Plan | Who has it | Threshold (year) | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plan 1 | England/Wales before Sept 2012, Northern Ireland | £26,900 | 9% |
| Plan 2 | England/Wales, Sept 2012 to July 2023 | £29,385 | 9% |
| Plan 4 (Scotland) | Scotland | £33,795 | 9% |
| Plan 5 | England, from August 2023 | £25,000 | 9% |
| Postgraduate loan | Master's or doctoral loan | £21,000 | 6% |
Take-home pay at common salaries
| Salary | Take-home a year | A month | A week | Kept |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| £20,000 | £17,920 | £1,493 | £345 | 89.6% |
| £25,000 | £21,520 | £1,793 | £414 | 86.1% |
| £30,000 | £25,120 | £2,093 | £483 | 83.7% |
| £35,000 | £28,720 | £2,393 | £552 | 82.1% |
| £40,000 | £32,320 | £2,693 | £622 | 80.8% |
| £45,000 | £35,920 | £2,993 | £691 | 79.8% |
| £50,000 | £39,520 | £3,293 | £760 | 79.0% |
| £60,000 | £45,357 | £3,780 | £872 | 75.6% |
| £70,000 | £51,157 | £4,263 | £984 | 73.1% |
| £80,000 | £56,957 | £4,746 | £1,095 | 71.2% |
| £100,000 | £68,557 | £5,713 | £1,318 | 68.6% |
See every salary from £15,000 to £200,000 in the salary after tax table.
Pensions and your pay
How much a pension contribution reduces your take-home depends on how your employer runs it. Under net pay, the contribution is taken before income tax, so you get tax relief straight away. Under relief at source, 80% comes out of your pay and the provider claims the other 20% from HMRC; higher-rate taxpayers claim the rest through Self Assessment. With salary sacrifice your salary is reduced, so you save National Insurance as well (see the salary sacrifice calculator).
Auto-enrolment requires at least 8% of qualifying earnings (£6,240 to £50,270) to go into your pension, of which at least 3% comes from your employer.
FAQ
What is the tax-free Personal Allowance for 2026/27?
£12,570. It is frozen at this level and starts to shrink by £1 for every £2 of adjusted net income above £100,000, reaching zero at £125,140.
Why is my payslip different from this calculator?
Payroll works month by month using your tax code, so a new job, an emergency tax code, overtime, bonuses or benefits in kind can change a single payslip. Over a full year at a steady salary the totals should match closely.
Does this include Scottish income tax?
Yes. Choose Scotland under 'Where you live' to apply the six Scottish bands. National Insurance and student loan repayments are the same across the UK.
Is National Insurance charged on pension contributions?
Only salary sacrifice saves National Insurance, because it reduces your salary. Net pay and relief at source contributions are made from pay that has already had National Insurance taken off.