About the UK Take-Home Pay Calculator 2026/27
Your take-home pay is what's left of your gross salary after income tax, National Insurance, your workplace pension contribution and any student loan repayments. This calculator uses the official 2026/27 rates: the £12,570 Personal Allowance (frozen), the 20%, 40% and 45% bands in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, Scotland's six bands from 19% to 48%, and employee NI at 8% and 2%.
It also handles the three ways pensions are taken from pay — relief at source, net pay and salary sacrifice — which change how much tax and NI you pay.
How to use
- Enter your gross annual salary before any deductions.
- Choose England, Wales & NI or Scotland depending on where you live (Welsh rates are currently the same as England's).
- Enter your pension contribution as a percentage and pick the type shown on your payslip or pension scheme letter.
- Select your student loan plan and tick Postgraduate loan if you have one. Your monthly, yearly and weekly take-home appears instantly.
Income tax and NI rates 2026/27
| England, Wales & NI | Taxable income | Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Personal Allowance | up to £12,570 | 0% |
| Basic rate | £12,571 – £50,270 | 20% |
| Higher rate | £50,271 – £125,140 | 40% |
| Additional rate | over £125,140 | 45% |
| Scotland | Income | Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Starter | £12,571 – £16,537 | 19% |
| Basic | £16,538 – £29,526 | 20% |
| Intermediate | £29,527 – £43,662 | 21% |
| Higher | £43,663 – £75,000 | 42% |
| Advanced | £75,001 – £125,140 | 45% |
| Top | over £125,140 | 48% |
Employee National Insurance: 8% on earnings between £12,570 and £50,270 a year, 2% above. The Personal Allowance falls by £1 for every £2 of adjusted net income over £100,000, so it disappears at £125,140 — an effective 60% rate (England) between £100,000 and £125,140.
Student loans: 9% of income above £26,900 (Plan 1), £29,385 (Plan 2), £33,795 (Plan 4) or £25,000 (Plan 5); Postgraduate loan 6% above £21,000.
Take-home pay examples (England, no pension or loan)
| Salary | Income tax | NI | Take-home / year | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| £25,000 | £2,486 | £994.40 | £21,519.60 | £1,793.30 |
| £30,000 | £3,486 | £1,394.40 | £25,119.60 | £2,093.30 |
| £50,000 | £7,486 | £2,994.40 | £39,519.60 | £3,293.30 |
| £60,000 | £11,432 | £3,210.60 | £45,357.40 | £3,779.78 |
| £110,000 | £33,432 | £4,210.60 | £72,357.40 | £6,029.78 |
Pension types: with relief at source you pay 80% of the contribution from net pay and the provider claims 20% basic-rate relief; with net pay the contribution is taken before income tax; with salary sacrifice your salary is reduced, so you also save NI (and student loan repayments may fall). On £39,000 with 5% salary sacrifice you keep £2,516.30 a month versus £2,503.30 with relief at source.
Sources
- HMRC — Rates and thresholds for employers 2026 to 2027 (gov.uk)
- gov.uk — Income Tax rates and Personal Allowances
- mygov.scot — Scottish Income Tax rates 2026 to 2027
- gov.uk — Repaying your student loan: what you pay
- gov.uk — Tax on your private pension contributions
This calculator gives an estimate for a single employment with tax code 1257L. It is not tax advice; check your payslip or HMRC's personal tax account for your exact figures.
FAQ
What is the take-home pay on £30,000 in 2026/27?
In England, Wales or Northern Ireland with no pension or student loan, you pay £3,486 income tax and £1,394.40 National Insurance, leaving £25,119.60 a year — about £2,093 a month.
Did tax thresholds change for 2026/27?
Mostly not. The Personal Allowance (£12,570), the higher-rate threshold (£50,270) and the NI thresholds are frozen. In Scotland, the upper limits of the starter and basic-rate bands rose by about 7% while the higher, advanced and top thresholds stayed frozen. Student loan thresholds for Plans 1, 2 and 4 increased.
Is salary sacrifice better than relief at source?
Usually yes for take-home pay, because salary sacrifice also saves 8% (or 2%) National Insurance on the amount you sacrifice. It can reduce your student loan repayments too, but it may affect things based on salary such as mortgage applications or statutory pay.
Why do I pay 60% tax between £100,000 and £125,140?
Your Personal Allowance is withdrawn at £1 for every £2 you earn above £100,000. Each extra £1 is taxed at 40% and also removes 50p of tax-free allowance, giving an effective 60% income tax rate (plus 2% NI). Pension contributions reduce adjusted net income and can restore the allowance.
Does this include employer pension contributions?
No. Employer contributions go straight into your pension and do not change your take-home pay, so they are not shown. Auto-enrolment usually means at least 3% from your employer on qualifying earnings.