Take-Home Pay Calculator UK 2026/27
Convert your annual salary into exact monthly or weekly take-home pay. See exactly where every penny goes — including pension, student loan, and all tax codes.
How is take-home pay calculated in the UK?
Your take-home pay (net pay) is your gross salary minus all mandatory deductions. For 2026/27, the main deductions are Income Tax, National Insurance, pension contributions, and student loan repayments.
1. Income Tax (PAYE) 2026/27
Personal Allowance £12,570 (0% tax). Basic Rate 20% on £12,570–£50,270. Higher Rate 40% on £50,270–£125,140. Additional Rate 45% above £125,140.
2. National Insurance 2026/27
0% on earnings up to £12,570. 8% on £12,570–£50,270. 2% on earnings above £50,270.
3. Pension Contributions
Under auto-enrolment, a minimum of 8% of qualifying earnings goes into a pension (5% employee + 3% employer minimum). Salary sacrifice pension saves you both income tax AND National Insurance.
4. Student Loan Repayments
Plan 2 (most graduates 2012–2023): 9% of earnings above £28,470. Plan 1: 9% above £24,990. Plan 4 (Scotland): 9% above £31,395. Plan 5: 9% above £25,000. Postgraduate: 6% above £21,000.
Why does my take-home pay change each month?
PAYE is calculated cumulatively across the tax year. If you were overtaxed in one month (e.g. due to a bonus), your employer automatically reduces tax in later months to compensate. Other reasons for monthly changes: overtime, a tax code update from HMRC, crossing a student loan threshold, or a pension rate change.
Why do Scottish workers take home less than English workers?
Scotland has 6 income tax bands set by the Scottish Parliament. The Higher Rate (42%) starts at £43,662 in Scotland vs £50,270 in England. At a £50,000 salary, a Scottish worker pays approximately £1,542 more income tax per year.
See the full Scotland vs England comparison →Deep Dive: Tax Codes and Special Allowances
Your take-home pay calculation is heavily dependent on your tax code. The standard tax code for 2026/27 is 1257L, which gives you the standard £12,570 Personal Allowance. However, millions of UK workers have non-standard tax codes.
Emergency Tax Codes (W1, M1, X)
If you start a new job and don't provide a P45, you may be put on an emergency tax code (like 1257L W1). This means your tax is calculated on a non-cumulative basis. You get a portion of your tax-free allowance each week or month, but it doesn't look at your total earnings across the year. This can result in you overpaying tax if you were unemployed for part of the year.
The Blind Person's Allowance
If you are registered blind or severely sight impaired, you can claim the Blind Person's Allowance. This adds an extra amount (currently £3,070) to your tax-free Personal Allowance. This changes your tax code to reflect a higher allowance (e.g., changing 1257L to a higher number), directly increasing your monthly take-home pay. If you do not earn enough to use the allowance, you can transfer it to your spouse or civil partner.
The High Income Child Benefit Charge (HICBC)
While not deducted directly via PAYE on your payslip, if your individual adjusted net income exceeds £60,000, you will be liable for the High Income Child Benefit Charge. You will have to pay back 1% of your family's Child Benefit for every £200 your income exceeds £60,000, up to a hard cutoff at £80,000 where the benefit is entirely withdrawn. This is usually paid via Self Assessment, meaning your "true" take-home pay is actually lower than what is printed on your payslip if you have to write a cheque to HMRC at the end of the year.
Is your tax code correct?
Millions of workers are overpaying tax because they are on the wrong tax code. Check yours today and make sure you're not giving HMRC too much of your hard-earned cash.