Tax & Income
UK Income Tax Calculator
Enter your gross salary to see your take-home pay after income tax, National Insurance, pension contributions, and student loan repayments.
Your details
Annual gross income
Your results
Income Tax on a £35,000 Salary in 2026/27
Take-home pay / year
£28,720
Take-home pay / month
£2,393
- Gross salary
- £35,000
- Income Tax
- −£4,486
- National Insurance
- −£1,794
- Take-home pay
- £28,720
Breakdown
Taxable income
- Personal allowance (tax-free)
- £12,570
Annual pension pot
- Your contribution
- £0
- Employer contribution
- £1,050
- Total to pension pot
- £1,050
- Monthly equivalent
- £88/mo
Pay period breakdown
| Monthly | Weekly | Daily | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross | £2,917 | £673 | £135 |
| Income Tax | −£374 | −£86 | −£17 |
| National Insurance | −£150 | −£35 | −£7 |
| Take-home | £2,393 | £552 | £110 |
Income tax bands · 2026/27
| Band | Rate | Taxable income | Tax |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic rate | 20% | £22,430 | £4,486 |
| Total income tax | £4,486 | ||
National Insurance: 8% up to £50,270, then 2% above.
Tax Guide
How UK income tax works
Income tax in the UK is charged on a progressive band system. You pay different rates on different portions of your income, not a flat rate on everything. Understanding how each deduction interacts is the key to knowing what you actually take home.
The personal allowance
Everyone receives a personal allowance, which is the amount you can earn completely tax-free. For 2026/27 this is £12,570, frozen since 2021/22. Above £100,000 the allowance reduces by £1 for every £2 you earn over the threshold, creating an effective 60% marginal rate (67.5% in Scotland for 2026/27) until the allowance disappears entirely at £125,140. Making pension contributions can reduce your income below £100,000 and restore the full allowance.
Income tax bands (England, Wales & Northern Ireland)
After the personal allowance, income tax is charged in three bands: 20% Basic rate on earnings up to £50,270, 40% Higher rate between £50,270 and £125,140, and 45% Additional rate above £125,140. Critically, each band only applies to the income within it, not your entire salary. A salary of £55,000 does not mean you pay 40% on all of it; only the £4,730 above £50,270 is taxed at the higher rate.
Scottish income tax
Scotland uses six bands: Starter (19%), Basic (20%), Intermediate (21%), Higher (42%), Advanced (45%), and Top (48%), giving higher earners a greater liability than in the rest of the UK. National Insurance rates are the same throughout the UK. Toggle the "I pay Scottish income tax" option in the calculator to compare your liability under Scottish rates.
National Insurance contributions
Employee Class 1 NI is 8% on earnings between £12,570 and £50,270, and 2% on anything above. It builds entitlement to the State Pension and certain benefits, but is effectively another deduction from your pay. Employer NI is separate and does not reduce your take-home. If you are in a salary sacrifice pension arrangement, your NI is also reduced because it is calculated on your lower pensionable pay, making salary sacrifice the most tax-efficient pension option. Use the National Insurance Calculator to see your exact NI bill in isolation.
Pension contributions and tax efficiency
The three main pension arrangements work differently for tax. With salary sacrifice, your employer reduces your contractual pay before calculating tax and NI, saving on both. With a net pay arrangement, the contribution is deducted from gross pay before income tax, so you get full tax relief at your marginal rate but no NI saving. With relief at source, you contribute from net pay and your provider claims 20% basic rate relief from HMRC; higher-rate taxpayers can claim additional relief via self-assessment.
When you use salary sacrifice, your employer also saves secondary NI (15% in 2026/27) on the sacrificed amount. Many employers pass this saving straight to your pension pot. Use the "Employer details" section in the calculator to model the full picture, including whether contributions are based on your total gross salary or the auto-enrolment qualifying earnings band (£6,240–£50,270). To model your pension pot growth over time, see the Pension Calculator.
Student loan repayments
Student loan repayments are collected through PAYE alongside tax and NI. The rate is 9% of earnings above the plan threshold, or 6% for the Postgraduate Loan. Each plan has a different repayment threshold, and the thresholds change annually. This calculator covers Plan 1, Plan 2, Plan 4 (Scotland), Plan 5, and the Postgraduate Loan, using the correct thresholds for each selected tax year. Repayments reduce your take-home but are credited to your loan balance, not treated as tax. The Student Loan Calculator shows full repayment projections including when your loan clears.
What's included and what isn't
This calculator covers income tax for England, Wales, Northern Ireland, and Scotland; employee Class 1 National Insurance; pension contributions across all three scheme types and both earnings bases; employer contributions and NI pass-through; and student loan repayments across all plans for each supported tax year.
It does not account for benefits in kind, dividend income, rental income, bonus payments, employment allowance, or tax code adjustments. All results are estimates based on a consistent salary throughout the year. Your actual payslips may differ due to HMRC's cumulative PAYE system. For pay period conversions (hourly, daily, weekly) use the Salary Calculator. To see how your take-home pay affects what you can borrow, try the Mortgage Affordability Calculator.
Income tax by salary: 2026/27
Common salary levels and their exact income tax, National Insurance and take-home pay for the 2026/27 tax year. Figures assume a standard tax code with no pension contributions.
| Gross salary | Income tax | NI | Take-home |
|---|---|---|---|
| £20,000 | £1,486 | £594 | £17,920 |
| £25,000 | £2,486 | £994 | £21,520 |
| £30,000 | £3,486 | £1,394 | £25,120 |
| £35,000 | £4,486 | £1,794 | £28,720 |
| £40,000 | £5,486 | £2,194 | £32,320 |
| £45,000 | £6,486 | £2,594 | £35,920 |
| £50,000 | £7,486 | £2,994 | £39,520 |
| £60,000 | £11,432 | £3,211 | £45,357 |
| £75,000 | £17,432 | £3,511 | £54,057 |
| £100,000 | £27,432 | £4,011 | £68,557 |
Income tax breakdowns for common salaries
Detailed tax breakdowns for the most searched UK salary levels. All figures are for 2026/27, standard tax code, no pension or student loan.
Tax on a £30,000 salary
A £30,000 salary sits entirely within the 20% basic rate band. After the £12,570 personal allowance, £17,430 is taxable. Income tax is approximately £3,486, National Insurance approximately £1,746, giving take-home pay of around £24,768/year (£2,064/month).
Calculate for £30,000 →Tax on a £40,000 salary
A £40,000 salary is still fully within the basic rate band. After the personal allowance, £27,430 is taxable at 20%. Income tax is approximately £5,486, National Insurance approximately £2,186, giving take-home pay of around £32,328/year (£2,694/month).
Calculate for £40,000 →Tax on a £50,000 salary
A £50,000 salary is just below the higher-rate threshold of £50,270. All taxable income is at 20%. Income tax is approximately £7,486, National Insurance approximately £2,946, giving take-home pay of around £39,568/year (£3,297/month). A salary sacrifice pension contribution could meaningfully reduce this.
Calculate for £50,000 →Tax on a £60,000 salary
A £60,000 salary crosses into the 40% higher-rate band. The portion above £50,270 (£9,730) is taxed at 40%; the rest at 20%. Income tax is approximately £11,432, National Insurance approximately £3,146, giving take-home pay of around £45,422/year (£3,785/month).
Calculate for £60,000 →Tax on a £75,000 salary
At £75,000 a significant portion is in the 40% band. £24,730 is taxed at the higher rate. Income tax is approximately £19,432, National Insurance approximately £3,246, giving take-home pay of around £52,322/year (£4,360/month). Pension contributions are particularly effective at this level for reducing higher-rate tax.
Calculate for £75,000 →Tax on a £100,000 salary
At £100,000 you reach the personal allowance taper threshold. The personal allowance starts reducing, creating an effective 60% marginal rate on income between £100,000 and £125,140. Income tax is approximately £27,432, National Insurance approximately £3,346, giving take-home pay of around £69,222/year (£5,769/month). Pension contributions to reduce income below £100,000 restore the full allowance and can save thousands.
Calculate for £100,000 →2026/27 vs 2025/26: what changed?
The main income tax and National Insurance rates and thresholds remain frozen in 2026/27, continuing the government's policy of holding allowances steady. Key points:
- Personal allowance: unchanged at £12,570
- Frozen since 2021/22. With wage growth, more people are now paying income tax for the first time and more basic-rate taxpayers are crossing into the higher rate, a process sometimes called "fiscal drag".
- Higher-rate threshold: unchanged at £50,270
- Also frozen, meaning a larger share of earners pay 40% tax compared to previous years. Income between £12,570 and £50,270 is taxed at 20%; income above £50,270 at 40%; and income above £125,140 at 45%.
- Employer NI: rose to 15% from April 2025
- The employer National Insurance rate increased from 13.8% to 15% in 2025/26 and remains at 15% for 2026/27. This does not directly affect take-home pay, but makes salary sacrifice pensions even more attractive as employers save more on each pound sacrificed.
- NI secondary threshold: lowered to £5,000
- The threshold at which employers start paying NI was cut from £9,100 to £5,000 in 2025/26 and remains at £5,000 in 2026/27. Employee NI thresholds are unchanged.
Frequently asked questions
Related guides
Sources & methodology
Built and maintained by Tim, a personal finance enthusiast (not a financial adviser). Last reviewed April 2026. Rates and thresholds come from official UK government publications.
- HMRC: Income Tax rates and allowances · Official rates, bands and thresholds
- GOV.UK: National Insurance rates · Employee and employer NI rates
- Scottish Government: Income Tax · Scottish income tax rates and bands
- The Pensions Regulator: Auto-enrolment · Qualifying earnings and contribution thresholds
- GOV.UK: Tax on your private pension · Tax relief rules and annual allowances
- HMRC: Pension schemes · Salary sacrifice and pension scheme types
Figures are estimates only. This is not financial or tax advice. For help with your specific situation, speak to HMRC or a qualified adviser.