See what you actually take home after Income Tax, National Insurance, pension and student loan, using 2026/27 rates (6 April 2026 to 5 April 2027).
Your take-home pay
-a month
- a year
Year
Month
Week
The working
How your take-home pay is worked out
Take-home pay is your salary minus four things: Income Tax, National Insurance, any pension contribution and any student loan repayment. The calculator applies the 2026/27 rates below in this order.
Pension. Salary sacrifice comes off first, so you pay no tax or NI on it. Net-pay pensions come off before tax but not NI. Relief-at-source pensions come out of your pay after tax, and your provider adds 20% tax relief.
Personal Allowance. The first £12,570 is tax-free, unless you earn over £100,000.
Income Tax on the rest, in bands (below).
National Insurance at 8% on earnings between £12,570 and £50,270, and 2% above that.
Student loans at 9% of earnings over your plan's threshold, plus 6% for a postgraduate loan.
Example: £35,000 with a 5% salary sacrifice pension
Salary
£35,000.00
Pension (salary sacrifice)
−£1,750.00
Income Tax
−£4,136.00
National Insurance
−£1,654.40
Take-home pay
£27,459.60 a year (£2,288.30 a month)
Income Tax rates 2026/27: England, Wales and Northern Ireland
Band
Salary
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%
Income Tax rates 2026/27: Scotland
Scotland sets its own Income Tax bands. National Insurance and student loans are the same across the UK.
Band
Salary
Rate
Personal Allowance
Up to £12,570
0%
Starter rate
£12,571 to £16,537
19%
Basic rate
£16,538 to £29,526
20%
Intermediate rate
£29,527 to £43,662
21%
Higher rate
£43,663 to £75,000
42%
Advanced rate
£75,001 to £125,140
45%
Top rate
Over £125,140
48%
Student loan thresholds 2026/27
Plan
You repay on earnings over
Rate
Plan 1
£26,900
9%
Plan 2
£29,385
9%
Plan 4 (Scotland)
£33,795
9%
Plan 5
£25,000
9%
Postgraduate loan
£21,000
6%
What this calculator assumes
You're an employee on a standard 1257L tax code (or its Scottish equivalent), paid the same every period.
The pension percentage is your own contribution on your whole salary. Employer contributions don't affect take-home pay.
Relief-at-source figures include only the automatic 20% relief. Higher and additional-rate taxpayers can claim more through Self Assessment.
It doesn't cover benefits in kind, Marriage Allowance, Blind Person's Allowance, self-employment or other income.
Want a quick answer for a round number? See the salary after tax table, with a full breakdown for every salary from £15,000 to £200,000.
Questions people ask
What is the Personal Allowance for 2026/27?+
£12,570. It shrinks by £1 for every £2 of adjusted net income over £100,000, and is zero from £125,140.
Why is my payslip slightly different from this calculator?+
Payroll works out tax and National Insurance each pay period and rounds as it goes, and your tax code may not be the standard 1257L. Bonuses, overtime, benefits in kind and underpaid tax from earlier years also change the figure. This calculator gives the annual picture for a steady salary.
Which student loan plan am I on?+
Roughly: Plan 1 if you started in England or Wales before September 2012 or studied in Northern Ireland; Plan 2 if you started in England or Wales from September 2012 to July 2023; Plan 4 if you studied in Scotland; Plan 5 if you started in England from August 2023. Your plan is shown in your Student Loans Company account.
Does salary sacrifice really save money?+
Yes. Because the contribution comes off before National Insurance as well as tax, the same pension contribution costs you less take-home pay than a net-pay or relief-at-source scheme. It also reduces student loan repayments.
I earn just over £100,000. What is the 60% tax trap?+
Between £100,000 and £125,140 you pay 40% tax and lose £1 of Personal Allowance for every £2 earned, so each extra £1 costs 60p in tax (plus 2% NI). Pension contributions reduce adjusted net income and can win the allowance back. Try adding one in the calculator.