Take-Home Pay Calculator
Work out UK take-home pay after Income Tax and National Insurance for the 2026/27 tax year.
What this calculator does
Estimates your UK take-home pay after both Income Tax and National Insurance, the two main deductions from a standard employee salary, using current 2026/27 rates and thresholds.
Who this is for
UK employees checking a job offer's real take-home value, anyone budgeting around a specific salary, or people wanting to understand exactly where their gross pay goes each month.
How this calculator works
Uses 2026/27 rates: a £12,570 Personal Allowance, 20% basic rate to £50,270, 40% higher rate to £125,140, 45% above. National Insurance is 8% between £12,570 and £50,270, and 2% above that.
Worked example
A £35,000 salary: the first £12,570 is tax-free. Taxable income = £22,430, taxed at 20% = £4,486 Income Tax. National Insurance: £22,430 × 8% = £1,794.40. Total deductions = £6,280.40, leaving take-home pay of roughly £28,719.60 per year, or about £2,393/month.
Where your salary goes
Run the calculator above to see the Income Tax, National Insurance, and take-home split.
Common mistakes
- Forgetting the Personal Allowance taper. Above £100,000, your tax-free Personal Allowance reduces by £1 for every £2 earned, disappearing entirely at £125,140 — this calculator doesn't model that taper, so high earners should treat the estimate as approximate.
- Using England/Wales rates for Scotland. Scotland has its own Income Tax bands set by the Scottish Parliament, which differ from the rest of the UK.
- Not accounting for pension contributions. Salary sacrifice pension contributions reduce your taxable income before Income Tax and NI are calculated, which this simple estimate doesn't include.
- Confusing Income Tax and National Insurance as one deduction. They're calculated separately with different thresholds and rates, then both subtracted from gross pay — payslips itemize them individually for this reason.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between Income Tax and National Insurance?
Income Tax funds general government spending. National Insurance funds specific benefits including the State Pension and NHS. Both are deducted from the same salary but calculated with different thresholds and rates, which is why payslips show them separately.
Why is my Personal Allowance different above £100,000?
The £12,570 Personal Allowance reduces by £1 for every £2 you earn above £100,000, reaching zero at £125,140 — creating an effective marginal tax rate of 60% in that income band, since you lose allowance and pay higher-rate tax simultaneously.
What is the 2026/27 Personal Allowance?
£12,570 — the amount you can earn tax-free before Income Tax applies. It reduces for incomes above £100,000 and disappears entirely at £125,140.
Does this work for Scotland?
No, this uses England/Wales/Northern Ireland rates. Scotland has separate Income Tax bands set by the Scottish Parliament, though National Insurance rates are the same UK-wide.