UK Take-Home Pay Calculator (2025/26)

2025/26 UK tax bands (England, Wales, NI)

• Personal Allowance: £12,570 (no income tax below this)
• Basic rate (20%): £12,571 to £50,270
• Higher rate (40%): £50,271 to £125,140
• Additional rate (45%): over £125,140
• Personal Allowance taper: reduced by £1 for every £2 earned over £100,000 (fully gone at £125,140)

National Insurance (employee Class 1)

• 0% below £12,570 per year
• 8% from £12,571 to £50,270
• 2% above £50,270

Sourced from gov.uk/income-tax-rates and gov.uk/national-insurance-rates-letters.

What this calculator does and doesn’t cover

• Includes: 2025/26 income tax bands (rUK and Scotland), employee NI, pension as % of gross, the Personal Allowance taper above £100,000, and student loan repayments (Plans 1, 2, 4, 5, and Postgrad).
• Does not include: non-standard tax codes (K, BR, NT, etc.), salary sacrifice NI savings, benefits in kind, dividend income, or post-tax deductions like season ticket loans.
• Pension assumption: contributions are treated as relief-at-source from gross. If your employer uses salary sacrifice, your real take-home is slightly higher because NI is also reduced.
• Tax code used: standard 1257L for rUK and S1257L for Scotland.

Frequently asked questions

How is take-home pay calculated in the UK?

Gross salary minus income tax (using your tax code), employee National Insurance, and any gross-pay pension contributions. The 2025/26 income tax bands are 0% (Personal Allowance), 20% (basic), 40% (higher), and 45% (additional).

What is the National Insurance rate in 2025/26?

Employee Class 1 NI is 8% on earnings between £12,570 and £50,270, then 2% above. The rate dropped from 12% to 10% in January 2024 and from 10% to 8% in April 2024.

Does this calculator include pension contributions?

Yes. Enter a percentage of gross. Auto-enrolment minimums for 2025/26 are 5% employee + 3% employer (8% total), though many workplace schemes use higher figures.

Why is my actual take-home different from the calculator?

Real payslips can differ for: non-standard tax codes (K, BR, NT), salary sacrifice arrangements, benefits in kind, or post-tax deductions. This calculator uses the standard 1257L tax code.