Calculate YourUK Take-Home Pay
Instantly see your net salary after income tax, National Insurance, student loan and pension — updated for 2025/26.
Enter Your Details
Your Take-Home Pay
£27,319.60
Detailed Breakdown
Make your take-home work harder
Useful tools and services for UK workers
* We may earn a commission from partner links at no cost to you
Instant Results
Updates in real-time as you type — no submit button needed.
HMRC Accurate
Uses official 2025/26 tax bands, NI rates and thresholds.
Completely Free
No sign-up, no paywall. Just enter your salary and go.
How is UK Income Tax Calculated?
UK income tax is calculated on a progressive basis, meaning you pay different rates on different portions of your income. For the 2025/26 tax year, everyone has a personal allowance of £12,570 — the amount you can earn completely tax-free.
Once your earnings exceed the personal allowance, you begin paying income tax. The basic rate of 20% applies to income between £12,571 and £50,270. If you earn more than £50,270, you'll pay the higher rate of 40% on earnings up to £125,140. Above that, the additional rate of 45% applies.
One important thing to note: if your income exceeds £100,000, your personal allowance gradually reduces by £1 for every £2 you earn over that amount. This creates an effective 60% marginal tax rate on income between £100,000 and £125,140 — making this the "personal allowance trap."
What is National Insurance?
National Insurance (NI) is a separate tax from income tax, paid by both employees and employers. As an employee in 2025/26, you pay 8% National Insurance on earnings between £12,570 and £50,270 per year. On earnings above £50,270, the rate drops to 2%.
Your National Insurance contributions go towards funding state benefits including the State Pension, statutory sick pay, and maternity/paternity pay. The more you contribute, the more "qualifying years" you accumulate towards your State Pension entitlement.
Importantly, National Insurance is calculated separately from income tax — you need 35 qualifying years to receive the full State Pension (£221.20/week for 2025/26).
2025/26 Tax Bands Explained
The table below shows the current income tax bands for England, Wales, and Northern Ireland for the 2025/26 tax year. Scottish taxpayers have their own rates — see our Scottish Tax Calculator.
| Tax Band | Rate | Taxable Income |
|---|---|---|
| Personal Allowance | 0% | Up to £12,570 |
| Basic Rate | 20% | £12,571 to £50,270 |
| Higher Rate | 40% | £50,271 to £125,140 |
| Additional Rate | 45% | Over £125,140 |
* Note: If your income exceeds £100,000, the personal allowance reduces, creating an effective 60% marginal rate between £100,000–£125,140.
How to Use This Calculator
Using the UK Salary Calculator is straightforward:
- Enter your salary — type your gross salary. You can enter this as an annual, monthly, weekly or hourly figure using the pay frequency selector.
- Select your region — choose England/Wales/Northern Ireland or Scotland to get the correct tax rates.
- Add student loans — if you have a student loan, select your plan to see repayments deducted automatically.
- Set pension contributions — drag the sliders to set your pension contribution percentage. Your employer's contribution is shown separately.
- View your results — see your complete breakdown instantly, showing annual, monthly, and hourly figures.
The calculator updates in real-time as you change any input, so you can quickly see the impact of salary increases, pension changes, or other adjustments.