UK Take-Home Pay Calculator 2026/27
Work out your monthly take-home pay after income tax, National Insurance, pension contributions and student loan for the 2026/27 tax year (England, Wales & NI).
| Annual | Monthly | |
|---|---|---|
| Gross salary | — | — |
| Pension | — | — |
| Income tax | — | — |
| National Insurance | — | — |
| Student loan | — | — |
| Take-home | — | — |
In short
In 2026/27 UK take-home pay is gross salary minus income tax (20% above the £12,570 personal allowance, 40% above £50,270, 45% above £125,140), employee National Insurance (8% between £12,570 and £50,270, 2% above), pension contributions and student loan repayments at 9% above the plan threshold.
Who this is for: Employees in England, Wales and Northern Ireland checking monthly take-home pay for the 2026/27 tax year.
What comes off a UK salary in 2026/27
- Income tax — 0% on the first £12,570 (personal allowance), 20% to £50,270, 40% to £125,140, 45% above. The allowance tapers away between £100,000 and £125,140, giving an effective 60% rate in that band.
- National Insurance (Class 1 employee) — 8% between £12,570 and £50,270, 2% above.
- Pension — contributions via salary sacrifice or a net-pay scheme come off before tax and NI, which is why a 5% contribution costs less than 5% of take-home.
- Student loan — 9% of income above the plan threshold (6% for postgraduate loans), collected through payroll.
Thresholds are frozen until 2030/31, so a pay rise pulls more of your income into higher bands each year ("fiscal drag").
See also: UK Dividend Tax Calculator 2026/27, UK Statutory Redundancy Pay Calculator.
Assumptions
- England, Wales and Northern Ireland bands: personal allowance £12,570, 20% to £50,270, 40% to £125,140, 45% above; allowance tapers above £100,000.
- Employee NI: 8% between £12,570 and £50,270, 2% above.
- Pension contributions are deducted before tax and NI (salary sacrifice / net pay).
- Student loan: 9% above the plan threshold (6% postgraduate), on gross salary.
Worked example
Pension £2,250 → taxable £42,750. Income tax (42,750 − 12,570) × 20% = £6,036. NI (42,750 − 12,570) × 8% = £2,414. Student loan (45,000 − 29,385) × 9% = £1,405.
Take-home ≈ £32,895/year ≈ £2,741/month.
Frequently asked questions
Does this work for Scotland?
No — Scotland has its own income tax bands (starter, basic, intermediate, higher, advanced, top). NI and student loans are the same UK-wide.
Why is the 60% trap mentioned?
Between £100,000 and £125,140 you lose £1 of personal allowance for every £2 earned, so each extra £1 is taxed at 40% plus another 20% from lost allowance.
Is my pension always deducted before tax?
Salary sacrifice and net-pay schemes are. 'Relief at source' schemes take contributions after tax and reclaim basic-rate relief into the pension — take-home is slightly different in that case.
How much tax will I pay on a £45,000 salary?
About £6,486 income tax and £2,594 NI with no pension, leaving roughly £2,993 a month; with a 5% pension and Plan 2 loan it falls to about £2,741.
Why is my take-home lower than this?
Common reasons: a different tax code, benefits in kind, relief-at-source pension, Scottish rates, or a student loan plan you did not select.
People also ask
What is the take-home pay on £30,000 in 2026/27?
About £2,100 a month: income tax £3,486 (20% above the £12,570 personal allowance) and National Insurance at 8% on earnings over £12,570.
What is the take-home pay on £50,000?
Around £3,290 a month — tax £7,486, National Insurance roughly £3,000 — before any pension or student loan deductions.
What is the personal allowance for 2026/27?
£12,570, frozen until April 2028; it tapers away by £1 for every £2 of income above £100,000.
How much National Insurance do employees pay?
8% on earnings between £12,570 and £50,270 and 2% above, deducted each pay period (Class 1).
Why is my tax higher between £100,000 and £125,140?
The personal allowance taper creates an effective 60% marginal rate (40% tax plus the lost allowance) on that slice of income.
Does salary sacrifice pension reduce tax?
Yes — sacrificed pay escapes both income tax and employee and employer National Insurance, which is why it beats a net-pay contribution.
What is the student loan deduction?
9% of earnings above the plan threshold (Plan 2 about £28,500, Plan 5 £25,000) or 6% for postgraduate loans, taken through payroll.
Is take-home pay different in Scotland?
Yes — Scottish taxpayers have six income tax bands (19% to 48%) set by Holyrood; National Insurance is the same UK-wide.
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