How it works
The calculator follows PAYE, the system your employer uses to take Income Tax and National Insurance from your pay before it reaches your bank account. It starts from your gross pay, takes off anything that comes out before tax (salary sacrifice, net pay pension contributions, Payroll Giving), and works out each deduction on its own line.
Income Tax uses your tax code. The standard code for 2026/27 is 1257L, which gives a tax-free Personal Allowance of £12,570 a year. Above that, in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, income is taxed at the basic rate of 20%, the higher rate of 40% above £50,270 and the additional rate of 45% above £125,140. The Personal Allowance is reduced for income above £100,000 (HMRC, Rates and thresholds for employers 2026 to 2027). Wales has Welsh rates of Income Tax, set by the Welsh Government and collected by HMRC through tax codes that start with C; this calculator groups Wales with England and Northern Ireland.
Scotland sets its own Income Tax rates and bands for pay, collected by HMRC through tax codes that start with S. For 2026/27 the Scottish bands run from 19% to 48%, with the full set of bands and thresholds (starter 19% up to £3,967; basic 20% up to £16,956; intermediate 21% up to £31,092; higher 42% up to £62,430; advanced 45% up to £125,140; top 48% above £125,140 of taxable income above the Personal Allowance) taken from the Scottish Government's Scottish Income Tax 2026 to 2027 publication. The Personal Allowance is the same in Scotland as in the rest of the UK.
National Insurance is the same everywhere in the UK. Employees in category A pay 8% on earnings between the Primary Threshold of £12,570 and the Upper Earnings Limit of £50,270, and 2% above that (HMRC, Rates and thresholds for employers 2026 to 2027). Unlike Income Tax, National Insurance is worked out on each pay period on its own, so a large bonus in one month is not spread across the year. Some category letters change only what your employer pays; others, such as C for people over State Pension age, change your own deduction.
Student loan repayments are 9% of pay above the threshold for your plan: £26,900 for Plan 1, £29,385 for Plan 2, £33,795 for Plan 4 and £25,000 for Plan 5. A Postgraduate Loan is repaid at 6% above £21,000, on top of any other plan (Student Loans Company / GOV.UK, 2026 to 2027).
Pension contributions depend on how your scheme takes them. With relief at source, the contribution comes out of pay after tax and the scheme adds tax relief at the basic rate; any higher-rate relief is settled through your tax return or tax code, not on your payslip, and is not shown here. With a net pay arrangement, the contribution is taken before Income Tax but not before National Insurance. With salary sacrifice, your salary itself is lower, so both Income Tax and National Insurance are worked out on the smaller amount.
The calculator treats your pay as the same in every period of the tax year. A real payslip is worked out cumulatively from 6 April, so a new job, an emergency tax code, a code marked W1 or M1, or a change of code part way through the year can make one payslip differ from this estimate. Not included: employer National Insurance and employer pension contributions (they are not taken from your pay), Class 2 or Class 4 National Insurance for the self-employed, Marriage Allowance transfers not yet in your tax code, High Income Child Benefit Charge and tax on savings or dividends.
Worked example
Take someone in England earning £35,000 a year, paid monthly, with tax code 1257L, category A National Insurance, a 5% workplace pension through salary sacrifice on full salary and a Plan 2 student loan. Salary sacrifice lowers pay to £33,250.00 a year. Income Tax on that is £4,136.00, National Insurance is £1,653.96, the pension contribution is £1,750.00 and the student loan repayment is £336.00. Take-home pay is £27,124.04 a year, which is £2,260.34 a month or £521.62 a week. Switching "Where do you pay tax?" to Scotland changes only the Income Tax line, to £4,133.57, and take-home pay to £2,260.54 a month.
Frequently asked questions
How much is £30,000 after tax in the UK?
On a £30,000 salary with the standard tax code 1257L and no pension or student loan, take-home pay in 2026/27 is £25,120.08 a year, or £2,093.34 a month. The £30,000 after tax page shows the full breakdown, including the figure for Scotland.
What does my tax code mean?
The number is your tax-free allowance for the year with the last digit removed, and the letter describes your situation. L means the standard Personal Allowance, a code starting with S means Scottish Income Tax and one starting with C means Welsh Income Tax.
Why is my first payslip in a new job different?
If your new employer does not yet have your P45 or starter checklist, HMRC may give you an emergency tax code, often marked W1 or M1, which works out tax on each payslip on its own. Once the correct code arrives, payroll usually adjusts the difference over later payslips.
Is National Insurance the same in Scotland?
Yes. National Insurance rates and thresholds are set for the whole UK, so only the Income Tax line changes when you choose Scotland (HMRC, Rates and thresholds for employers 2026 to 2027).
Does salary sacrifice reduce National Insurance?
Yes. Salary sacrifice lowers your contractual pay, so Income Tax, National Insurance and student loan repayments are all worked out on the lower figure. A net pay pension lowers Income Tax only, and relief at source lowers neither on your payslip.
How much student loan will come off my payslip each month?
Repayments are 9% of pay above your plan's threshold for the pay period, so they change with each payslip's pay. A Postgraduate Loan adds 6% of pay above its own threshold (Student Loans Company / GOV.UK, 2026 to 2027).