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UK Take-Home Pay Calculator – Salary After Tax and National Insurance

Work out your take-home pay in the UK for the 2026/27 tax year. Enter your salary, pension contribution and student loan plan to see Income Tax, National Insurance and your net pay per year, month and week.

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How to use the UK take-home pay calculator

  1. Enter your annual salary before tax.
  2. Enter your pension contribution as a percentage (salary sacrifice).
  3. Choose your student loan plan, if any, and tick postgraduate loan if you have one.

You’ll see your take-home pay per month, year and week, how much goes to Income Tax, National Insurance, pension and loans, your Personal Allowance and your total deductions as a share of salary.

How UK take-home pay is calculated

  1. Pension (salary sacrifice) is taken off first.
  2. Your Personal Allowance is £12,570, reduced above £100,000.
  3. Income Tax is charged on the rest: 20% on the first £37,700, 40% up to £125,140 and 45% above.
  4. National Insurance: 8% between £12,570 and £50,270, 2% above.
  5. Student loan: 9% above your plan threshold.
Take-home = Salary − Pension − Income Tax − National Insurance − Student loan

Worked example: £35,000 with a 5% pension

  • Pension = 5% × £35,000 = £1,750
  • Pay after pension = £33,250
  • Taxable = £33,250 − £12,570 = £20,680 → Income Tax 20% = £4,136
  • NI = 8% × (£33,250 − £12,570) = £1,654.40
  • Take-home ≈ £27,460 a year, £2,288 a month, £528 a week

Student loan thresholds

PlanWho it’s forThreshold (yearly)Rate
Plan 1England/Wales before 2012, Northern Ireland£26,0659%
Plan 2England/Wales 2012–2023£28,4709%
Plan 4Scotland£32,7459%
Plan 5England from August 2023£25,0009%
PostgraduateMaster’s and doctoral loans£21,0006%

Thresholds are set each April; check GOV.UK for the current figures.

The £100,000 tax trap

Between £100,000 and £125,140, you lose £1 of Personal Allowance for every £2 you earn, so the effective tax rate on that slice is about 60% plus 2% NI. Many people in this range pay more into their pension to bring their income back below £100,000 and keep the allowance.

Things not included

  • Scottish income tax bands — Scotland sets its own rates.
  • Tax codes other than 1257L, such as for company benefits or underpaid tax.
  • Benefits in kind, bonuses and overtime.
  • Child Benefit charge for higher earners.
  • Employer National Insurance — it is paid by your employer, not taken from your pay.

Planning a move? See Stamp Duty or prices including VAT. Rates are from GOV.UK and stored with the date we last checked them; this is an estimate, not tax advice — see our disclaimer.

Frequently asked questions

How much is £35,000 after tax in the UK?

With no pension or student loan, £35,000 gives about £28,720 a year after tax — £2,393 a month. Income Tax is £4,486 and National Insurance £1,794. With a 5% salary-sacrifice pension, take-home falls to about £2,288 a month, but £1,750 a year goes into your pension.

What is the Personal Allowance for 2026/27?

£12,570. You pay no Income Tax on income up to this amount. Above £100,000 the allowance falls by £1 for every £2 of income, so it is gone completely at £125,140.

What are the UK Income Tax bands?

In England, Wales and Northern Ireland: 20% basic rate on income from £12,571 to £50,270, 40% higher rate from £50,271 to £125,140, and 45% additional rate above £125,140. Scotland has its own bands.

How much National Insurance do employees pay?

Class 1 employee NI is 8% on earnings between £12,570 and £50,270 a year, and 2% on earnings above £50,270.

How are student loan repayments worked out?

You repay 9% of income above your plan’s threshold (6% above £21,000 for a postgraduate loan). The calculator includes Plans 1, 2, 4 and 5 and the postgraduate loan.

Does a pension reduce my tax?

Yes. Under salary sacrifice, pension contributions come out before Income Tax and National Insurance, so they cost you less than the amount saved. Other pension schemes give tax relief in different ways but a similar result for basic-rate taxpayers.

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