UK Salary Take-Home Calculator
HotEstimate your take-home pay after Income Tax and National Insurance.
How it works
UK take-home pay is worked out by starting with your gross salary, then deducting Income Tax and National Insurance (NI) contributions. Income Tax is charged in bands — you don't pay the same rate on your whole salary, only on the portion that falls within each band, after your tax-free Personal Allowance is deducted. National Insurance is calculated separately, with its own thresholds and rates, and funds things like the State Pension and NHS.
UK context
Most employees pay tax through PAYE (Pay As You Earn), where your employer deducts Income Tax and NI directly from your salary before you're paid, based on your tax code. Scotland has its own Income Tax bands and rates that differ from the rest of the UK, set by the Scottish Parliament — if you're a Scottish taxpayer, your take-home figure will differ from the rest-of-UK calculation even on an identical gross salary.
Tips
- Pension contributions are typically deducted before tax is calculated (salary sacrifice or relief-at-source schemes work slightly differently), which reduces your taxable income and therefore your tax bill — check with your employer how your scheme works.
- If you have a Student Loan, repayments are usually deducted automatically once your income crosses the relevant repayment threshold for your loan plan.
- Your tax code affects how much tax-free pay you get — an incorrect tax code (common after a job change) can mean you're paying too much or too little tax, so it's worth checking it on your payslip.
Frequently asked questions
Why is my take-home pay lower than gross salary divided by 12?
Because Income Tax and National Insurance are deducted before you receive your pay, and — depending on your circumstances — pension contributions or student loan repayments may be too. Take-home (net) pay is always lower than gross salary spread evenly.
Do I pay the same Income Tax rate on my whole salary?
No — the UK uses a banded system, so you only pay the higher rate on the portion of income that falls within the higher band, not your entire salary. This is a common misconception that can make a pay rise seem worse than it actually is.
Is Scottish Income Tax different from the rest of the UK?
Yes — the Scottish Parliament sets its own Income Tax bands and rates for Scottish taxpayers, which differ from those used in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, even though National Insurance rules are the same UK-wide.
What's the difference between my tax code and my tax band?
Your tax code tells your employer how much tax-free Personal Allowance you're entitled to (and reflects things like benefits or previous underpayments). Your tax band is which portion of your taxable income is taxed at which rate. Both affect your final take-home figure.
A quick note
Figures and thresholds referenced above (tax bands, VAT rates, redundancy caps and similar) are set by the government and reviewed periodically — this page explains how the calculation works, not necessarily today's exact numbers. Always check the official sources below before making a financial decision, and see our full disclaimer.