Take-home pay calculator
Enter a yearly salary and tax code to see income tax, National Insurance and take-home pay for 2026/27, by year and by month. Worked out from HMRC's published rules.
This calculator opens once its tax rules have been checked by a reviewer. Until then, you can enter the amounts from your payroll in the payslip generator.
Open the payslip generatorThe official method, step by step
- Tax-free pay comes from the tax code: 1257L means £12,570 a year, spread across the months.
- Income tax is 20% on the next £37,700 of taxable pay, 40% up to £125,140 and 45% above (Scottish codes use Scotland's six rates).
- Employee National Insurance is 8% on monthly earnings from £1,048 to £4,189 and 2% above that.
- A pension taken before tax lowers taxable pay, not National Insurance.
- Rounding follows HMRC's PAYE specification, the same routine as the payslip generator.
What this leaves out
- Student and postgraduate loan repayments
- Pensions under relief at source, and salary sacrifice
- National Insurance letters other than A, and directors
- Benefits in kind, bonuses and irregular pay
Sources: HMRC, Specification for PAYE Tax Table Routines, version 24.0 (February 2026), Appendices A–C; HMRC, Rates and thresholds for employers 2026 to 2027; HMRC, 2026 to 2027: Employer further guide to PAYE and National Insurance contributions (CWG2).
Take-home pay calculator: common questions
How is take-home pay worked out?
Gross pay, less any pension taken before tax, less income tax on pay above your tax-free amount, less employee National Insurance. This calculator spreads the salary evenly over 12 months and uses HMRC's 2026/27 rates and thresholds.
What does tax code 1257L mean?
1257L gives £12,570 of tax-free pay for the year, the standard Personal Allowance. A different number changes the tax-free amount; K codes add to taxable pay instead.
How much National Insurance will I pay?
For category letter A, 8% of monthly earnings between £1,048 and £4,189, and 2% of anything above £4,189 a month, in 2026/27.
Does it work for Scotland?
Yes. Enter a Scottish code starting with S, such as S1257L, and Scotland's rates apply: 19%, 20%, 21%, 42%, 45% and 48%.
Does it include student loans?
No. Student and postgraduate loan repayments, relief-at-source pensions and salary sacrifice aren't included, so your payslip may differ.
Can I make a payslip from this?
Yes. Turn this into a payslip opens the payslip generator with the monthly pay filled in, where you add the employee's details and choose a layout. It's free to create and preview.
Need a payslip for this pay?
Free to create and preview. No account or card.