UK Take-Home Pay Calculator (2026/27)
Your salary after tax for England, Wales and Northern Ireland in the 2026/27 tax year: Income Tax, employee National Insurance, an optional pension (salary sacrifice or relief at source) and student loan repayments, shown yearly, monthly and weekly. Results update instantly, with every step shown. No sign-up.
Employee in England, Wales or Northern Ireland, standard tax code (1257L), National Insurance category A, paid the same every period. Employer pension contributions are not included.
- Gross salary£0
- Income Tax (year)£0
- National Insurance (year)£0
- Student / postgraduate loan (year)£0
- Pension out of your pay (year)£0
- Take-home pay (year)£0
Your pay: yearly, monthly and weekly
Monthly = yearly ÷ 12; weekly = yearly ÷ 52.
| Year | Month | Week |
|---|
Quick answer
On a £35,000 salary in England, Wales or Northern Ireland in 2026/27, take-home pay is about £27,460 a year, £2,288 a month or £528 a week, after £4,136 Income Tax and £1,654 National Insurance (salary sacrifice pension of £1,750). Standard tax code, NI category A, even pay through the year. Rules from GOV.UK, checked 18 October 2026; they can change.
Salary sacrifice vs relief at source
The same amount going into your pension each year, two ways. "Relief to claim" is extra relief you'd get back outside payroll (Self Assessment or HMRC), not in your take-home pay. Your choice is highlighted.
| Method | Income Tax | NI | Take-home | Into pension | Relief to claim |
|---|
Income Tax 2026/27 (England, Wales, Northern Ireland)
GOV.UK: “The current tax year is from 6 April 2026 to 5 April 2027.” With the standard Personal Allowance of £12,570:
| Band | Taxable income | Tax rate |
|---|---|---|
| Personal Allowance | Up to £12,570 | 0% |
| Basic rate | £12,571 to £50,270 | 20% |
| Higher rate | £50,271 to £125,140 | 40% |
| Additional rate | over £125,140 | 45% |
“Your personal allowance goes down by £1 for every £2 that your adjusted net income is above £100,000. This means your allowance is zero if your income is £125,140 or above.” Income Tax bands are different in Scotland, so this calculator is not for Scottish taxpayers.
Employee National Insurance 2026/27
GOV.UK's employee rates from 6 April 2026 to 5 April 2027 for category A (most employees):
| Earnings | Week | Month | Year (HMRC employer rates) | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Up to the primary threshold | £242 | £1,048 | £12,570 | 0% |
| Primary threshold to upper earnings limit | £242.01 to £967 | £1,048.01 to £4,189 | £12,570 to £50,270 | 8% |
| Over the upper earnings limit | over £967 | over £4,189 | over £50,270 | 2% |
National Insurance is worked out on each pay period's earnings. This calculator uses the yearly thresholds, which matches steady pay; with monthly pay the figures can differ by a few pence a year because of rounding in the monthly thresholds.
The GOV.UK examples, reproduced
- National Insurance: “If you're in category A and you earn £1,000 in a week you'll pay: nothing on the first £242; 8% (£58) on your earnings between £242.01 and £967; 2% (£0.66) on the remaining earnings above £967. This means your National Insurance payment will be £58.66 for the week.”
- Student loan, Plan 1: income £33,000 a year, paid £2,750 a month: £2,750 − £2,241 = £509; 9% of £509 = £45.81, so £45 a month. Plan 4: £3,000 a month: 9% of £184 = £16.56, so £16.
- Pension relief: you earn £60,270 and pay £12,000 into a relief at source scheme. You can claim an extra 20% on £10,000, the same amount you paid 40% tax on (GOV.UK's example is for 2024 to 2025; the bands are the same in 2026 to 2027).
All of these are checked by an automated test that runs before every update.
Salary sacrifice vs relief at source
- Salary sacrifice. You agree with your employer to reduce your cash pay in return for a pension contribution. Income Tax, National Insurance and student loan repayments are then worked out on the lower cash pay. HMRC notes that the arrangement must not take pay below the National Minimum Wage.
- Relief at source. You pay from your take-home pay and your provider claims tax relief at the basic 20% rate and adds it to your pot. If you pay 40% or 45% tax, you can claim 20% more on contributions up to the income you paid 40% on, and 25% up to the income you paid 45% on, through Self Assessment or HMRC. The grossed-up contribution also lowers your adjusted net income, which can give back Personal Allowance above £100,000.
- In this calculator the percentage is the total going into your pension. Under relief at source you pay 80% of it and the provider adds the other 20%.
- Some workplace schemes use a third method, where your employer takes the contribution out of your pay before deducting Income Tax (GOV.UK). It is not modelled here.
Student loan repayments 2026/27
| Plan | Yearly threshold | Monthly | Weekly | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plan 1 | £26,900 | £2,241 | £517 | 9% |
| Plan 2 | £29,385 | £2,448 | £565 | 9% |
| Plan 4 | £33,795 | £2,816 | £649 | 9% |
| Plan 5 | £25,000 | £2,083 | £480 | 9% |
| Postgraduate Loan | £21,000 | £1,750 | £403 | 6% |
Yearly thresholds are HMRC's 2026 to 2027 rates for employers; monthly and weekly figures are from GOV.UK's “How much you repay” page. Repayments are worked out on pay before tax and other deductions. If you have more than one undergraduate plan, GOV.UK says you repay 9% over the lowest threshold with a cap per plan; this calculator takes one plan plus an optional Postgraduate Loan.
What this calculator does not cover
- Scotland (different Income Tax bands), and NI category letters other than A.
- Tax codes other than 1257L, benefits in kind, bonuses or uneven pay, Marriage Allowance, Blind Person's Allowance, savings or dividend income.
- Employer pension contributions and any employer NI savings passed on to you.
- Self-employment (Class 2 and Class 4 National Insurance).
The formula
- Pay — salary, minus the pension under salary sacrifice
- Income Tax — 20% / 40% / 45% on pay above the Personal Allowance (£12,570, tapered over £100,000)
- NI — 8% of pay from £12,570 to £50,270, plus 2% above £50,270
- Loans — 9% of pay over your plan's threshold, plus 6% over £21,000 for a Postgraduate Loan
See the formula with your own numbers
These update live from the calculator inputs above.
Frequently asked questions
How much tax do I pay in 2026/27?
For England, Wales and Northern Ireland, GOV.UK lists a standard Personal Allowance of £12,570, then 20% on taxable income from £12,571 to £50,270, 40% from £50,271 to £125,140 and 45% above £125,140. The allowance goes down by £1 for every £2 of adjusted net income over £100,000, and is zero at £125,140.
How much National Insurance do employees pay in 2026/27?
For category A, from 6 April 2026 to 5 April 2027: 0% up to £242 a week (£1,048 a month), 8% on earnings from £242.01 to £967 a week (£1,048.01 to £4,189 a month) and 2% above £967 a week (£4,189 a month). HMRC's employer rates give the yearly equivalents as £12,570 and £50,270.
What is the GOV.UK National Insurance example?
If you're in category A and earn £1,000 in a week, you pay nothing on the first £242, 8% (£58) on earnings between £242.01 and £967, and 2% (£0.66) on the rest above £967: £58.66 for the week.
Salary sacrifice or relief at source: which gives more take-home pay?
With salary sacrifice your cash pay is reduced, so Income Tax, National Insurance and student loan repayments are worked out on the lower pay. With relief at source you pay from take-home pay and your provider adds 20%; higher and additional rate taxpayers claim the rest back. For the same amount into the pension, salary sacrifice usually leaves more take-home pay because it also saves National Insurance, but it depends on your employer's scheme.
What are the student loan thresholds for 2026/27?
HMRC's 2026 to 2027 rates for employers: Plan 1 £26,900 a year, Plan 2 £29,385, Plan 4 £33,795, Plan 5 £25,000, all at 9% of pay over the threshold, and the Postgraduate Loan £21,000 at 6%.
Method & sources
- Calculation: Income Tax on cash pay with the Personal Allowance reduced £1 for every £2 over £100,000; employee Class 1 NI (category A) on yearly thresholds; student loan at 9% (6% postgraduate) over the yearly threshold; salary sacrifice lowers cash pay; relief at source is paid at 80% from net pay, with any higher-rate relief and restored allowance shown separately as relief to claim.
- Income Tax rates, bands and Personal Allowance 2026 to 2027: GOV.UK — gov.uk/income-tax-rates.
- Employee National Insurance rates 2026 to 2027 and the £58.66 example: GOV.UK — gov.uk/national-insurance-rates-letters; thresholds also in HMRC's Rates and allowances: National Insurance contributions.
- Yearly NI thresholds (£12,570, £50,270) and student loan thresholds 2026 to 2027: HMRC — gov.uk/guidance/rates-and-thresholds-for-employers-2026-to-2027.
- Student loan rates, monthly thresholds and examples: GOV.UK — gov.uk/repaying-your-student-loan/what-you-pay.
- Relief at source, higher-rate relief and the £60,270 example: GOV.UK — gov.uk/tax-on-your-private-pension/pension-tax-relief. Adjusted net income: gov.uk/guidance/adjusted-net-income. Salary sacrifice: gov.uk/guidance/salary-sacrifice-and-the-effects-on-paye.
- All sources checked 18 October 2026. Verification: automated tests, run before every update, including the GOV.UK examples.
- Reviewed: .
Educational estimate only, not personal financial or tax advice. Your payslip depends on your tax code, pay dates and employer's scheme. Rules can change and depend on your circumstances; confirm with GOV.UK, HMRC or your payroll team.
Run your own numbers
Enter your salary, pension and student loan plan to see what lands in your account each month.
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