Free calculatorTax year 2026/27
Income tax & take-home
Estimate income tax and National Insurance on a gross salary — England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
The calculator
How the income tax & take-home calculator works
Enter your gross annual salary and the calculator estimates your income tax, National Insurance and resulting take-home pay for England, Wales and Northern Ireland. It applies the current personal allowance and tax bands, and the standard National Insurance thresholds.
It is a quick way to see the effect of a pay rise, a bonus or a change in hours. For a full picture — including pension contributions, benefits in kind, student loans or Scottish rates — talk to us and we will run the exact numbers.
Where the effective rate stops matching the band
Above £100,000 the personal allowance is withdrawn at £1 for every £2 of income, which creates a stretch where each extra pound is effectively taxed at roughly double the headline rate. It is the single most valuable thing to know about the UK income tax system, because it is also where a pension contribution or a salary sacrifice does the most work.
Two other cliffs behave similarly: the high income child benefit charge, and the tapering of the pension annual allowance for higher earners. Someone caught by more than one at once can find that a pension contribution returns far more than the headline relief.
Not all income is taxed alike
Savings interest and dividends have separate allowances and separate rates, and they are treated as sitting on top of other income when deciding which band they fall in. That is why taking slightly more salary can push dividends into a higher band, and why two people with the same total income can pay very different tax.
Frequently asked
Does this include Scottish income tax?+
This tool uses the rates for England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Scotland sets its own income tax bands — get in touch if you are a Scottish taxpayer.
Why is my take-home lower than expected?+
The personal allowance tapers away once income exceeds £100,000, and higher and additional rates apply above the thresholds. Pension contributions and salary sacrifice can reduce the tax.
Why does a pay rise above £100,000 feel like it disappears?+
Because it partly does. Every £2 above £100,000 removes £1 of personal allowance, so the extra income is taxed and it also exposes income that was previously tax-free. The effective rate in that band is around double the headline rate, which is why pension contributions there are unusually efficient.
Does this cover Scotland?+
Scotland sets its own bands and rates for non-savings income, so a Scottish taxpayer's salary is taxed on a different table — while dividends and savings follow the UK-wide rules. Check the tax rates pages for the Scottish figures.
Beyond the tools
An estimate is a starting point, not a plan.
Bring us the number you just worked out and we will tell you what it means for your position — and what to do about it.
Or call 07480 281548