About Take Home Pay

The Problem

Salary negotiations always involve gross figures. Job adverts quote annual salaries before tax. But the number that actually matters -- the one that hits your bank account each month -- is something entirely different. Between income tax, National Insurance, pension contributions, and student loan repayments, the gap between what you are offered and what you take home can be surprisingly large.

Most people only discover the real figure when their first payslip arrives. By then, you have already accepted the offer, signed the contract, and possibly turned down alternatives. We built this calculator so you can see the real number before you make that decision.

What This Calculator Does

Take Home Pay is a free UK salary calculator for the 2025/26 tax year. Enter your gross annual salary, and it instantly calculates your net monthly and annual take-home pay after all standard deductions.

Deductions covered:

• Income Tax -- calculated across all bands (personal allowance, basic rate at 20%, higher rate at 40%, additional rate at 45%), including the personal allowance taper for salaries above 100,000
• National Insurance -- Class 1 employee contributions at current rates (8% on earnings between the primary threshold and upper earnings limit, 2% above)
• Student Loan Repayments -- optional, supporting Plan 1, Plan 2, Plan 4, and Plan 5 with current thresholds
• Pension Contributions -- optional percentage of gross salary, deducted before tax (salary sacrifice) for accurate tax relief calculation

Who It Is For

• Job seekers comparing offers and wanting to know what each salary actually means in real terms
• Employees checking their payslip makes sense or planning for a pay rise
• Freelancers considering employment who need to compare contract rates against permanent salaries
• Anyone budgeting who needs an accurate monthly income figure to plan against rent, bills, and savings

Why We Built It

This site was born from a real situation: comparing two job offers with different salaries, pension schemes, and student loan implications. The existing calculators online were either covered in ads, required email registration, or gave confusing results with no clear breakdown.

We wanted something that loads instantly, gives a clear answer, shows a transparent breakdown of every deduction, and does not collect any personal data. Your salary figure never leaves your browser -- all calculations happen client-side.

The tax rates and thresholds are updated each April when HMRC publishes new figures. The calculator currently uses 2025/26 rates.

What It Does Not Do

This calculator provides estimates for standard employment situations. It does not account for:

• Scottish income tax rates (which differ from the rest of the UK)
• Benefits in kind or company car tax
• Multiple employments or self-employment income
• Marriage allowance transfers
• Tax codes other than the standard 1257L

For complex tax situations, speak to an accountant or use HMRC's own tools. For a quick, accurate estimate of standard UK take-home pay, this is the tool.