Income tax calculator: how much tax will I pay?
This free UK tax and National Insurance calculator shows exactly what HMRC will take from any salary for the 2026/27 tax year (rates checked 2026-08-28 against HMRC). On £30,000 you pay £3,486.00 income tax and £1,394.40 National Insurance; on £50,000 it is £7,486.00 tax and £2,994.40 NI, every figure computed band by band below, not estimated. Unlike HMRC's own estimate-your-income-tax tool, this one also handles the three pension arrangement types, all five student loan plans, Scottish bands, and the personal allowance taper above £100,000. Enter your salary, the tax, NI and PAYE breakdown updates instantly.
Take-home pay, 2026/27
Gross £30,000.00 · England & Northern Ireland · tax code 1257L · source https://www.gov.uk/guidance/rates-and-thresholds-for-employers-2026-to-2027 · generated 2026-08-29
Your estimated take-home
£2,093.30
per month
£25,120 a year · £483.07 a week · from £30,000 gross
- You keep
- 83.7%
- of gross pay
- Tax + NI rate
- 16.3%
- effective, overall
- Marginal rate
- 28%
- on your next £1
- Hourly take-home
- £12.88
- at 37.5 hrs/week
Where it goes
| Item | Annual | Monthly |
|---|---|---|
| Gross salary | £30,000.00 | £2,500.00 |
| Income Tax | −£3,486.00 | −£290.50 |
| National Insurance | −£1,394.40 | −£116.20 |
| Take-home pay | £25,119.60 | £2,093.30 |
How your tax was calculated
Your first £12,570.00 is covered by your personal allowance, so you pay no income tax on it. The remaining £17,430.00 is taxed band by band, each band's rate applies only to the slice of income inside it, never to the whole salary:
| Basic rate (20%) | on £17,430.00 | £3,486.00 |
National Insurance is worked out separately, per pay period, at 8% between £12,570 and £50,270 and 2% above.
Assumes the standard 1257L tax code and no benefits in kind. Rates from HMRC for 2026/27, checked 2026-08-28. Your payslip may differ if your tax code is different or you have other income.
How much tax and NI at common salaries
| Salary | Income tax | National Insurance | Total to HMRC |
|---|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £3,486.00 | £1,394.40 | £4,880.40 |
| £50,000 | £7,486.00 | £2,994.40 | £10,480.40 |
| £80,000 | £19,432.00 | £3,610.60 | £23,042.60 |
How is PAYE calculated?
PAYE (Pay As You Earn) is how your employer collects the tax this page calculates: your tax code tells payroll how much tax-free allowance to spread across the year (the standard 1257L code gives £12,570), income tax is then worked out cumulatively, each payday looks at your total pay and tax so far this tax year, while National Insurance is charged per pay period at 8% between £12,570 and £50,270 and 2% above. That cumulative-versus-per-period difference is why a bonus month looks over-taxed and why a wrong tax code compounds every payday until it is fixed.
Looking for HMRC's own calculator?
HMRC's official estimate-your-income-tax tool is at gov.uk/estimate-income-tax, this site is independent and not affiliated with HMRC. The official tool is deliberately simple; use this page when you need pension arrangements, student loan plans, Scottish rates or the £100,000–£125,140 taper handled properly.
Related calculators
- Take-home pay calculator: the same engine, framed around what you keep.
- National Insurance calculator: NI on its own, band by band.
- Scottish tax calculator: all six Scottish bands.
- Self-employed tax calculator: income tax plus Class 4 NI on profits.
- Tax refund calculator: over-taxed by PAYE mid-year.
2026/27 rates, checked 2026-08-28. Method on the about page.