- Income Tax20 %−£390
- National Insurance8 %−£156
- Total cost to the employer£3,387
For guidance only. Your payslip can differ if you claim other allowances.
How it is calculated
The calculator works out one month of pay the way a payroll does under PAYE, with the standard tax code 1257L. You get £1,048.26 of tax-free pay each month, which is the £12,570 Personal Allowance spread over the year. If you earn £1,048 a month or less, you pay no Income Tax and no National Insurance.
In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, Income Tax is 20 % on the first £37,700 above the allowance, 40 % up to £125,140 and 45 % above that. Scotland has six rates from 19 % to 48 %. If you earn over £100,000 a year, the allowance shrinks by £1 for every £2 above that limit, and your tax code goes down with it.
Employee National Insurance is 8 % on pay between £1,048 and £4,189 a month and 2 % above that. Your employer pays 15 % on pay above £417 a month, shown as the cost to your employer.
Student loan repayments are 9 % of pay above your plan threshold, or 6 % for a Postgraduate Loan, rounded down to the pound. Workplace pension under a net pay scheme is taken before tax. Under relief at source you pay 80 % of the contribution and your provider adds the 20 % tax relief.
Questions
How much is £3,000 a month after tax in 2026/27?
In England, Wales or Northern Ireland, with tax code 1257L, no pension and no student loan, you take home £2,453.64. That is £390.20 Income Tax and £156.16 National Insurance.
Why is Scottish take-home pay different?
Scotland sets its own Income Tax bands and rates on earnings. National Insurance and the Personal Allowance are the same across the UK. Lower earners in Scotland pay slightly less tax. In 2026/27 people earning more than about £33,500 a year pay more than elsewhere in the UK.
What is the difference between net pay and relief at source?
Under net pay, the contribution comes off your salary before tax, so you get full relief straight away. Under relief at source, you pay from taxed pay and the provider adds 20 %. Higher and additional rate taxpayers claim the extra relief through Self Assessment or by contacting HMRC.
What changed between 2025/26 and 2026/27?
The Personal Allowance, the rest of UK bands and National Insurance rates stayed the same. Scotland widened its starter and basic rate bands, and student loan thresholds rose for Plans 1, 2 and 4. Plan 5 repayments start in April 2026.
What does the calculator leave out?
Salary sacrifice, employer pension contributions, benefits in kind, other tax codes, the Marriage Allowance and taxable benefits. It shows one regular month, so a pay rise or bonus mid-year can change the figures.
Sources
- www.gov.uk/guidance/rates-and-thresholds-for-employers-2026-to-2027
- www.gov.uk/guidance/rates-and-thresholds-for-employers-2025-to-2026
- www.gov.uk/government/publications/specification-for-paye-tax-table-routines
- www.gov.uk/income-tax-rates
- www.gov.scot/publications/scottish-income-tax-2026-2027
- www.gov.scot/publications/scottish-income-tax-2025-2026
- www.gov.uk/repaying-your-student-loan/what-you-pay
- www.gov.uk/tax-on-your-private-pension/pension-tax-relief
Now keep it on track Set the result as a budget in Spendee and see each month how much is left.
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