Take-Home Pay Calculator (2025/26)
See your salary after income tax, National Insurance, student loan and pension — for England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland — and what each party's plans would change.
Your pay
How your salary is taxed in 2025/26
Income tax: nothing on the first £12,570, then 20% to £50,270, 40% to £125,140 and 45% above (Scotland uses six bands from 19% to 48%). National Insurance: 8% between £12,570 and £50,270, then 2% — the same UK-wide. Student loans take 9% of income above your plan's threshold (6% for postgraduate loans). All the main thresholds are frozen until 2031, so pay rises drag more of your salary into tax each year — see fiscal drag.
What each party would change
- Reform UK — raise the tax-free allowance to £20,000 and the 40% threshold to £70,000: about £124 a month more take-home for most workers.
- Greens — full-rate National Insurance above £50,270: higher earners pay 6p more per £1 above that point.
- Labour — no rate rises, but thresholds stay frozen to 2031, which raises the tax on any pay rise.
- Conservatives — First Job Bonus: young workers' first £5,000 of NI redirected toward a home deposit.
Frequently asked questions
What is my take-home pay on a £30,000 salary in 2025/26?
About £25,120 a year, or £2,093 a month, in England, Wales and Northern Ireland — after £3,486 income tax and £1,394 National Insurance, with no student loan or pension deductions. Enter your own salary, nation, student loan plan and pension rate in the calculator for your exact figure.
How is take-home pay calculated in the UK?
Your employer deducts income tax (nothing on the first £12,570, then 20%, 40% and 45% bands — Scotland has its own bands), employee National Insurance (8% between £12,570 and £50,270, then 2%), any student loan repayment (9% above your plan's threshold, or 6% for postgraduate loans), and your pension contribution. What's left is take-home pay.
Would any party change my take-home pay?
Yes. Reform UK proposes a £20,000 tax-free allowance (worth about £1,486 a year to most workers), the Greens would charge full-rate National Insurance above £50,270 (a rise for higher earners), and Labour's freeze on thresholds until 2031 gradually raises everyone's tax through fiscal drag.
Why does my take-home pay drop above £100,000?
Between £100,000 and £125,140 you lose £1 of personal allowance for every £2 earned, an effective 60% marginal tax rate (67.5% in Scotland at some points). The calculator handles this automatically.