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Salary · 2025/26

£20,000 after tax: your take-home pay

A £20,000 salary leaves £17,920 a year after tax and National Insurance — £1,493 a month. Here's the full breakdown, the Scottish figure, and what each party's plans would change.

The breakdown (England, Wales & NI)

Gross salary£20,000
Income tax−£1,486
National Insurance−£594
Take-home per year£17,920
Per month£1,493
Per week£345

Single employment, standard 1257L tax code, no pension, student loan or benefits in kind — add those with the full take-home pay calculator. In Scotland the same salary takes home £17,948 (£28 less tax under Scottish bands).

What each party would do to £20,000

  • Reform UK — the £20,000 tax-free allowance would add about £1,486 a year (£124/month) to this salary.
  • Greens — the NI rise starts at £50,270, so this salary is unaffected.
  • Labour — rates unchanged, but the threshold freeze to 2030/31 means each pay rise is taxed harder than the last: see the pay rise calculator and fiscal drag.
  • Your marginal rate is about 28% — that's what the next £1 you earn loses to tax and NI.

See the whole picture — housing, family, pension — with the all-party impact calculator, or the tax detail with the income tax calculator.