Frequently Asked Questions
UK take-home calculator — PAYE and NI for tax year 2025-26
What is a UK take home salary calculator?
A UK take home salary calculator estimates how much of your gross pay you keep each month after PAYE Income Tax, employee Class 1 National Insurance, optional student loan repayments, and any employee pension percentage you enter. It is a planning tool, not a substitute for your employer payroll or HMRC.
Which tax year and region does this UK calculator use?
Figures follow the UK tax year 2025-26. Income tax and employee NI are modelled for England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Scotland uses different income tax bands; if you are a Scottish taxpayer you should treat income tax as indicative and verify against HMRC or a qualified adviser.
How is Income Tax calculated on this page?
We apply PAYE-style income tax using the standard personal allowance (with taper above £100,000 where relevant), then basic, higher and additional rates on taxable income after your pension percentage is deducted from the gross slice you are modelling.
How is National Insurance calculated?
Employee Class 1 NI uses the 2025-26 primary threshold and upper earnings limit: 8% on earnings in the middle band and 2% above the upper limit, on the gross slice used for this calculator.
How do student loan repayments work in this tool?
You choose Plan 1, 2, 4 (Scotland), 5, postgraduate, or none. Where a plan applies, we calculate the annual repayment as a percentage of income above that plan's threshold, consistent with standard PAYE repayment rules.
How does pension contribution affect the result?
Your pension percentage is applied to the gross amount after bonus and RSU exclusions and reduces taxable income for income tax. Use Salary Sacrifice when your pension is taken before NI as well.
What do the Bonus and RSU deduction fields do?
They subtract annual amounts from your headline gross so tax, NI and student loan run on the remaining salary slice only. They do not separately calculate tax on bonus or equity.
Will my payslip match these numbers exactly?
Often they will be close for straightforward employment, but payslips reflect your tax code, week-1 or month-1 basis, benefits in kind, overtime, payroll timing, and employer-specific pension rules. Rely on your P60, P45, or HMRC personal tax account for authoritative amounts.
Can I use this for contractors, self-employment, or IR35?
Yes if you are taxed through PAYE like an employee — including many contractors paid on payroll where IR35 means the fee payer deducts Income Tax and employee Class 1 NI (IR35 inside).
This calculator is not for sole traders, company dividends, or IR35 outside structures. Use HMRC or a qualified adviser for those cases.
Is this official HMRC advice?
No. In-Hand is an independent calculator for education and planning. Rates and rules are implemented carefully for 2025-26 but are not guaranteed complete for every individual. Always confirm with HMRC or a qualified tax professional before making decisions.