About TaxCal UK

A free, independent tool that helps UK employees understand exactly how salary sacrifice, pension contributions, and tax codes affect their take-home pay.

The problem we solve

Most UK salary calculators are either too simple — ignoring National Insurance, Child Benefit, and student loans — or buried inside financial product sales funnels. TaxCal UK gives you the full picture with no agenda, no upsell, and no signup required.

Who TaxCal UK is for

TaxCal UK is built for UK employees who want to understand their payslip and make informed decisions about salary sacrifice. In particular:

Employees considering increasing their pension contributions via salary sacrifice
Higher earners (£50k–£150k) navigating the Personal Allowance taper and Child Benefit charge
Parents earning between £60,000 and £80,000 who want to reduce or eliminate the High Income Child Benefit Charge
Scottish taxpayers who need correct band calculations with an S tax code
Anyone who wants to understand their tax code, payslip, or take-home pay

Salary sacrifice is one of the most effective ways for UK employees to reduce their tax bill — yet it is widely misunderstood. Our goal is to make it accessible to everyone. Read our complete salary sacrifice guide to see how it works.

How the calculator works

All calculations run entirely in your browser using our open tax engine, built on official HMRC published rates and thresholds. Your salary data never leaves your device.

Income tax — England, Wales, and Scottish bands for 2024/25 through 2026/27, including the Personal Allowance taper above £100,000. See our £100k tax trap guide.
National Insurance — employee Class 1 contributions using the correct primary threshold and rates for each tax year
Salary sacrifice — pension, EV lease, cycle-to-work, and childcare vouchers, all reducing gross pay before tax and NI are applied
Child Benefit High Income Charge — calculated on Adjusted Net Income after sacrifice, using the £60,000–£80,000 taper. See our Child Benefit guide.
Student loan repayments — Plans 1, 2, 4, 5, and Postgraduate, each with the correct threshold and repayment rate
Pension projection — compound growth modelling over 10, 20, and 30 years with a configurable annual growth rate

Our data sources

Every rate and threshold in the calculator comes directly from official UK government publications:

We review and update the calculator at the start of each tax year (April) and whenever HMRC announces mid-year changes.

Our editorial approach

Our blog guides are written by the TaxCal Team — UK tax and personal finance researchers. Every article follows these principles:

Plain English — we avoid jargon and explain every term the first time it appears
Worked examples — every guide includes real numbers at £35k, £50k, £60k, £80k, and £100k+ salary levels
Sourced from HMRC — all rates, thresholds, and rules link back to official guidance
Regularly updated — articles are reviewed each tax year and marked with a last modified date
No financial advice — we explain how the rules work; we do not tell you what to do with your money

Our principles

Accuracy first — we use official HMRC tax bands, NI thresholds, and Scottish rates
Privacy by design — all calculations happen in your browser; we never store your salary data
No financial advice — we provide information and tools, not personalised recommendations
Free forever — the calculator will always be free to use

Explore our guides

→ Salary Sacrifice Complete Guide 2026/27 → The £100k Tax Trap Explained → Child Benefit Tax Charge Explained → How to Reduce Tax at £60k → Best Ways to Reduce Taxable Income → National Insurance Explained

Disclaimer

This site is for informational purposes only. Results are estimates based on the tax rules in force at the time of publication and may not reflect your exact circumstances. Tax legislation is complex and individual situations vary. Always consult a qualified financial adviser or contact HMRC directly before making financial decisions.

Get in touch

Have a question, found an error, or want to suggest a feature? We would love to hear from you.