Guides
Straight answers about your pay
Guides to the questions people actually ask about UK pay and tax. Every one is checked against gov.uk and linked to a free calculator so you can run your own numbers.
Benefits Attendance Allowance 2026/27: rates and rules Attendance Allowance 2026/27 pays £76.70 or £114.60 a week over State Pension age for help with personal care, tax free and not means tested. 5 Sept 2026 · Read the guide → Benefits Benefit cap 2026/27: limits and exemptions Benefit cap 2026/27: £22,020 outside London and £25,323 in London for couples and families, £14,753 and £16,967 for single people, plus who is exempt. 5 Sept 2026 · Read the guide → Benefits Bereavement Support Payment 2026/27 explained Bereavement Support Payment: £3,500 then £350 a month for 18 months with children, £2,500 then £100 a month without, and the three-month claim deadline. 5 Sept 2026 · Read the guide → Investments Capital gains tax rates 2026/27 explained Capital gains tax 2026/27: a £3,000 exempt amount, then 18% within the basic rate band and 24% above it on shares and property alike, with worked examples. 5 Sept 2026 · Read the guide → Motoring Car tax (VED) rates 2026/27 explained Car tax 2026/27: first-year rates by CO2 band from £10 to £5,690, the £200 standard rate from year two and the £440 supplement on cars over £40,000. 5 Sept 2026 · Read the guide → Benefits Carer's Allowance 2026/27: the £204 limit Carer's Allowance 2026/27: £86.45 a week for 35 hours of care, with a £204 earnings limit after tax, National Insurance and half your pension payments. 5 Sept 2026 · Read the guide → Family Child Benefit 2026/27: rates and the tax charge Child Benefit 2026/27: £27.05 a week for the eldest child and £17.90 for each other child, and how the tax charge works above £60,000 of income. 5 Sept 2026 · Read the guide → Family Child maintenance rates 2026/27: how CMS works Child maintenance 2026/27: the CMS formula of 12%, 16% or 19% of gross weekly income to £800, the band to £3,000, shared care reductions and examples. 5 Sept 2026 · Read the guide → Family Tax-Free Childcare and 30 free hours 2026/27 Childcare help 2026/27: 30 free hours a week for 38 weeks from nine months, Tax-Free Childcare worth up to £2,000 a child, and the earnings rules. 5 Sept 2026 · Read the guide → Motoring Company car tax 2026/27: BIK rates explained Company car tax 2026/27: benefit in kind rates from 4% for electric cars to 37% by CO2 band, the diesel supplement and monthly costs for typical cars. 5 Sept 2026 · Read the guide → Self-employment Corporation tax rates 2026/27 explained Corporation tax 2026/27: 19% on profits up to £50,000, 25% from £250,000, and marginal relief between that taxes each extra pound at 26.5%, with figures. 5 Sept 2026 · Read the guide → Tax Council tax bands explained: A to H How council tax bands work: the 1991 value ranges for bands A to H in England, what each band pays relative to Band D and how to challenge a band. 5 Sept 2026 · Read the guide → Savings Credit card minimum payments explained Why a credit card balance takes years to clear: what £3,000 at 24.9% costs at each monthly payment, how minimum payments work and how to clear it faster. 5 Sept 2026 · Read the guide → Self-employment Dividend tax rates 2026/27 explained Dividend tax 2026/27: a £500 allowance, then 10.75% in the basic rate band, 35.75% in the higher band, 39.35% above £125,140, with examples for directors. 5 Sept 2026 · Read the guide → Payslips Emergency tax: how much and how to claim it back Emergency tax is a temporary over-deduction under a W1, M1 or X tax code. What it costs on a new job or a pension lump sum, and how the refund arrives. 5 Sept 2026 · Read the guide → Household bills Energy price cap from October 2026 explained Ofgem's price cap for 1 October to 31 December 2026: £1,723 a year for typical use, the unit rates and standing charges behind it, and the VAT change. 5 Sept 2026 · Read the guide → Property First-time buyer deposit: how much you need How much deposit a first-time buyer needs in 2026: 5% to 20% on £250,000 to £400,000 homes, the Lifetime ISA bonus, stamp duty relief and other costs. 5 Sept 2026 · Read the guide → Motoring Fuel cost per mile and EV charging compared What a mile costs in fuel at 30 to 60 mpg and £1.45 a litre, against an electric car charged at home, off peak or on a rapid charger, plus annual totals. 5 Sept 2026 · Read the guide → Property Help to Buy ISA bonus: how to claim it The Help to Buy ISA is closed to new savers but pays a 25% bonus of up to £3,000 on £12,000 saved: the price caps, the 2030 deadline and how to claim. 5 Sept 2026 · Read the guide → Employment Holiday entitlement: how the 28 days work Statutory holiday is 5.6 weeks a year, capped at 28 days: what part-time, hours-based and irregular-hours workers get, plus bank holidays and pay. 5 Sept 2026 · Read the guide → Family How much does university cost in 2026? The cost of a degree in 2026: £29,370 of tuition fees plus living costs over three years, what the maintenance loan covers and the gap parents fill. 5 Sept 2026 · Read the guide → Take-home pay How much is £100,000 after tax? £100,000 after tax is about £68,557 a year, or £5,713 a month, in 2026/27. Above that the personal allowance tapers and each extra pound is taxed at 62%. 5 Sept 2026 · Read the guide → Take-home pay How much is £25,000 after tax? £25,000 after tax is about £21,520 a year, or £1,793 a month, in 2026/27 once income tax and National Insurance are deducted. The full breakdown follows. 5 Sept 2026 · Read the guide → Take-home pay How much is £35,000 after tax? £35,000 after tax is about £28,720 a year, or £2,393 a month, in 2026/27 once income tax and National Insurance are deducted. The full breakdown follows. 5 Sept 2026 · Read the guide → Take-home pay How much is £45,000 after tax? £45,000 after tax is about £35,920 a year, or £2,993 a month, in 2026/27 once income tax and National Insurance are deducted. The full breakdown follows. 5 Sept 2026 · Read the guide → Take-home pay How much is £50,000 after tax? £50,000 after tax is £39,520 a year, or £3,293 a month, in 2026/27. The guide shows the working and the six things that move the figure. 5 Sept 2026 · Read the guide → Take-home pay How much is £60,000 after tax? £60,000 after tax is about £45,357 a year, or £3,780 a month, in 2026/27 once income tax and National Insurance are deducted. The full breakdown follows. 5 Sept 2026 · Read the guide → Pensions How much pension do I need to retire? How much pension you need in 2026: the £13,900, £32,700 and £45,400 living standards, the pot each needs after the State Pension and the monthly saving. 5 Sept 2026 · Read the guide → Bonuses How much tax do I pay on a bonus? A bonus is taxed at the marginal rate, not a special bonus rate, so a basic rate taxpayer keeps £720 of every £1,000. The month it lands can look worse. 5 Sept 2026 · Read the guide → Pensions How much should I pay into my pension? How much to pay into a pension in 2026/27: the 8% minimum, what a moderate retirement costs, the pot it needs and the monthly saving needed by age. 5 Sept 2026 · Read the guide → Take-home pay Income tax rates and bands 2026/27 explained Income tax in 2026/27: the £12,570 personal allowance, the 20%, 40% and 45% bands, National Insurance and Scottish rates, with the tax due at each salary. 5 Sept 2026 · Read the guide → Tax Inheritance tax 2026/27: thresholds and rates Inheritance tax 2026/27: 40% above the £325,000 nil-rate band, the £175,000 residence band, the £1 million couple's total and worked examples. 5 Sept 2026 · Read the guide → Self-employment IR35 and umbrella take-home pay 2026/27 What a contractor keeps in 2026/27: umbrella take-home on a £400 day rate, inside versus outside IR35, and the salary a day rate is really worth. 5 Sept 2026 · Read the guide → Payslips Is my tax code right? How to check and fix it How to check a UK tax code, what each number and letter means, the common reasons a code is wrong, and how HMRC corrects it and refunds overpaid tax. 5 Sept 2026 · Read the guide → Employment Is overtime taxed more? How overtime pay works Overtime has no special tax rate: what time and a half is worth after tax and National Insurance, and when extra hours push you into the 40% band. 5 Sept 2026 · Read the guide → Investments ISA allowance 2026/27: limits and how they work The ISA allowance for 2026/27 is £20,000 across all adult ISAs, including up to £4,000 in a Lifetime ISA, plus a separate £9,000 Junior ISA limit. 5 Sept 2026 · Read the guide → Benefits JSA and ESA rates 2026/27 explained New style JSA and ESA in 2026/27: £75.65 a week under 25 and £95.55 from 25, £145.90 in the ESA support group, and how long each is paid. 5 Sept 2026 · Read the guide → Property Leasehold costs: ground rent and service charges What a leasehold flat costs to own beyond the mortgage: ground rent, service charges, the 2022 peppercorn rule, lease length and extensions. 5 Sept 2026 · Read the guide → Students Maintenance loan 2026/27: how much you get Maintenance loan 2026/27 in England: up to £10,830 away from home, £14,135 in London and £9,118 at home, tapering above £25,000 of household income. 5 Sept 2026 · Read the guide → Tax Marriage Allowance 2026/27: how the £252 works Marriage Allowance 2026/27: transfer £1,260 of personal allowance to a partner to save up to £252, or up to £1,260 with a claim backdated to 2022/23. 5 Sept 2026 · Read the guide → Family Maternity pay: how much you get and for how long Statutory Maternity Pay in 2026/27: 90% of earnings for 6 weeks then £194.32 a week for 33, who qualifies, totals at each salary and Maternity Allowance. 5 Sept 2026 · Read the guide → Motoring Mileage allowance rates 2026/27: 55p a mile Mileage allowance 2026/27: 55p for the first 10,000 business miles and 25p after, how to claim tax relief when an employer pays less, and what is taxed. 5 Sept 2026 · Read the guide → Take-home pay Minimum wage April 2026: rates and yearly pay Minimum wage from 1 April 2026: £12.71 an hour from 21, £10.85 for 18 to 20 year olds, £8.00 for under-18s and apprentices, with yearly and take-home pay. 5 Sept 2026 · Read the guide → Property Mortgage repayment costs by rate and term What a mortgage costs a month in 2026: repayments on £150,000 to £400,000 at rates from 3.5% to 6%, how the term changes the bill, and interest only. 5 Sept 2026 · Read the guide → Take-home pay National Insurance rates 2026/27 explained National Insurance 2026/27: employees pay 8% from £12,570 to £50,270 and 2% above, employers 15% above £5,000, and the self-employed 6% and 2% on profits. 5 Sept 2026 · Read the guide → Take-home pay NHS pay bands 2026/27: salary and take-home NHS pay bands for 2026/27: every Agenda for Change pay point from Band 2 to 9, with monthly take-home after pension, tax and NI, and London supplements. 5 Sept 2026 · Read the guide → Health NHS prescription charges 2026/27 explained NHS prescription charges in England 2026/27: £9.90 an item, prepayment certificates at £32.05 and £114.50, who is exempt, and dental band charges. 5 Sept 2026 · Read the guide → Property Overpay the mortgage or invest? The maths Overpay the mortgage or invest: what £10,000 does against a 4.5% mortgage or a 6% return in and out of an ISA, the break-even rate and offset mortgages. 5 Sept 2026 · Read the guide → Payslips Payslip abbreviations explained: NI EE, NI ER Every code on a UK payslip explained: NI EE and NI ER, tax code letters, W1/M1, SL, YTD and pension EE/ER, with the 2026/27 thresholds behind each line. 5 Sept 2026 · Read the guide → Motoring PCP vs HP vs loan: car finance costs explained What car finance costs: PCP, hire purchase and a personal loan compared on a £25,000 car at 9.9% APR, and the balloon payment explained. 5 Sept 2026 · Read the guide → Pensions Pension annual allowance 2026/27 explained The pension annual allowance for 2026/27 is £60,000, tapering to £10,000 for adjusted income above £260,000, with three years' carry forward. 5 Sept 2026 · Read the guide → Benefits Pension Credit 2026/27: rates and who qualifies Pension Credit 2026/27 tops up weekly income to £238 for a single person and £363.25 for a couple, with extra amounts for severe disability and carers. 5 Sept 2026 · Read the guide → Pensions Pension tax-free lump sum: the 25% rules How the 25% tax-free pension lump sum works in 2026/27: the £268,275 cap, what £100,000 or £400,000 pots give, how the rest is taxed and emergency tax. 5 Sept 2026 · Read the guide → Benefits PIP rates 2026/27: what each component pays PIP rates 2026/27: daily living £76.70 or £114.60 a week, mobility £30.30 or £80.00, up to £194.60 a week in total, with the points needed for each rate. 5 Sept 2026 · Read the guide → Students Postgraduate Master's Loan 2026/27 explained Postgraduate Master's Loan 2026/27: up to £13,206 for courses from August 2026, paid in three instalments, repaid at 6% of income above £21,000. 5 Sept 2026 · Read the guide → Take-home pay Pro rata salary: how part-time pay is worked out How a pro rata salary is worked out for part-time, hours-based and term-time-only jobs, how to reverse it to full-time pay, and why tax is not pro rata. 5 Sept 2026 · Read the guide → Property Rental income tax 2026/27 and Section 24 How landlords are taxed in 2026/27: rental profit at your income tax rate, the 20% mortgage interest credit under Section 24 and the £1,000 allowance. 5 Sept 2026 · Read the guide → Pensions Salary sacrifice and your student loan Salary sacrifice cuts student loan repayments as well as tax and National Insurance, worth 9p in every pound sacrificed. Worked figures and the catches. 5 Sept 2026 · Read the guide → Pensions Salary sacrifice vs relief at source pensions Salary sacrifice, relief at source or net pay: what £1 of pension costs at each tax rate, the National Insurance saving and the low earner trap. 5 Sept 2026 · Read the guide → Payslips Second job tax: why NI is per job, tax is not How a second job is taxed in 2026/27: the BR code, why income tax is shared across jobs but National Insurance is charged per job, and what that saves. 5 Sept 2026 · Read the guide → Self-employment Self Assessment 2026/27: deadlines and payments Self Assessment 2026/27: register by 5 October, file online by 31 January, pay by 31 January and 31 July, how payments on account work, plus penalties. 5 Sept 2026 · Read the guide → Property Shared ownership: what it really costs a month Shared ownership costs on a £300,000 home: mortgage, rent and service charge on a 25%, 40% or 75% share, the deposit needed and staircasing. 5 Sept 2026 · Read the guide → Students Should I overpay my student loan? Should you overpay a student loan: who clears Plan 2 or Plan 5 before the write-off at each salary and when the money is better used elsewhere. 5 Sept 2026 · Read the guide → Property Stamp duty rates 2026/27 explained Stamp duty in 2026/27: 0% to £125,000, then 2%, 5%, 10% and 12%, first-time buyer relief to £500,000, the 5% extra-home surcharge, and Scotland and Wales. 5 Sept 2026 · Read the guide → Pensions State Pension 2026/27: how much you get Full new State Pension: £241.30 a week in 2026/27, £12,548 a year. How qualifying years set your amount, what a voluntary year buys, and the rise to 67. 5 Sept 2026 · Read the guide → Family Statutory paternity pay 2026/27 explained Statutory paternity pay 2026/27: £194.32 a week or 90% of earnings if lower, for two weeks that can be split and taken any time in the first year. 5 Sept 2026 · Read the guide → Employment Statutory redundancy pay 2026/27 explained Statutory redundancy pay 2026/27: half a week to 1.5 weeks' pay per year by age, the £751 weekly cap, the £22,530 maximum and the £30,000 tax-free limit. 5 Sept 2026 · Read the guide → Payslips Statutory Sick Pay: how much you get in 2026/27 Statutory Sick Pay in 2026/27: £123.25 a week or 80% of earnings if lower, paid from the first day off for up to 28 weeks. What changed in April. 5 Sept 2026 · Read the guide → Student finance Student loan repayment thresholds 2026/27 Student loan thresholds 2026/27: Plan 1 £26,900, Plan 2 £29,385, Plan 4 £33,795, Plan 5 £25,000, Postgraduate £21,000, with repayments at each salary. 5 Sept 2026 · Read the guide → Tax 2026/27 tax year: key rates and dates The 2026/27 tax year on one page: income tax and National Insurance thresholds, minimum wage, State Pension, benefit rates, allowances and key deadlines. 5 Sept 2026 · Read the guide → Motoring ULEZ and Congestion Charge costs in 2026 ULEZ is £12.50 a day for non-compliant cars and the Congestion Charge £18: which cars pay, the £180 penalty and what a year of daily driving costs. 5 Sept 2026 · Read the guide → Benefits Universal Credit: extra help you can claim Extra help on Universal Credit: Budgeting Advances up to £812, free school meals for every claimant from September 2026, Healthy Start and Help to Save. 5 Sept 2026 · Read the guide → Benefits Universal Credit rates 2026/27: what you get Universal Credit rates from April 2026: standard allowance, child, health and carer elements, childcare limits, the 55% taper and work allowances. 5 Sept 2026 · Read the guide → Self-employment VAT registration threshold 2026/27: £90,000 VAT threshold 2026/27: register above £90,000 of rolling 12-month turnover, deregister below £88,000, and Flat Rate Scheme limits and sector rates. 5 Sept 2026 · Read the guide → Payslips Why does my payslip not match the calculator? Why a UK payslip differs from a take-home pay calculator: tax codes, cumulative PAYE, per-period National Insurance, pension method and student loans. 5 Sept 2026 · Read the guide → Benefits Winter Fuel Payment 2026/27 explained Winter Fuel Payment 2026/27: £200 or £300 for pensioner households, paid in November and December and recovered where income is over £35,000. 5 Sept 2026 · Read the guide → Take-home pay How much is £30,000 after tax? £30,000 after tax is about £25,120 a year, or £2,093 a month, in 2026/27 once income tax and National Insurance are deducted. The full breakdown follows. 4 Sept 2026 · Read the guide → Take-home pay How much is £40,000 after tax? £40,000 after tax is about £32,320 a year, or £2,693 a month, in 2026/27. The guide shows the full working and what changes the figure. 4 Sept 2026 · Read the guide → Pensions Is salary sacrifice worth it? Salary sacrifice cuts income tax and National Insurance, so £1 in a pension can cost as little as 38p. The guide shows when it is a bad idea. 4 Sept 2026 · Read the guide → Payslips Why did I pay more tax this month? Salary did not change but the tax did. The guide explains cumulative PAYE, why a bonus month shows far more tax and why National Insurance can fall. 4 Sept 2026 · Read the guide →