Net to gross salary calculator
If you know the take-home you want but not the salary to ask for, this works backwards, adding income tax and National Insurance to find the gross needed.
Why grossing up is not a flat percentage
Take-home does not rise in a straight line with salary. Below £12,570 there is no tax or National Insurance, so gross equals net. Above that, each pound is taxed at 20% then 40%, and National Insurance steps from 8% to 2%. Because the deduction rate changes across the bands, you cannot recover the gross by adding a single percentage to the net.
This tool solves the problem numerically. It tries a gross figure, works out the take-home the normal way, and narrows in until the take-home matches your target. The result is the gross salary that produces exactly the net you asked for.
Worked example
To take home £2,000 a month, that is £24,000 a year after deductions. Adding back the £3,175 of income tax and £1,270 of National Insurance that a salary of this size pays gives a gross of about £28,445. Ask for much more take-home and the required gross climbs faster, because the extra falls in the 40% band.
Common questions
How do I work out gross from net pay?
You cannot simply add a fixed percentage, because tax and National Insurance change across the bands. This tool searches for the gross salary whose take-home matches your target, using the 2026/27 rates, so the answer is exact rather than a rough grossing-up.
What gross salary gives me £2,000 a month take-home?
About £28,445 a year. That leaves roughly £2,000 a month after £3,175 income tax and £1,270 National Insurance across the year.
Why is the gross so much higher than the net?
The gap is income tax and National Insurance. As the gross rises into the 40% band, each extra pound of take-home needs a larger jump in gross, which is why grossing up is not a flat multiplier.
Does this include pension or student loan?
No. It assumes a standard tax code with no pension contributions or student loan. Those would raise the gross needed for a given take-home, so treat this as the baseline figure.