UK Tax Calculators & Guides

UK tax is applied at several layers — on your earnings, on dividends, on company profits and on certain gains. The right tool depends on what you're calculating, but the rules below are a good starting point for most people and businesses.

Income tax

Most UK residents pay income tax on earnings through PAYE. You get a tax-free personal allowance, then pay the basic, higher and additional rates on the part of your income that falls into each band. The thresholds vary by tax year, so a calculator that knows the current figures is more reliable than a rough rule of thumb.

Use the income tax calculator to see your annual and monthly tax, then the National Insurance calculator to add your employee contributions.

National Insurance

National Insurance (NI) is a separate contribution that funds state benefits. Employees pay Class 1 contributions on earnings above a threshold, and employers pay their own share. Because NI applies at different rates and thresholds to income tax, it's worth seeing both together to understand your real take-home pay.

Dividend and corporation tax

If you run a limited company, you pay corporation tax on company profits and then may pay dividend tax on what you take out. Dividend income has its own tax-free allowance and rate bands, so it's worth modelling a salary-vs-dividend split to see which is more efficient.

Capital gains and inheritance tax

Capital gains tax applies when you sell certain assets at a profit above your allowance, while inheritance tax applies to estates above the threshold. Both have allowances and reliefs that change the amount you owe.

Scotland and regional variations

Scottish income tax uses different rates and bands for most earnings. Some tools here assume the rest-of-UK rules; check the assumptions shown on each calculator if you're in Scotland.

Frequently asked questions

Which tax year do the calculators use?

Each calculator states the tax year it uses. Where switching is supported you can choose a different year to compare.

Are the figures exact?

They're estimates based on published HMRC and GOV.UK rules for the tax year selected. Your actual position can differ because of pension, student loan, benefits and other adjustments.

Are Scotland rates supported?

Where a calculator supports Scottish rates it says so. Otherwise it assumes the rest-of-UK rules and states that in its assumptions.