The Salary Calculator Alternative: UK Take-Home Pay 2026/27
OpenTaxCalculator is a free alternative to The Salary Calculator (thesalarycalculator.co.uk) for UK take-home pay in 2026/27. It calculates PAYE income tax, National Insurance, pension and student loan deductions, supports Scottish rates and tax codes, and links every figure to its HMRC or GOV.UK source, alongside bonus, salary sacrifice and council tax tools.
Open the UK salary after tax calculator →
How does OpenTaxCalculator compare with The Salary Calculator?
Features of The Salary Calculator as shown on its public page on 2026-10-08.
| Feature | The Salary Calculator | OpenTaxCalculator |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Tax years | 2022/23 to 2026/27 | Current and recent years |
| Scottish rates | Yes | Yes |
| Student loans | Plans 1, 2, 4, 5, Postgraduate | Plans 1, 2, 4, 5, Postgraduate |
| Pension | % or fixed amount, several scheme types | % of salary, net pay, relief at source or salary sacrifice |
| Bonus | Yes, with bonus-month comparison | Yes, plus a separate bonus tax calculator |
| Childcare vouchers and taxable benefits | Yes | No |
| Sources named on the page | Scottish rates link to gov.scot and GOV.UK | Yes, HMRC and GOV.UK for every rate |
When is The Salary Calculator the better choice?
- You receive childcare vouchers or taxable benefits in kind and want them in the payslip.
- You want overtime entered as hours times a multiplier on the same screen.
When is OpenTaxCalculator the better choice?
- You want a cleaner 2026/27 calculator with current rates only.
- You want the official source for each threshold.
- You also need NHS pay bands, council tax or stamp duty in the same place.
What should a 2026/27 UK salary calculator include?
The tax year runs from 6 April to 5 April. These are the 2026/27 figures that decide take-home pay for most employees:
| Item | 2026/27 figure |
|---|---|
| Personal Allowance | £12,570, reduced by £1 for every £2 of income above £100,000 |
| Income tax (England, Wales, NI) | 20% to £50,270, 40% to £125,140, 45% above |
| Income tax (Scotland) | Six bands from 19% to 48% |
| Employee National Insurance | 8% between £12,570 and £50,270, 2% above |
| Student loan thresholds | Plan 1 £26,900, Plan 2 £29,385, Plan 4 £33,795, Plan 5 £25,000 (all 9%); Postgraduate £21,000 at 6% |
| Auto-enrolment pension minimum | 5% employee and 3% employer on qualifying earnings from £6,240 to £50,270 |
How to check any take-home pay estimate
- Confirm the tax year. Thresholds and Scottish bands change each April. Make sure the calculator is set to 2026/27 for pay from 06/04/2026.
- Pick the right pension method. Salary sacrifice cuts both income tax and National Insurance. A net pay arrangement cuts income tax only. Relief at source is taken from net pay, with basic-rate relief added by the pension provider, so take-home pay drops by less than the gross contribution.
- Use your tax code. The default is 1257L. Benefits in kind, untaxed income or underpaid tax from a previous year can lower it; emergency codes such as 1257L W1 or M1 tax each payment on its own.
- Tick the right student loan plans. You can repay a postgraduate loan at the same time as Plan 1, 2, 4 or 5, and the two deductions are added together.
- Expect a bonus month to look different. PAYE works out tax period by period, so a bonus can push that month into a higher band even if your annual tax ends up the same.
- Compare with your payslip. If the figures differ, check for salary sacrifice schemes, benefits, a non-standard tax code or deductions such as union fees.
For your exact position, HMRC's online account shows your tax code and the pay and tax your employer has reported. Use any of these calculators to plan, then check the result against your next payslip.
Other comparisons
Frequently asked questions
Who runs The Salary Calculator?
thesalarycalculator.co.uk is run by a company registered in England and Wales and has been online since 2005.
Do both calculators use 2026/27 rates?
Yes. Both include 2026/27. OpenTaxCalculator shows the HMRC thresholds it uses and the date they were last reviewed on every page.
Which is more accurate?
For a standard PAYE salary both apply the same HMRC rates, so results should match closely. Differences usually come from pension method, tax code or benefits that one tool supports and the other does not.
Sources
Figures are taken from official government publications and were last reviewed on 2026-10-08.
- The Salary Calculator: UK take-home pay
- GOV.UK: Income Tax rates and Personal Allowances
- GOV.UK: National Insurance rates and categories
Reviewed by Kashif Nazir Khan on 2026-10-08 · software engineer and developer with an interest in accounting and taxation