Where the money goes
| Year | Month | Week | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Salary | £120,000 | £10,000 | £2,308 |
| Income Tax | £39,432 | £3,286 | £758 |
| National Insurance | £4,411 | £368 | £85 |
| Take-home pay | £76,157 | £6,346 | £1,465 |
Out of every £100 you earn, you keep about £63. Your payslip may differ by a few pounds because payroll works each pay period separately.
Income Tax band by band
Because your income is over £100,000, your Personal Allowance shrinks from £12,570 to £2,570.
| Band | Rate | Income in band | Tax |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tax-free allowance | 0% | £2,570 | £0 |
| Basic rate | 20% | £37,700 | £7,540 |
| Higher rate | 40% | £79,730 | £31,892 |
National Insurance
Employees pay Class 1 National Insurance of 8% on earnings between £12,570 and £50,270 a year, and 2% above that. On £120,000 that comes to £4,411 a year, or £368 a month. National Insurance is the same in every part of the UK, and you stop paying it once you reach State Pension age.
£120,000 after tax in Scotland
Scotland sets its own Income Tax bands. On £120,000 a Scottish taxpayer pays £44,232 Income Tax and takes home £71,357 a year (£5,946 a month), £4,800 less than in the rest of the UK.
| Band | Rate | Income in band | Tax |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tax-free allowance | 0% | £2,570 | £0 |
| Starter rate | 19% | £3,967 | £754 |
| Basic rate | 20% | £12,989 | £2,598 |
| Intermediate rate | 21% | £14,136 | £2,969 |
| Higher rate | 42% | £31,338 | £13,162 |
| Advanced rate | 45% | £55,000 | £24,750 |
With a pension or student loan
Most employees pay into a workplace pension, and many repay a student loan. This is how they change take-home pay on £120,000. A salary sacrifice pension is taken before tax and National Insurance, so it costs you less than its face value.
| Pension | Student loan | Take-home a year | A month | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No pension or student loan | £0 | £0 | £76,157 | £6,346 |
| 5% pension by salary sacrifice | £6,000 | £0 | £73,877 | £6,156 |
| Plan 2 student loan | £0 | £8,155 | £68,002 | £5,667 |
| Plan 5 student loan | £0 | £8,550 | £67,607 | £5,634 |
| 5% pension and Plan 2 loan | £6,000 | £7,615 | £66,262 | £5,522 |
Your tax rates
Between £100,000 and £125,140 you lose £1 of Personal Allowance for every £2 you earn, so each extra £100 costs 62%: 40% tax, another 20% from the lost allowance and 2% NI. Pension contributions or Gift Aid that bring your income back to £100,000 win the allowance back.
The £100,000 tax trap
Earning over £100,000can also end your family’s Tax-Free Childcare and the extra funded childcare hours in England.
Per hour, day and week
| Before tax | After tax | |
|---|---|---|
| Per hour (37.5 hours a week) | £61.54 | £39.06 |
| Per day (5 days a week) | £461.54 | £292.91 |
| Per week | £2,308 | £1,465 |
| Per month | £10,000 | £6,346 |
Nearby salaries
| Salary | Take-home a year | A month |
|---|---|---|
| £117,000 after tax | £75,017 | £6,251 |
| £118,000 after tax | £75,397 | £6,283 |
| £119,000 after tax | £75,777 | £6,315 |
| £120,000 | £76,157 | £6,346 |
| £121,000 after tax | £76,537 | £6,378 |
| £122,000 after tax | £76,917 | £6,410 |
| £123,000 after tax | £77,297 | £6,441 |
See every salary from £15,000 to £250,000, or work out any figure with the salary calculator.