Where the money goes
| Year | Month | Week | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Salary | £31,000 | £2,583 | £596 |
| Income Tax | £3,686 | £307 | £71 |
| National Insurance | £1,474 | £123 | £28 |
| Take-home pay | £25,840 | £2,153 | £497 |
Out of every £100 you earn, you keep about £83. Your payslip may differ by a few pounds because payroll works each pay period separately.
Income Tax band by band
The first £12,570 is your tax-free Personal Allowance. Income Tax is charged on the remaining £18,430.
| Band | Rate | Income in band | Tax |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tax-free allowance | 0% | £12,570 | £0 |
| Basic rate | 20% | £18,430 | £3,686 |
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 £31,000 that comes to £1,474 a year, or £123 a month. National Insurance is the same in every part of the UK, and you stop paying it once you reach State Pension age.
£31,000 after tax in Scotland
Scotland sets its own Income Tax bands. On £31,000 a Scottish taxpayer pays £3,661 Income Tax and takes home £25,865 a year (£2,155 a month), £25 more than in the rest of the UK.
| Band | Rate | Income in band | Tax |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tax-free allowance | 0% | £12,570 | £0 |
| Starter rate | 19% | £3,967 | £754 |
| Basic rate | 20% | £12,989 | £2,598 |
| Intermediate rate | 21% | £1,474 | £310 |
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 £31,000. 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 | £25,840 | £2,153 |
| 5% pension by salary sacrifice | £1,550 | £0 | £24,724 | £2,060 |
| Plan 2 student loan | £0 | £145 | £25,694 | £2,141 |
| Plan 5 student loan | £0 | £540 | £25,300 | £2,108 |
| 5% pension and Plan 2 loan | £1,550 | £6 | £24,718 | £2,060 |
Your tax rates
You are a basic rate taxpayer. Each extra £100 of salary costs you 28% in Income Tax and National Insurance (20% tax and 8% NI), so you keep about £72.
Per hour, day and week
| Before tax | After tax | |
|---|---|---|
| Per hour (37.5 hours a week) | £15.90 | £13.25 |
| Per day (5 days a week) | £119.23 | £99.38 |
| Per week | £596 | £497 |
| Per month | £2,583 | £2,153 |
Nearby salaries
| Salary | Take-home a year | A month |
|---|---|---|
| £28,000 after tax | £23,680 | £1,973 |
| £29,000 after tax | £24,400 | £2,033 |
| £30,000 after tax | £25,120 | £2,093 |
| £31,000 | £25,840 | £2,153 |
| £32,000 after tax | £26,560 | £2,213 |
| £33,000 after tax | £27,280 | £2,273 |
| £34,000 after tax | £28,000 | £2,333 |
See every salary from £15,000 to £250,000, or work out any figure with the salary calculator.