Where the money goes
| Year | Month | Week | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Salary | £34,000 | £2,833 | £654 |
| Income Tax | £4,286 | £357 | £82 |
| National Insurance | £1,714 | £143 | £33 |
| Take-home pay | £28,000 | £2,333 | £538 |
Out of every £100 you earn, you keep about £82. 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 £21,430.
| Band | Rate | Income in band | Tax |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tax-free allowance | 0% | £12,570 | £0 |
| Basic rate | 20% | £21,430 | £4,286 |
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 £34,000 that comes to £1,714 a year, or £143 a month. National Insurance is the same in every part of the UK, and you stop paying it once you reach State Pension age.
£34,000 after tax in Scotland
Scotland sets its own Income Tax bands. On £34,000 a Scottish taxpayer pays £4,291 Income Tax and takes home £27,995 a year (£2,333 a month), £5 less 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% | £4,474 | £940 |
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 £34,000. 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 | £28,000 | £2,333 |
| 5% pension by salary sacrifice | £1,700 | £0 | £26,776 | £2,231 |
| Plan 2 student loan | £0 | £415 | £27,584 | £2,299 |
| Plan 5 student loan | £0 | £810 | £27,190 | £2,266 |
| 5% pension and Plan 2 loan | £1,700 | £262 | £26,513 | £2,209 |
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) | £17.44 | £14.36 |
| Per day (5 days a week) | £130.77 | £107.69 |
| Per week | £654 | £538 |
| Per month | £2,833 | £2,333 |
Nearby salaries
| Salary | Take-home a year | A month |
|---|---|---|
| £31,000 after tax | £25,840 | £2,153 |
| £32,000 after tax | £26,560 | £2,213 |
| £33,000 after tax | £27,280 | £2,273 |
| £34,000 | £28,000 | £2,333 |
| £35,000 after tax | £28,720 | £2,393 |
| £36,000 after tax | £29,440 | £2,453 |
| £37,000 after tax | £30,160 | £2,513 |
See every salary from £15,000 to £250,000, or work out any figure with the salary calculator.