Where the money goes
| Year | Month | Week | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Salary | £72,000 | £6,000 | £1,385 |
| Income Tax | £16,232 | £1,353 | £312 |
| National Insurance | £3,451 | £288 | £66 |
| Take-home pay | £52,317 | £4,360 | £1,006 |
Out of every £100 you earn, you keep about £73. 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 £59,430.
| Band | Rate | Income in band | Tax |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tax-free allowance | 0% | £12,570 | £0 |
| Basic rate | 20% | £37,700 | £7,540 |
| Higher rate | 40% | £21,730 | £8,692 |
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 £72,000 that comes to £3,451 a year, or £288 a month. National Insurance is the same in every part of the UK, and you stop paying it once you reach State Pension age.
£72,000 after tax in Scotland
Scotland sets its own Income Tax bands. On £72,000 a Scottish taxpayer pays £18,222 Income Tax and takes home £50,327 a year (£4,194 a month), £1,990 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% | £14,136 | £2,969 |
| Higher rate | 42% | £28,338 | £11,902 |
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 £72,000. 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 | £52,317 | £4,360 |
| 5% pension by salary sacrifice | £3,600 | £0 | £50,229 | £4,186 |
| Plan 2 student loan | £0 | £3,835 | £48,482 | £4,040 |
| Plan 5 student loan | £0 | £4,230 | £48,087 | £4,007 |
| 5% pension and Plan 2 loan | £3,600 | £3,511 | £46,718 | £3,893 |
Your tax rates
Part of your salary is above £50,270, so it is taxed at the 40% higher rate, but National Insurance drops to 2% there. Each extra £100 costs 42%, leaving about £58. Paying more into a pension saves 40% tax on that slice.
Per hour, day and week
| Before tax | After tax | |
|---|---|---|
| Per hour (37.5 hours a week) | £36.92 | £26.83 |
| Per day (5 days a week) | £276.92 | £201.22 |
| Per week | £1,385 | £1,006 |
| Per month | £6,000 | £4,360 |
Nearby salaries
| Salary | Take-home a year | A month |
|---|---|---|
| £69,000 after tax | £50,577 | £4,215 |
| £70,000 after tax | £51,157 | £4,263 |
| £71,000 after tax | £51,737 | £4,311 |
| £72,000 | £52,317 | £4,360 |
| £73,000 after tax | £52,897 | £4,408 |
| £74,000 after tax | £53,477 | £4,456 |
| £75,000 after tax | £54,057 | £4,505 |
See every salary from £15,000 to £250,000, or work out any figure with the salary calculator.