Where the money goes
| Year | Month | Week | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Salary | £85,000 | £7,083 | £1,635 |
| Income Tax | £21,432 | £1,786 | £412 |
| National Insurance | £3,711 | £309 | £71 |
| Take-home pay | £59,857 | £4,988 | £1,151 |
Out of every £100 you earn, you keep about £70. 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 £72,430.
| Band | Rate | Income in band | Tax |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tax-free allowance | 0% | £12,570 | £0 |
| Basic rate | 20% | £37,700 | £7,540 |
| Higher rate | 40% | £34,730 | £13,892 |
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 £85,000 that comes to £3,711 a year, or £309 a month. National Insurance is the same in every part of the UK, and you stop paying it once you reach State Pension age.
£85,000 after tax in Scotland
Scotland sets its own Income Tax bands. On £85,000 a Scottish taxpayer pays £23,982 Income Tax and takes home £57,307 a year (£4,776 a month), £2,550 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% | £31,338 | £13,162 |
| Advanced rate | 45% | £10,000 | £4,500 |
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 £85,000. 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 | £59,857 | £4,988 |
| 5% pension by salary sacrifice | £4,250 | £0 | £57,392 | £4,783 |
| Plan 2 student loan | £0 | £5,005 | £54,852 | £4,571 |
| Plan 5 student loan | £0 | £5,400 | £54,457 | £4,538 |
| 5% pension and Plan 2 loan | £4,250 | £4,623 | £52,770 | £4,397 |
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) | £43.59 | £30.70 |
| Per day (5 days a week) | £326.92 | £230.22 |
| Per week | £1,635 | £1,151 |
| Per month | £7,083 | £4,988 |
Nearby salaries
| Salary | Take-home a year | A month |
|---|---|---|
| £82,000 after tax | £58,117 | £4,843 |
| £83,000 after tax | £58,697 | £4,891 |
| £84,000 after tax | £59,277 | £4,940 |
| £85,000 | £59,857 | £4,988 |
| £86,000 after tax | £60,437 | £5,036 |
| £87,000 after tax | £61,017 | £5,085 |
| £88,000 after tax | £61,597 | £5,133 |
See every salary from £15,000 to £250,000, or work out any figure with the salary calculator.