Bonus Tax Calculator
Enter your yearly salary and the bonus. The page shows the tax and National Insurance the bonus adds and what is left.
Uses the 2026/27 UK tax year figures for England, Wales and Northern Ireland, checked against GOV.UK on 18 October 2026. This is an estimate to help you plan and not advice.
Worked examples
A £5,000 bonus on £45,000
£45,000 salary, £5,000 bonus
£3,600.00 after tax
Tax of £1,000.00 and National Insurance of £400.00. Part of the bonus is taxed at 20% and part at 40%.
About Bonus Tax Calculator
A bonus is not taxed at a special rate. It is added to your pay and taxed with everything else, so how much you keep depends on your salary and which band the bonus falls into. A bonus that fits inside the basic rate band loses 28% to tax and National Insurance. The part of a bonus that goes above £50,270 loses 42%.
Enter your yearly salary and the gross bonus. The page works out your income tax and National Insurance with and without the bonus and shows the difference as the tax on the bonus. You get the amount you will actually receive, the share lost, and your take-home pay for the year with and without it. Figures use the 2026/27 rates for England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
How to use Bonus Tax Calculator
- Enter your yearly salary before the bonus.
- Enter the gross bonus you will receive.
- Read the tax and National Insurance on the bonus and what you keep.
- Compare take-home pay with and without the bonus.
Common uses
- Seeing what a bonus is worth after tax
- Deciding whether to take a bonus as pension contributions
- Checking a bonus payslip
- Planning around the higher rate threshold
Frequently asked questions
How is a bonus taxed in the UK?
It is treated as part of your pay for the year and taxed at your marginal rate, with National Insurance as well. Payroll may take tax in one go, but the tax for the year works out the same.
Why does my bonus feel heavily taxed?
Because it sits on top of your salary, so it is taxed at the highest rate that applies to you, not the average rate.
Can I reduce the tax on a bonus?
Paying some or all of it into a pension through salary sacrifice avoids income tax and employee National Insurance on that part. Check with your employer and consider your pension allowance.
What happens if the bonus takes me over £100,000?
Your personal allowance reduces by £1 for every £2 above £100,000, which creates an effective rate of 60% on that slice of income. The calculator includes this in the tax figures.
Are Scottish rates included?
No. Scotland has different income tax bands.