Answers · UK 2025/26

How much is £48,000 after tax in the UK?

On a £48,000 salary in England, Wales or Northern Ireland for 2026/27 you pay about £7,086 Income Tax and £2,834 National Insurance, leaving roughly £38,080 take-home a year, or around £3,173 a month. That assumes the standard £12,570 Personal Allowance and no pension or student loan.

Last updated: 7 June 2026Last reviewed: 7 June 2026How we verify

Full answer

For a £48,000 salary in England, Wales or Northern Ireland during 2026/27, the first £12,570 is covered by the Personal Allowance at 0%. The remaining £35,430 is taxed at the 20% basic rate, giving Income Tax of about £7,086. National Insurance is charged at 8% on earnings between £12,570 and £48,000, which is 8% of £35,430, or about £2,834. Combined deductions are around £9,920, leaving take-home of roughly £38,080 a year, or about £3,173 a month. At £48,000 you are still just within the basic-rate band, sitting below the £50,270 higher-rate threshold, so you keep the full Personal Allowance and the £1,000 Personal Savings Allowance, though you are close to the point where the allowance would halve to £500. A Plan 2 student loan charges 9% on earnings above £29,385, costing 9% of £18,615, about £1,675 a year. Pension contributions are particularly worth considering here, because any salary you would otherwise have taxed at 40% above £50,270 can be sheltered, and salary sacrifice cuts National Insurance too. In Scotland a £48,000 salary pays more Income Tax than the rest of the UK because the 42% higher rate begins at £43,662, so over £4,000 is taxed at 42%. Use the Take-Home Pay calculator to model pension contributions, student loans and your region for an exact net figure.