Answers · UK 2025/26

How much tax do I pay on a £2,000 bonus in the UK?

A £2,000 bonus is taxed at your marginal rate. A basic-rate taxpayer keeps about £1,440 after 20% Income Tax and 8% National Insurance; a higher-rate taxpayer keeps about £1,160 after 40% tax and 2% NI. Bonuses are not taxed more harshly -- they just stack on top of your salary.

Last updated: 3 July 2026Last reviewed: 3 July 2026How we verify

Full answer

A bonus is taxed as ordinary earnings at whatever marginal rate it falls into once added to your salary, for 2026/27. Two worked examples. Basic-rate taxpayer (salary £30,000): the £2,000 bonus sits entirely in the 20% band, so Income Tax is £400 and National Insurance at 8% is £160, leaving £1,440 net. Higher-rate taxpayer (salary £70,000): the bonus falls above £50,270, taxed at 40% = £800 plus 2% NI = £40, leaving £1,160 net. A small bonus like £2,000 rarely pushes anyone into a higher tax band on its own, so the calculation is usually straightforward -- it simply gets taxed at whatever rate the rest of your income already falls into. If a bonus of this size is your only variable pay for the year, PAYE should tax it correctly first time; if it is one of several bonuses paid through the year, check your year-to-date figures on your payslip to confirm the right amount of tax has been deducted. Salary-sacrificing a small bonus into a pension avoids both Income Tax and NI on the sacrificed amount, though for modest sums many people prefer to take the cash. Use the Bonus Tax calculator to see your exact take-home.