Answers · UK 2025/26
How much tax do I pay on a £3,000 bonus in the UK?
It depends on your salary. A basic-rate taxpayer keeps about £2,160 of a £3,000 bonus (28% lost to 20% tax and 8% NI). A higher-rate taxpayer keeps about £1,740 (42% lost), and an additional-rate taxpayer about £1,590 (47% lost).
Full answer
A bonus is treated as ordinary earnings for 2026/27, so it is taxed at your marginal rate plus National Insurance, on top of whatever your salary already uses up of the basic and higher rate bands. For a basic-rate taxpayer the bonus is taxed at 20% Income Tax and 8% NI, a 28% deduction, so you keep £2,160 of £3,000. For a higher-rate taxpayer the bonus is taxed at 40% plus 2% NI (NI drops to 2% above the £50,270 Upper Earnings Limit), a 42% deduction, leaving £1,740. For an additional-rate taxpayer it is 45% plus 2% NI, a 47% deduction, leaving £1,590. A bonus of this size is common as a modest annual performance payment, and PAYE may over-tax it in the month it is paid because the system annualises that month's earnings -- this typically corrects itself later in the tax year via your normal pay or a refund. If a £3,000 bonus pushes your total income across the £50,270 higher-rate threshold, only the portion above the threshold is taxed at the higher rate, so the actual amount kept usually sits between the basic-rate and higher-rate figures above. Use the Bonus calculator to see your exact take-home based on your actual salary and tax code.
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This answer is informational only and does not constitute financial, tax or legal advice. Figures are for the 2025/26 UK tax year. See our methodology and sources.