Answers · UK 2025/26

How much tax and National Insurance does a self-employed hairdresser pay on £24,000 profit?

A self-employed hairdresser (chair renter) with £24,000 taxable profit in 2026/27 pays £2,286 Income Tax and £685.80 Class 4 National Insurance, keeping £21,028.20 after tax and NI. There is no separate Class 2 charge, since it was abolished for most self-employed people from April 2024.

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

Full answer

Many hairdressers work self-employed as chair renters, paying a salon a fixed weekly or monthly rent for their chair and equipment access while keeping their own client fees, which are taxed as trading profit -- income minus allowable expenses such as chair rent, products, insurance and training. On £24,000 taxable profit for 2026/27: after the £12,570 Personal Allowance, £11,430 is taxable, entirely within the 20% basic rate band, giving £2,286 Income Tax. Class 4 National Insurance is charged at 6% on profits between the £12,570 Lower Profits Limit and the £50,270 Upper Profits Limit, so 6% of £11,430 is £685.80. Class 2 National Insurance was abolished for most self-employed people from April 2024, though voluntary Class 2 payments remain available below the £7,105 Small Profits Threshold to protect State Pension entitlement -- not relevant at £24,000 profit. Total deductions of £2,971.80 leave £21,028.20 after tax and National Insurance. Self-employed hairdressers must keep clear records separating chair rent, product costs and other business expenses from personal spending, since HMRC has specifically targeted the hair and beauty sector for compliance checks in recent years, and should register for Self Assessment as soon as they start trading, even before their first tax return is due.