ENGLAND
Payslips and pay in England.
England uses the rest-of-UK income tax bands — 20% basic, 40% higher, 45% additional — on a £12,570 Personal Allowance, with no regional code prefix. PayslipIQ decodes your payslip line by line wherever you work in England and flags anything worth querying.
Educational estimates only. Not tax, legal, financial, payroll or employment advice. Verify with your employer's payroll team or HMRC.
England income tax bands (2026/27)
England, Wales and Northern Ireland share the same income tax bands. Scotland sets its own. Your income tax applies to taxable income above your Personal Allowance.
| Band | Rate | Taxable income |
|---|---|---|
| Personal Allowance | 0% | Up to £12,570 (frozen to 2028) |
| Basic | 20% | £12,571 to £50,270 |
| Higher | 40% | £50,271 to £125,140 |
| Additional | 45% | Above £125,140 |
The Personal Allowance tapers by £1 for every £2 earned above £100,000, disappearing entirely at £125,140.
National Insurance and your tax code
National Insurance is the second deduction on most payslips and is the same UK-wide. For category A in 2026/27, employees pay 8% on earnings between the primary threshold (£12,570 a year) and the Upper Earnings Limit (£50,270 a year), then 2% above it. English tax codes carry no regional prefix — they look like 1257L. A Scottish code starts with S; a Welsh code starts with C.
- Standard 2026/27 tax code: 1257L (no prefix).
- Emergency codes such as 1257L W1/M1 often over-tax on the first payslip after a job change.
- A K code means deductions exceed your allowances — worth checking if you did not expect it.
- Your NI category letter (A, M, H, V, C and others) sets which NI rules apply.
England city take-home pay
Common questions
Is income tax different in England compared to the rest of the UK?
England, Wales and Northern Ireland share the same income tax bands (20 / 40 / 45 percent in 2026/27). Scotland sets its own bands and rates separately. National Insurance is the same UK-wide.
What is the personal allowance in England?
For 2026/27, the standard Personal Allowance is £12,570. It is reduced by £1 for every £2 you earn over £100,000, disappearing entirely above £125,140.
Where can I see my regional code?
English tax codes do not have a regional prefix. They look like 1257L. Scottish codes start with S; Welsh codes start with C.
Why is my first payslip taxed so heavily?
A new job often starts on an emergency code (for example 1257L W1/M1), which can over-tax until HMRC issues your correct cumulative code. PayslipIQ flags an emergency code and explains how it corrects.
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Open the toolPayslipIQ provides educational information and estimated calculations only. It does not provide tax, legal, financial, payroll, accounting, pension, benefits or employment advice. Always verify your payslip, tax code, deductions and take-home pay with your employer's payroll department, HMRC, your pension provider, a qualified accountant, tax adviser or another appropriately qualified professional.