A UK payslip shows gross pay, tax, National Insurance, pension deductions, student loan deductions and net pay for a pay period.
A payslip is the record your employer gives you for a pay period. It normally shows gross pay before deductions, PAYE Income Tax, employee National Insurance, pension deductions, student loan deductions where relevant, and the net pay that reaches your bank.
On £35,000 a year, a standard 2026/27 tax code and no pension or student loan, the figures work out like this. Open a calculator to put your own numbers in.
A payslip is the record your employer gives you for a pay period. It normally shows gross pay before deductions, PAYE Income Tax, employee National Insurance, pension deductions, student loan deductions where relevant, and the net pay that reaches your bank.
| Tax/source year | 2026/27 |
|---|---|
| Region | England/Wales/Northern Ireland |
| Tax code basis | 1257L where the page uses PAYE defaults |
| Pension basis | No pension deduction unless this example says otherwise |
| Student loan basis | No student loan unless selected in this example |
| Calculator setting | The answer is more useful when matched to the same tax year, region, tax code, pension and loan settings used in the calculator. |
|---|---|
| Records to compare | Payslips, HMRC records, student-loan notices and pension scheme documents can explain differences. |
| Tax code | HMRC tax-code changes, K codes, BR/D codes, or emergency markers can change PAYE deductions. |
|---|---|
| Cumulative basis | Week 1, Month 1 or non-cumulative payroll can differ from a smooth annual calculator estimate. |
| Pension method | Relief at source, net pay and salary sacrifice can affect taxable pay and take-home pay differently. |
| Payroll timing | Bonus, overtime, arrears, refunds, cut-off dates and corrections can all move a single payslip. |
| Open the salary calculator with editable assumptions | calculator next step |
|---|---|
| Review calculation sources and methodology | source context |
| What is not decided here | PayBreakdown does not decide payroll correctness, lender approval, benefit entitlement or employer compliance, and does not give regulated financial, mortgage, debt, tax, payroll or legal advice. |
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The figures on this page use the values below. Open the calculator if your example salary differs.
Payslip layouts vary by employer, but the same core ideas appear on most employee payslips.
Start with the labels that feed the final net pay. A small difference in one label can explain a large difference in the amount paid.
PayBreakdown cannot log into HMRC or employer payroll portals. It can explain common payslip terms and compare a payslip-style estimate with salary calculator assumptions.
This is educational guidance for understanding how UK pay and tax work. It does not decide payroll correctness, HMRC treatment, lender approval, benefit entitlement or employment rights, and it is not regulated financial advice. Where a figure matters, check it against your payslip, your HMRC account, or the official guidance linked on this page.
No. A payslip is the employer payroll record for a specific period. A salary calculator is a planning estimate based on selected assumptions.
Net pay or take-home pay is usually the practical budgeting number because it is the amount after payroll deductions.
No. PayBreakdown cannot access employer, HMRC, ESR, Sage, Oracle, iTrent or other payslip portals. It only explains terms and models estimates from the inputs you choose.
Last updated 2026-08-19. Estimates are for planning and should be checked against official records where the decision matters.