Net cash versus retained value
The pension contribution is not paid into your bank account, so net cash take-home falls. The calculator also shows net cash plus pension value so you can see the wider retained value.
Important pension note
This page models salary sacrifice. Relief-at-source and net-pay pension arrangements can behave differently, especially for National Insurance and payroll timing.
More salary examples
Extra annual salary examples are tucked away here to keep the main calculator page clean. These buttons still use annual salary mode, not hourly mode.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which tax year does this calculator use? +
It uses the 2026/27 UK tax year for England, Wales and Northern Ireland estimates.
Does salary sacrifice reduce National Insurance? +
In this calculator, yes. The pension percentage is treated as salary sacrifice, so the reduced cash pay is used for both income tax and employee National Insurance estimates.
Does this include Scottish income tax? +
No. Scottish income tax rates and bands are different and are not included in this version.
Why might my payslip be slightly different? +
Payroll systems use pay-period thresholds, tax codes and rounding rules. This calculator gives a strong annual estimate, not payroll advice.