UK freelance tax calculator 2026/27
Enter your profit and see income tax, National Insurance and take-home pay for the year. Free, no account, nothing stored.
Turnover minus allowable expenses. Round numbers are fine; this is an estimate.
Where you pay tax
Tax year
Student loan
Class 2: nothing to pay at or above £7,105 of profit. The State Pension credit is automatic.
- Take-home for the year
- £32,868.20
- about £2,739.02 a month
- Total tax and National Insurance
- £7,131.80
- effective rate 17.8%
- Marginal rate
- 26.0%
- on the next £1 of profit
The link carries these inputs and nothing else.
| Income tax | £5,486.00 |
| Class 4 National Insurance | £1,645.80 |
A bill this size usually means payments on account: HMRC asks for half of it again by 31 January and half by 31 July, towards next year.
How the income tax is made up
| Band | Taxable | Rate | Tax |
|---|---|---|---|
| Personal Allowance | £12,570.00 | 0% | £0.00 |
| Basic Rate | £27,430.00 | 20% | £5,486.00 |
| Class 4 — Below Threshold | £12,570.00 | 0% | £0.00 |
| Class 4 — Main Rate | £27,430.00 | 6% | £1,645.80 |
These figures are estimates. They use UK 2026/27 rates and assume self-employed profit is your only income. This is not tax or financial advice. Check your figures with a qualified accountant or on gov.uk before you rely on them.
Want this figure kept up to date all year?
F The Hours logs your hours, builds your invoices and updates your tax estimate as each one is paid, then maps the year to the Self Assessment boxes. Every plan is free while the beta is open.
Common questions
- How much tax does a freelancer pay in the UK?
- On self-employed profit above the £12,570 personal allowance you pay income tax at 20 percent, then 40 percent above £50,270 and 45 percent above £125,140 in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, plus Class 4 National Insurance at 6 percent between £12,570 and £50,270 and 2 percent above that. Scotland has its own income tax bands, which the calculator applies when you pick it.
- What counts as profit?
- Your turnover for the tax year minus allowable business expenses: the figure you report on the self-employment pages of your Self Assessment, not the money that arrived in your bank account.
- When do I pay?
- The balance for a tax year is due by 31 January after it ends. If your bill is over £1,000, HMRC usually asks for payments on account towards the next year too: half by 31 January and half by 31 July.
- Do I need to pay Class 2 National Insurance?
- Not if your profit is above the small profits threshold, £7,105 in 2026/27: you get the credit towards your State Pension without paying. Below it, you can pay Class 2 voluntarily, £3.65 a week, to protect that record. When your profit is below it, a tick box appears above to add it if you choose to.
More answers about the app are on the questions page.