Rates & sources
UK PAYE tax + NI thresholds (2025/26 HMRC). Employers deduct both at source from gross pay.
Source: HMRC — PAYE — figures refreshed at the start of each tax year.
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When to use this calculator
- Before accepting a pay change, bonus, pension contribution, or salary-sacrifice option.
- When you want to compare employed, self-employed, or dividend-based income scenarios.
- When you need a simple take-home estimate before running payroll or filing returns.
- When you are approaching the £100,000 income level and want to understand the personal allowance taper effect.
- When you are planning a salary sacrifice arrangement and need to see the net pay impact before agreeing terms.
A realistic UK planning example
Use these sample inputs as a quick scenario test, then change one variable at a time to compare outcomes.
Average Weekly Earnings (£)
25 years
Total Maternity Leave
39 weeks (SMP period)
Enhanced Maternity Pay from Employer?
No - Statutory only
After entering these figures, review weeks 1-6 weekly pay, weeks 7-39 weekly pay and total smp together rather than in isolation — each metric tells a different part of the story. Then rerun the tool with one input adjusted to see which variable has the biggest effect on all three outputs before you settle on a plan.
How to read your results
Weeks 1-6 Weekly Pay
Use this metric to compare scenarios side by side and understand how changes in the key inputs drive the final outcome. If the figure surprises you, isolate one variable at a time and rerun the calculation to identify which assumption is responsible.
Weeks 7-39 Weekly Pay
Use this metric to compare scenarios side by side and understand how changes in the key inputs drive the final outcome. If the figure surprises you, isolate one variable at a time and rerun the calculation to identify which assumption is responsible.
Total SMP
This is the headline outcome of the calculation, but it is most useful when read alongside the supporting metrics below it rather than in isolation. Try changing one input at a time and watching how this total moves to understand which driver has the biggest impact.
Enhanced Pay
Use this metric to compare scenarios side by side and understand how changes in the key inputs drive the final outcome. If the figure surprises you, isolate one variable at a time and rerun the calculation to identify which assumption is responsible.
Total Maternity Pay
This is the headline outcome of the calculation, but it is most useful when read alongside the supporting metrics below it rather than in isolation. Try changing one input at a time and watching how this total moves to understand which driver has the biggest impact.
Monthly Average
Use this metric to compare scenarios side by side and understand how changes in the key inputs drive the final outcome. If the figure surprises you, isolate one variable at a time and rerun the calculation to identify which assumption is responsible.
Method & assumptionsAuthoritative sources
This calculator estimates your maternity pay based on 2024/25 Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) rates. For the first six weeks of leave, SMP is set at 90% of your average weekly earnings (AWE), with no upper cap. From weeks 7 to 39, you receive the lower of £184.03 per week or 90% of your AWE. If your employer offers enhanced pay — for example, full salary for the first four, eight, or twelve weeks — the calculator applies that arrangement first, then applies SMP rules for the remaining weeks within the 39-week qualifying window. Average weekly earnings are normally calculated from payslips covering the eight weeks ending before the 15th week before your due date.
Weeks 40 to 52 (Additional Maternity Leave) are unpaid unless your employer has a contractual policy to extend pay beyond the statutory period. The monthly average figure shown is based on total pay divided by the leave duration in months, using a 4.33-week month. All figures are gross, before deductions for income tax and National Insurance. The lower earnings limit (£123/week in 2024/25) must be met for SMP eligibility; if you earn below this threshold, consider claiming Maternity Allowance through the DWP instead.
Common mistakes
- !Entering gross income when you really want take-home pay, or vice versa.
- !Ignoring pension contributions, deductions, or local tax rules that change the result.
- !Comparing monthly and annual figures without standardising them first.
- !Overlooking the National Insurance threshold changes that apply mid-year when rates or bands are adjusted in a Budget.
- !Assuming a salary sacrifice benefit reduces take-home pay by the full gross amount, rather than only the after-tax cost.
What to do next
- Check the same scenario with related pay or deduction calculators to see the full picture.
- Keep a copy of the assumptions you used so you can compare next tax year or pay period accurately.
- Read the related guides below if you are choosing between multiple income or deduction options.
- If you are self-employed, run the self-employment tax calculator alongside this result to compare the net position against employed income.
- Check whether increasing your pension contribution by even one or two percent changes the take-home significantly — use the pension calculator next.
Frequently asked
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