NHS Pension Tax Calculator: How Much Will You Take Home?
Enter your NHS pension and any other taxable income to see the income tax you pay, your monthly take-home, and what a pension increase is worth after tax. Free, in your browser.
Last updated 15 October 2026. Rates and allowances checked against gov.uk. How we check our figures.
Short answer
An NHS pension is taxable income, with no National Insurance. Everything you receive from all sources shares one £12,570 Personal Allowance, then 20% on the next slice for England, Wales and Northern Ireland. On a £16,000 NHS pension with no other income, that is about £686 a year in tax, leaving about £1,276 a month. A 3.8% rise would add £608 before tax and about £486 after it.
Your income
The yearly pension you are paid now, from your advice of payment, before tax.
State Pension, any other pension, part-time earnings. Leave blank if none. Do not include the tax-free lump sum.
Scotland has its own income tax rates and bands.
Type any percentage to see what a rise of that size is worth after tax.
Your result
Enter your NHS pension to see your tax and take-home
For example, a £14,000 NHS pension on its own is below the £12,570 Personal Allowance plus £1,430, so only the £1,430 above the allowance is taxed.
Tax on an NHS pension: worked examples
England, Wales and Northern Ireland, 2026/27, NHS pension only, full Personal Allowance, from the same function as the calculator above.
| NHS pension | Tax a year | Take-home a month | Average tax rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| £8,000 | £0 | £667 | 0% |
| £12,000 | £0 | £1,000 | 0% |
| £16,000 | £686 | £1,276 | 4.29% |
| £20,000 | £1,486 | £1,543 | 7.43% |
| £30,000 | £3,486 | £2,210 | 11.62% |
| £45,000 | £6,486 | £3,210 | 14.41% |
The same pensions alongside a State Pension
With £11,500 a year of State Pension or other taxable income on top, the allowance is used up by the other income first, so more of the NHS pension is taxed.
| NHS pension | Other income | Total tax a year | Total take-home a month |
|---|---|---|---|
| £10,000 | £11,500 | £1,786 | £1,643 |
| £16,000 | £11,500 | £2,986 | £2,043 |
| £24,000 | £11,500 | £4,586 | £2,576 |
How this calculator works and what it leaves out
- ✓ Applies the 2026/27 income tax bands from the same engine as our other tax tools, for England, Wales and Northern Ireland or for Scotland
- ✓ Uses the full standard Personal Allowance and reduces it only for income over £100,000, as HMRC does
- ✓ Charges no National Insurance, because it is not charged on pension income
- ✓ Leaves out the marriage allowance, savings and dividend income, benefits taxed through your code and any tax-free lump sum
- ✓ Treats the yearly increase as extra taxable pension and shows the tax on it
- ✓ Runs entirely in your browser. Your figures are not sent to a server
Sources: gov.uk, tax on your private pension contributions and income and gov.uk, Income Tax rates and Personal Allowances.
September CPI was 3.5%: your April 2027 rise
The Treasury confirmed last year's increase on 26 February 2026, so expect confirmation early in the new year. We'll email you the confirmed figure and what it adds to a pension like yours. You also get the free key dates checklist now.
Free. Independent, not affiliated with the NHS. Every email has an unsubscribe link. See our privacy policy.
Related guides & tools
NHS Pension Increase April 2027
How the yearly rise is set and an estimator for the extra pounds.
NHS Pension Lump Sum Calculator
Standard or maximum lump sum and the break-even age.
NHS Pension and Inheritance Tax
The separate April 2027 Inheritance Tax change.
NHS Pension Calculator
Project your pension from your pay and service.
NHS Retirement Age and Early Retirement Checker
Normal pension age and the reduction at each age.
NHS Pension Plus State Pension: What You Pay Tax On
Why most of an NHS pension is taxed once the State Pension starts, with 2026/27 figures.
⚠Independent information, not tax advice
FrontlinePay is independent and is not affiliated with NHS Pensions, HMRC or the Department of Health and Social Care. This calculator gives an estimate. HMRC and your advice note from NHS Pensions are the authority on your tax.